Abstract: Litter is a main medium for soilgrass interaction in grasslands. As a key factor regulating the aboveground-belowground ecological processes, litter decomposition affects soil food web and trophic structure of soil organisms. Soil fauna are important mediators linking material circulation and energy flow between litter and soil, as the main regulators of litter decomposition and nutrient release. In recent years, the relationships between litter decomposition and soil fauna have been extensively investigated. Here, we summarized the effects of livestock grazing on litter decomposition, soil fauna, and their relationship. Grazing changes litter decomposition through feeding, trampling, and excretion behavior. Further, grazing indirectly affects soil fauna diversity, and thus reduces the complexity of soil microfood web. In addition, the impacts of herbivores on the relationships between litter decomposition and soil fauna in grasslands are complex. Moreover, such relationship often responds to grazing intensity, grazing season and livestock species, and thus affects ecosystem structure and function.

Key words: grazing, grassland, litter decomposition, soil fauna.