Disentangling the multiple effects of precipitation on arthropod biomass: A commentary on Newell et al. (2022).

Relatively, little research has simultaneously examined the indirect (bottom-up) and direct effects of precipitation on animals. Newell et al. (2022) examine this topic in cloud forests of Peru, unexpectedly finding little evidence of bottom-up control of arthropod biomass, but instead evidence of direct effects of precipitation and vapor pressure deficit on arthropod biomass. This research suggests that direct effects of precipitation and desiccation on arthropod biomass should be more widely investigated, and this finding has important implications for understanding the effects of climate on terrestrial animals at multiple trophic levels.