Abstract: Litter decomposition is a key process of nutrient cycle and energy flow in ecosystems, while soil microorganism and soil fauna are the main executants of litter decomposition. There are many studies addressed on the roles of soil organisms in litter decomposition, but the studies on the effects of litter decomposition on soil organisms are relatively scarce, and  the interactions between litter decomposition and soil organisms remain largely unclear. This paper briefly reviewed the studies on the effects of litter decomposition on soil microorganism and soil fauna, and discussed the key underlying mechanisms. The effects of litter decomposition on soil microorganism not only depend on litter properties (type or composition) and litter’s fragmentation degree, but also relate to the litter’s buried location. Many studies indicated that litter decomposition had remarkable effects on the community structure of soil fauna, and these effects were mainly from the alternations of soil organisms’ food source and habitat. It was proposed that the future research should focus on the long-term experimental studies across regions, integrated research on litter decomposition and ecosystem processes, and affecting mechanisms of litter decomposition on soil organisms.

Key words: Quercus mongolica community, Leaf size spectra, Leaf edge