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The impact of deadwood in ecosystems is dependent on its longevity, as determined by decay rates controlled by decay agents. Despite the importance of macroclimate, significant variation of decay rates within a given macroclimatic envelope has been reported. Such variation may be driven by local‐scale microenvironmental conditions as regulated by the plant community structure as well as the presence of specific biotic and abiotic decay agents, decoupling the relation between macroclimate conditions and deadwood decay rates. In this study, we evaluated the relation between local‐scale variation in plant community structure with the decay rates of deadwood and the relative importance of biotic and abiotic decay agents in deadwood decay in Neotropical Cerrado. For this, we performed a wood mass loss experiment using Pinus taeda wood which was installed at three sites in three vegetation types differing in canopy cover—grasslands, savannas and woodlands; wood was divided into treatments according to deadwood exposure to decay agents—microorganism, termite and solar radiation. Across sites, we found termites and microbes decomposed wood twice as fast as microbes alone, while solar radiation was not a strong driver of deadwood decay in our sites. Additionally, local‐scale variation in plant community structure affected deadwood decay, as decay rates and frequency of wood blocks discovered by termites were lower in woodlands than in grasslands and savannas. Our study highlights the interactive effects of local‐scale variation in plant community structure and termites on deadwood turnover, mainly due to differences in termite foraging behaviour among vegetation types and highlights the key role of termites in deadwood decay throughout Neotropical savannas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cerrado, South America's largest savanna, has acidic, nutrient‐poor soils and its native plants thrive under these conditions. However, abandoned pastures historically undergo changes in chemical properties due to interventions like liming and fertilizer use. This favors invasive African grasses and hinders native plants, impacting restoration efforts. In a Cerrado grassland undergoing restoration study, we tested whether soil acidification could restore native soil conditions and control invasives using 56 plots across 14 blocks. We hypothesized that decreased soil pH and nutrient availability would reduce invasive biomass and enhance diversity. We show that acidification reduced invasive biomass by 71%, with acidification negatively affecting invasives while sparing natives. Maintaining nutrient‐poor soil conditions can help to control invasive grasses in restoration projects, as fertilizer application can favor invasive species establishment. Soil acidification effectiveness depends on local nutrient levels. Areas with high soil cation content may require larger amendment quantities. Restoration strategies in nutrient‐poor ecosystems should aim recovering historical soil conditions to control invasives growth and support slow‐growing native plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]