We report results of two highly controlled laboratory incubation experiments aimed at quantifying how soil-litter mixing and soil moisture interact to affect litter decomposition. These experiments allowed us to assess the relative importance of some of the many
environmental factors that might explain field observations of a positive relationship between soil-litter mixing and decomposition. We hypothesized that soil-litter mixing would 1) positively influence the rate of decomposition by enhancing microbial colonization and 2) be most pronounced under variable moisture conditions when soil-litter mixing would enhance microbial activity by buffering litter from moisture extremes. We tested these hypotheses by quantifying the influence of soil-litter mixing on litter decomposition in two separate but complementary laboratory incubations, one using constant soil moisture regimes and the second using simulated rainfall pulses to create fluctuating soil moisture conditions.