Altered precipitation patterns are predicted to accompany climate change and are likely to impact grassland soil communities and nutrient cycling processes, which are dependant to a large extent soil water content. While short-term responses of soil communities and nutrient cycling to changes in precipitation amounts and soil water availability have been documented, very few studies have examined the long-term effects of these changes. A long-term reciprocal transplant experiment, initiated in 1993, provides a unique opportunity to address the long term response of soil communities (e.g. microbes, macroinvertebrates, and microarthropods) and nutrient cycling due to altered precipitation amounts. In 1993, large (25cm x 70cm), intact soil cores and associated plants were reciprocally transplanted between a mesic tallgrass site (Konza Prairie Biological Station) and a more arid mixed-grass site (Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center at Hays) in a randomized block design. For the present analyses, both “native” and “transplanted” cores incubated at each site for 16 years were extracted in May 2009, along with additional cores from the surrounding areas for comparison. Primary analysis of these soil cores focuses on comparison between native and transplanted cores within each site, to assess the relative importance of soil type or climate, and between cores of the same initial location incubated at different sites, to assess the effects of long-term climate change. Although in the preliminary stage of analysis, soil cores appear to be affected more by location rather than initial soil type. Results on soil macroinvertebrate densities indicate earthworms, cicada larvae, and beetle larvae have the highest densities in soil incubated at the more mesic Konza site, relative to all other treatments. In addition to soil macroinvertebrates, results on nutrient cycling indices and other soil biota will be presented.