Response of Litter Decomposition to Simulated N Deposition in Disturbed, Rehabilitated and Mature Forests in Subtropical China

The response of decomposition of litter for the dominant tree species in disturbed (pine), rehabilitated (pine and broadleaf mixed) and mature (monsoon evergreen broadleaf) forests in subtropical China to simulated N deposition was studied to address the following hypothesis: (1) litter decomposition is faster in mature forest (high soil N availability) than in rehabilitated/disturbed forests (low soil N availability); (2) litter decomposition is stimulated by N addition in rehabilitated and disturbed forests due to their low soil N availability; (3) N addition has little effect on litter decomposition in mature forest due to its high soil N availability. The litterbag method (a total of 2880 litterbags) and N treatments: Control-no N addition, Low-N: −5 g N m⁻² y⁻¹, Medium-N: −10 g N m⁻² y⁻¹, and High-N: −15 g N m⁻² y⁻¹, were employed to evaluate decomposition_. Results indicated that mature forest, which has likely been N saturated due to both long-term high N deposition in the region and the age of the ecosystem, had the highest litter decomposition rate, and exhibited no significant positive and even some negative response to nitrogen additions. However, both disturbed and rehabilitated forests, which are still N limited due to previous land use history, exhibited slower litter decomposition rates with significant positive effects from nitrogen additions. These results suggest that litter decomposition and its responses to N addition in subtropical forests of China vary depending on the nitrogen status of the ecosystem.     

Effects of grassland species on decomposition of litter and soil microbial communities

Decomposition of litter is greatly influenced not only by its chemical composition but also by activities of soil decomposers. By using leaf litter from 15 plant species collected from semi-natural and improved grasslands, we examined (1) how interspecific differences in the chemical composition of litter influence the abundance and composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities and (2) how such changes in microbial communities are related to the processes of decomposition. The litter from each species was incubated in soil of a standard composition for 60 days under controlled conditions. After incubation, the structure of bacterial and fungal communities in the soil was examined using phospholipid fatty-acid analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Species from improved grasslands had significantly higher rates of nitrogen mineralization and decomposition than those from semi-natural grasslands because the former were richer in nitrogen. Litter from improved grasslands was also richer in Gram-positive bacteria, whereas that from semi-natural grasslands was richer in actinomycetes and fungi. Nitrogen content of litter also influenced the composition of the fungal community. Changes in the composition of both bacterial and fungal communities were closely related to the rate of litter decomposition. These results suggest that plant species greatly influence litter decomposition not only through influencing the quality of substrate but also through changing the composition of soil microbial communities.     

Changes in the nutritional quality of decaying leaf litter in a stream based on fatty acid content

We examined the nutritional quality of decaying leaf litter in a third-order forested stream, using measurements of fatty acid (FA) composition over time. We measured changes in concentrations of total, polyunsaturated, microalgal, and microbial marker FAs in mixed-species leaf packs in spring and autumn and effects of including/excluding macroinvertebrates. Initial concentrations of total FAs in litter were significantly less in spring (5.2 mg/g) than in autumn (6.9 mg/g; F = 6.3; P = 0.03), but total FA concentrations in litter placed in the stream declined significantly over 120 days in both spring (62%; F = 10.9; P < 0.001) and autumn (56%; F = 19.4; P = 0.0001). Quantities of most FAs declined at a greater rate than that of bulk leaf matter. The presence or absence of macroinvertebrates (5 mm vs. 250 μm mesh) had no effect on FA concentration or composition of decomposing litter. Omega-3 polyunsaturated FAs were either nearly absent (20:5ω3) or depleted preferentially over other FAs (18:3ω3). During decomposition the polyunsaturated FA linoleic acid (18:2ω6, common in fungi), declined in concentration more rapidly than other FAs in the spring, but in autumn declined at slower rates, perhaps suggesting greater fungal activity in autumn. Quantities of bacterial (e.g., 16:1ω7) and fungal (e.g., 18:1ω9) FA markers increased over time in autumn (and 16:1ω7 also in spring). Our data provide no evidence for increasing nutritional FA quality of litter during decay and microbial colonization, based on total and polyunsaturated FAs, despite measured increases in bacterial and fungal FA over time. Routine measurements of FA composition of litter could provide insights into the nutrition of allochthonous matter and the importance of fungi and bacteria during decomposition.     

Changes in populations of soil microorganisms,nematodes, and enzyme activity associated with application of powdered pine bark

Evaluation of enzyme activities in combination with taxonomic analyses may help define the mechanisms involved in microbial decomposition of orgaic amendments and biological control of soilborne pathogens. In this study, powdered pine bark was added to nematode-infested soil at rates of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 g kg^–1. Total fungal populations did not differ among treatments immediately after application of pine bark. After 7 days, fungal populations were positively correlated with increasing levels of pine bark. This increase was sustained through 14 and 21 days.Penicillium chrysogenum andPaecilomves variotii were the predominant fungal species isolated from soil amended with pine bark. Total bacterial populations did not change with addition of pine bark at 0, 7, and 14 days after treatment. At 21 and 63 days, total bacterial populations declined in soil receiving the highest rates of pine bark. Addition of pine bark powder to soil caused a shift in predominant bacterial genera fromBacillus spp. in nonamended soil, toPseudomonas spp. in amended soil. Soil enzyme activities were positively correlated with pine bark rate at all sampling times. Trehalase activity was positively correlated with total fungal populations and with predominant fungal species, but was not related to bacterial populations. The number of non-parasitic (non-stylet bearing) nematodes andMeloidogyne arenaria in soil and roots were not correlated with pine bark rate. However,Heterodera glycines juveniles in roots, and the number of cysts g^–1 root, declined with increasing levels of pine bark.Journal Series Series No. 18-933598 Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station     

Response of litter decomposition and related soil enzyme activities to different forms of nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest

With the continuing increase in the impact of human activities on ecosystems, ecologists are increasingly becoming interested in understanding the effects of nitrogen deposition on litter decomposition. At present, numerous studies have investigated the effects of single form of nitrogen fertilization on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems. However, forms of N deposition vary, and changes in the relative importance of different forms of N deposition are expected in the future. Thus, identifying the effects of different forms of N deposition on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is a pressing task. In this study, two dominant litter types were chosen from Zijin Mountain in China: Quercus acutissima leaves from a late succession broad-leaved forest and Pinus massoniana needles from an early succession coniferous forest. The litter samples were incubated in microcosms with original forest soil and treated with four different forms of nitrogen fertilization [NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ⁻, CO(NH₂)₂, and a mix of all three]. During a 5-month incubation period, litter mass losses, soil pH values, and soil enzyme activities were determined. Results show that all four forms of nitrogen fertilization significantly accelerate litter decomposition rates in the broadleaf forest, while only two forms of nitrogen fertilization [i.e., mixed nitrogen and CO(NH₂)₂] significantly accelerate litter decomposition rates in the coniferous forest. Litter decomposition rates with the mixed nitrogen fertilization were higher than those in any single form of nitrogen fertilization. All forms of nitrogen fertilization enhanced soil enzyme activities (i.e., catalase, cellulase, invertase, polyphenol oxidase, nitrate reductase, urease, and acid phosphatase) during the litter decomposition process for the two forest types. Soil enzyme activities under the mixed nitrogen fertilization were higher than those under any single form of nitrogen fertilization. These results suggest that the type and activity of the major degradative enzymes involved in litter decomposition vary in different forest types under different forms of nitrogen fertilization. They also indicate that a long-term consequence of N deposition-induced acceleration of litter decomposition rates in subtropical forests may be the release of carbon stored belowground to the atmosphere.     

Decomposition and CO2 Evolution from Standing Litter of the Emergent Macrophyte Erianthus giganteus

Abstract Decomposition of standing litter of the emergent macrophyte Erianthus giganteus (plumegrass) was quantified in a small freshwater wetland in Alabama, USA. Living green shoots of E. giganteus were tagged and periodically retrieved for determination of leaf and culm mass loss, litter-associated fungal biomass (ergosterol), and nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Laboratory studies were also conducted to examine the effects of plant litter moisture content and temperature on rates of CO₂ evolution from plant litter. Culm and leaf material lost 25 and 32% AFDM, respectively, during plant senescence and early litter decay. Fungal biomass, as determined by ergosterol concentrations, increased significantly in both leaf and culm litter during decomposition, with maximum biomass accounting for 3.7 and 6.7% of the total detrital weight in culm and leaf litter, respectively. Spatial differences in fungal biomass were observed along the culm axis, with upper regions of the culm accumulating significantly greater amounts of fungal mass than basal regions (p < 0.01, ANOVA). Rates of CO₂ evolution from both leaf and culm litter increased rapidly after wetting (0 to 76 μg CO₂−C g⁻¹ AFDM h⁻¹ within 5 min). In addition, rates of CO₂ evolution from water saturated culms increased exponentially as the temperature was increased from 10 to 30°C. These results provide evidence that considerable microbial colonization and mineralization of standing emergent macrophyte litter can occur before collapse of senescent shoot material to the water and sediment surface. Received: 5 December 1998; Accepted: 31 March 1999     

亚热带森林树种多样性对凋落叶分解胞外酶活性的影响

森林生物多样性与生态系统功能关系是当前群落生态学的热点研究领域。然而, 以往研究更多聚焦在森林植物多样性丧失对群落生产力的影响, 而对森林凋落物分解的相关研究稍显不足。森林凋落叶分解的快慢直接受控于凋落物分解者分泌的胞外酶的活性, 后者更是指示森林生态系统养分循环的重要指标之一。本研究依托我国江西亚热带森林生物多样性与生态系统功能控制实验, 通过对不同植物多样性梯度样方内目标树种凋落叶胞外酶活性、理化性质以及腐生真菌的分析, 探索树种多样性丧失对胞外酶活性的影响及其调控机制, 以探讨森林树种多样性对地表、地下生态过程和功能的影响。结果表明, 样方水平树种多样性丧失显著影响胞外酶的活性, 除单种样方外, 随着样方水平树种丰富度的增加, 胞外酶活性呈现出增长趋势; 与碳周转相关的α-葡萄糖苷酶(AG)、β-葡萄糖苷酶(BG)、纤维二糖水解酶(CB)在树种多样性最大时活性达到最高; 而木糖苷酶(XS)以及与氮、磷和顽拗有机养分分解相关的N-乙酰-β-氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)、酸性磷酸酶(AP)和多酚氧化酶(PPO)在树种多样性较低时活性较高。针对目标树种周围的邻居树种多样性进一步分析发现, 各胞外酶活性随着邻居树种多样性的变化呈“单峰”响应趋势, 酶活性大多在邻居树种丰富度为6时呈现峰值。研究发现真菌分解者在胞外酶活性对植物多样性的响应上可能存在重要的调控作用, 可以推测树种多样性通过改变腐生真菌分解者的群落结构和多度, 从而影响胞外酶活性。     

Spatial Variability of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Networks: from Litter Bags to Watersheds

The decomposition of plant litter plays a fundamental role in the cycling of carbon and nutrients and is driven by complex interactions of biological and physical controls, yet little is known about its variability and controls across spatial scales. Here we address the indirect effects of riparian canopy cover on litter decomposition and decomposers and their variability within a set of hierarchical scales (watershed, stream segments and reaches) controlling for confounding factors that could co-vary with canopy cover (for example, temperature and nutrients), in high-altitude subtropical streams. Total, microbial and invertebrate-driven decomposition rates were approximately 1.4–6.6 times higher in closed-canopy than in open-canopy watersheds. Riparian canopy cover accounted for 62–69% of total variability of decomposition rates and indirectly (via light availability and litter inputs) promoted fungal facilitation of shredders through leaf litter conditioning. In contrast to what we expected, much of the spatial variability in the decomposition occurred at smaller scale (4–20% of total variability among reaches versus <1% among watersheds) and coincided with the greatest variability in shredder abundance and fungal biomass (70 and 17% among reaches, respectively). We conclude that riparian canopy cover may be an important control of natural variability of litter decomposition at the watershed scale through its effects on fungal decomposers and shredder consumption. We also provide evidence of higher reach and minor watershed variability of litter decomposition in stream networks. Our results point to the importance of identifying the sources of natural variability of decomposition and how they interact within and among spatial scales.     

亚热带森林根系和菌根真菌调控凋落叶分解和主场效应

根系向凋落物层生长是森林生态系统中存在的普遍现象,研究根系和菌根真菌如何调控凋落物分解对理解森林生态系统的养分循环具有重要意义。通过在亚热带楠木(丛枝菌根树种)和格氏栲(外生菌根树种)人工林中进行了2年的凋落物互换和菌根排除实验,研究根系及其共生菌根真菌如何影响森林凋落物的分解速率和主场效应。结果发现:经过720 d的分解,在楠木人工林中,根系的存在促使楠木和格氏栲凋落物的分解速度分别提高了29%和47%,而在格氏栲人工林中,根系存在对格氏栲凋落物分解无显著影响,但增加了楠木凋落物的分解速率。此外,楠木人工林中,有根和无根处理下凋落物分解均无主场效应,而格氏栲人工林凋落物仅在根系存在的情况下显示出负的主场效应。进一步发现格氏栲凋落物的负主场效应归因于楠木人工林凋落物层更大的腐生真菌丰度和更强的磷降解酶活性。结果表明,在亚热带不同菌根类型树种中,菌根真菌与腐生真菌的相互作用(拮抗或促进),很有可能通过影响磷降解酶的活性,进而影响凋落物的分解率和主场效应。     

Microbial Colonization of Beech and Spruce Litter—Influence of Decomposition Site and Plant Litter Species on the Diversity of Microbial Community

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of decomposition site and plant litter species on the colonizing microbial communities. For this, litter bag technique using beech and spruce litter was combined with RNA-based fingerprinting and cloning. Litter bags were incubated for 2 and 8 weeks in the A_h horizon of beech and beech–spruce mixed forest sites. Although sugars and starch were rapidly lost, lignin content increased by more than 40% for beech and more than doubled for spruce litter at both soil sites at the end of the experiment. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of 16S and 18S rRNA RT–PCR products was used for screening of differences between bacterial and fungal communities colonizing the two litter types. Development of the microbial community over time was observed to be specific for each litter type and decomposition site. RT–PCR products from both litter types incubated in beech–spruce mixed forest site were also cloned to identify the bacterial and fungal colonizers. The 16S rRNA clone libraries of beech litter were dominated by γ-proteobacterial members, whereas spruce libraries were mainly composed of α-, β-, and γ-proteobacterial members. Ascomycota members dominated the 18S rRNA clone libraries. Clones similar to Zygomycota were absent from spruce, whereas those similar to Basidiomycota and Glomeromycota were absent from beech libraries. Selective effects of litter quality were observed after 8 weeks. The study provides an insight into the bacterial and fungal communities colonizing beech and spruce litter, and the importance of litter quality and decomposition site as key factors in their development and succession.     

林下植物根系对森林凋落物分解过程中微生物及酶活性的影响

为深入理解进入凋落物层生长的林下植物根系对森林凋落物分解的影响,本研究通过分解袋模拟试验探讨不同生物量多花黑麦草根系对中亚热带常绿阔叶林优势树种四川山矾凋落叶分解中微生物及酶活性的影响.结果表明: 在分解的240 d进程中,无根(N)、少根(L)、多根(M)3种处理下凋落叶表面细菌和真菌群落多样性指数均表现为多根＞少根＞无根处理,并且不同根生物量处理对真菌群落组成和数量的影响较细菌更为显著.随着多花黑麦草生长季结束,生长进入分解袋中的活根生物量逐渐减少,根系对真菌群落组成的影响减小.同一分解阶段,凋落叶表面酸性磷酸酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶、多酚氧化酶、过氧化物酶活性在有根条件下均高于无根条件.表明根系的生长能够改变微生物群落组成与数量,并提高微生物胞外酶活性,从而对分解产生促进作用.     

Application of a rapid thin section method for observations on decomposing litter in mor humus form in a subalpine coniferous forest

Morphological changes in the decomposing litter ofAbies spp. andBetula spp. in a mor humus form were studied by a rapid thin section method. According to the morphological characteristics, the epidermis, mesophyll and vascular bundleof Abies needle litter were classified into four types: (i) newly fallen; (ii) slightly decomposed; (iii) moderately decomposed; and (iv) greatly decomposed. The distribution of these tissue types along the profile of the forest floor was then investigated. The morphological changes in other litter types, such as branches, scales andBetula leaves during decomposition were observed directly with microscope and electron microscope. Five vertical thin sections and 80 horizontal thin sections were used for these observations and investigations. the decomposition ofAbies litter was slower than that ofBetula litter. The relative decomposition rate of the tissues was in the order of: mesophyll>vascular bundle >epidermis inAbies needles; mesophyll≥epidermis>vascular bundles inBetula leaves; and inner bark >xylem>outer bark in bothAbies andBetula branches. The last remains of the litter were usually stomata, segments of seminiferous scale and outer bark ofAbies. The decomposition of plant litter occurred mainly within the L and F layers of the soil (0–5 cm in depth).Abies needles andBetula leaves completely disappeared at depths of 0–6 cm and 0–4 cm, respectively. Branches disappeared within the top of 5 cm and 6–8 cm forBetula and forAbies, respectively. The scales ofAbies were most slowly decomposed in the soil layers.     

Insight into the temperature sensitivity of forest litter decomposition and soil enzymes in subtropical forest in China

Aims With the continuing increase in the impact of human activities on ecosystems, ecologists are increasingly interested in understanding the effects of high temperature on litter decomposition since litter decomposition and the accompanying release of nutrients and carbon dioxide are key processes in ecosystem nutrient cycling and carbon flux. This study was conducted to evaluate the temperature sensitivity of forest litter decomposition and soil enzymes during litter decomposition in subtropical forest in China.Methods Two dominant litter types were chosen from Zijin Mountain in China: Quercus acutissima leaves from a broadleaf forest (BF) and Pinus massoniana needles from a coniferous forest (CF). The litter samples were incubated in soil microcosms at ambient control temperature (20°C) and 10°C warmer. During a 5-month incubation, chemical composition of litter samples, litter mass losses, and related soil enzyme activities were determined.Important findings Three main results were found: (i) high temperature accelerated decomposition rates of both litter types, and the temperature sensitivities of litter decomposition for BF leaves and that for CF needles are equivalent basically, (ii) high temperature enhanced soil enzyme activities in the two forest types, and the temperature sensitivities of polyphenol oxidase were significantly higher than those of the other soil enzymes and (iii) the temperature sensitivities of nitrate reductase were significantly higher in the CF soil than in the BF soil, while there was no significant difference in the temperature sensitivities of the other soil enzymes between BF and CF. As a long-term consequence, the high-temperature-induced acceleration of litter decomposition rates in these subtropical forests may cause carbon stored belowground to be transferred in the atmosphere, which may alter the balance between carbon uptake and release, and then alter the global carbon cycle in the coming decades.     

枯落物处理对格木林土壤碳氮转化和微生物群落结构的短期影响

以我国南亚热带格木人工纯林为研究对象,采用气压过程分离(BaPS)技术和磷脂脂肪酸(PLFAs)法研究了不同枯落物处理(对照、枯落物去除、枯落物加倍)下土壤碳氮转化速率和微生物群落结构的季节变化.结果表明:不同枯落物处理土壤呼吸和总硝化速率均呈现明显的季节动态,雨季显著高于旱季.枯落物处理初期,土壤呼吸和总硝化速率均随枯落物输入量的增加呈下降趋势,但随着枯落物处理时间的延长,二者随枯落物输入量的增加而增加.旱季不同枯落物处理土壤微生物PLFAs总量和各菌群PLFAs量均显著高于雨季,而雨季真菌PLFAs/细菌PLFAs明显高于旱季.在旱季,枯落物去除处理土壤微生物PLFAs总量、细菌PLFAs量、真菌PLFAs量和丛枝菌根真菌PLFAs量分别显著提高30.9%、28.8%、44.4%和31.6%.在雨季,枯落物去除处理细菌PLFAs量和丛枝菌根真菌PLFAs量分别显著降低10.6%和33.3%.土壤微生物群落结构受枯落物输入量处理和季节的双重影响,土壤微生物群落结构主要受土壤温度和铵态氮的影响.枯落物输入量处理在短期内显著影响了格木林土壤碳氮转化速率和微生物群落结构,这种影响因季节的不同而存在差异.     

Fungi are involved in the effects of litter mixtures on consumption by shredders

1. Decomposition of litter mixtures in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems often shows non‐additive diversity effects on decomposition rate, generally interpreted in streams as a result of the feeding activity of macroinvertebrates. The extent to which fungal assemblages on mixed litter may influence consumption by macroinvertebrates remains unknown. 2. We assessed the effect of litter mixing on all possible three‐species combinations drawn from four tree species (Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Juglans regia and Quercus robur) on both fungal assemblages and the rate of litter consumption by a common shredder, Gammarus fossarum. After a 9‐week inoculation in a stream, batches of leaf discs were taken from all leaf species within litter mixture combinations. Ergosterol, an indicator of fungal biomass, and the composition of fungal assemblages, assessed from the conidia released, were determined, and incubated litter offered to G. fossarum in a laboratory‐feeding experiment. 3. Mixing leaf litter species enhanced both the Simpson’s index of the fungal assemblage and the consumption of litter by G. fossarum, but had no clear effect on mycelial biomass. Specifically, consumption rates of J. regia were consistently higher for mixed‐species litter packs than for single‐species litter. In contrast, the consumption rates of B. pendula were not affected by litter mixing, because of the occurrence of both positive and negative litter‐mixing effects in different litter species combinations that counteracted each other. 4. In some litter combinations, the greater development of some fungal species (e.g. Clavariopsis aquatica) as shown by higher sporulation rates coincided with increased leaf consumption, which may have resulted from feeding preferences by G. fossarum for these fungi. 5. Where litter mixture effects on decomposition rate are mediated via shredder feeding, this could be due to indirect effects of the fungal assemblage.     

Monopolization of litter processing by a dominant land crab on a tropical oceanic island

Litter processing by macroinvertebrates typically involves suites of species that act together to determine rates of breakdown and decomposition. However, tropical oceanic islands and coastal fringes on continents are often dominated by one or a few species of omnivorous land crabs that consume leaf litter. We used an exclusion experiment, together with other leaf removal and litter decomposition studies, to assess the role of a single dominant species, the red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis), in litter dynamics in rain forest on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. In the presence of red crabs, litter cover and biomass varied seasonally, from almost complete cover and high biomass at the end of the dry season to almost total absence of litter at the end of each wet season. When crabs were excluded from both the shaded understory and light gaps in rain forest, litter increased rapidly to almost complete cover, which was then maintained year round. Leaf tether experiments, and measures of litter input and standing crops, indicated that red crabs monopolize litter processing, removing between 39 and 87% of the annual leaf fall from the forest floor. Rates of litter turnover were over twice as high in the presence of land crabs: the decomposition constant, k, was 2.6 in the understory exclusion plots, but rose to 6.0 in the presence of crabs. Red crabs occur at biomass densities (114 g m⁻²) far greater than those reported elsewhere for entire litter faunas. They significantly reduced the abundance of other litter invertebrates, but we did not detect any change in the relative frequencies of the major invertebrate groups (mites, collembolans, pulmonate snails, ants, psocopterans, and spiders). Wherever omnivorous land crabs are abundant, their activities may be paramount in litter decomposition and in regulating the rate of nutrient cycling. In monopolizing litter processing, they may also be important physical “ecosystem engineers”, translocating organic matter and nutrients into the soil and reducing available habitat for other animals. Received: 19 August 1998 / Accepted: 11 January 1999     

Wood decomposition in an abandoned beech and oak coppiced woodland in SE England

The rate of litter decomposition is often expressed as a constant decay rate (k; g g⁻¹ yr⁻¹) or as the time required for a certain percentage (often 95% and estimated as 3/k) of it to decompose (termed turnover time). Estimates of k may be obtained by determining the weight loss of litter in the field and also by assuming a steady state and obtaining the ratio of litter input: standing crop. Both methods were used to estimate decay rate and turnover times for beech and oak branches and twigs decomposing on the forest floor and these were critically evaluated.
Considerable variation, ranging between 1.8–144.5 yr, was found between the 95% turnover time estimates of various size components of the two species, obtained from woodfall and standing crop data. Likewise variation in decay rate of 2–2.5 cm diameter beech branches, estimated from field experiments, was large both between and within groups of branches categorised according to initial state of decay and presence or absence of bark. The mean annual decay rate for the various categories ranged between k = 0.165-0.452 g g⁻¹yr⁻¹. Branches without bark generally decomposed more slowly than those with bark. Beech twig (<0.5 cm diameter) decomposition rates, from field experiments, ranged between k = 0.149-0.220 g g⁻¹yr⁻¹ and variation was relatively low compared with that of branches. No significant differences (P<0.05)were detected between twig decomposition rates obtained from experiments initiated at different seasons although there was a slight decline in decay rate in winter months. Twig and branch decomposition rates fell within the range found in the few other comparable studies.     

A 5 year study of litter decomposition processes in aChamaecyparis obtusa Endl. forest

Decomposition of needle litter in aChamaecyparis obtusa forest was studied over a 5 year period using a litter bag method. Organic matter, nitrogen and carbon mass and faunal abundance were monitored. The pattern of weight loss was represented by three phases: the initial leaching of carbon and nitrogen (0–3 months), nitrogen immobilization (3–15 months), and nitrogen mobilization (15–60 months). The decomposition rate of needle litter was expressed by Olson's decomposition constant (k) which was−0.113 over a 5 year period. The decomposition rate decreased with the advance of decomposition processes. The role of soil fauna in the decomposition process was assessed by comparing decomposition rates between the control and defaunated plots. In the leaching phase, soil animals had no significant role in the decomposition processes. During the immobilization phase, soil animals contributed to the immobilization processes through their grazing activities, and there were significant differences in weight loss between the control and defaunated plots. In the mobilization phase, saprovorous soil animals such as Collembola and Acari contributed to the mobilization processes by feeding on decomposing litter. Decomposition processes observed in this study were compared with other similar studies.     

Leaf litter decomposition in a southern Sonoran Desert ecosystem, northwestern Mexico: Effects of habitat and litter quality

Leaf litter decomposition of dominant woody perennial species in the three most common habitats of the southern Sonoran Desert was studied using the litter-bag method. Our objective was to assess the influence of litter quality on decomposition rates in three contrasting desert environments. The hypotheses were: (1) decomposition rates within the same litter type are faster in more mesic habitats, (2) decomposition rates are lower in higher lignin content or lower nutrient quality substrates, and (3) species-rich substrates enhance decomposition rates. For all litter types and habitats, a rapid loss of mass occurred during the summer rains at the start of the experiment, but total loss within the same litter type differed significantly among habitats. Decay rates were not higher in the more mesic habitat, but in the dry plains where solar irradiance and termite activity were highest. While termite activity was less important in the arroyos and absent in the hillsides habitats, proliferation of fungal mycelium in these sites was much higher than in the plains, suggesting that biotic and abiotic factors act both independently of litter richness. Lignin content seems to be an important factor controlling the loss of litter, because decay rates were inversely related to litter initial lignin content in all three habitats. Leaf litter diversity did not enhance rates of decomposition. The leaf litter mixture had k-values similar to the most recalcitrant monospecific litter in all three habitats, indicating a neutral or even antagonistic role of species-specific compounds in decomposition rates.