Litter production and seasonality in tropical moist forest ecosystems of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka

Litter production which is important for understanding nutrient cycling and assessing productivity in forest ecosystems is poorly studied in the African savannahs, particularly in the savannahs of Cameroon. Thus, litter production and organic compounds of the thirty-six (36) contrasting plant species were studied in the Sudano-guinea savannahs of Ngaoundere, Cameroon. Litter collected in framework of 50 cm x 50 cm under the three tree of each plant species in three sites of the savannahs of Ngaoundere during the period of their maximum fall that from November and January. After two years of collection, mean annual litter production varied from 0.36 in S. longipedunculata to 10.06 t.ha-1.year-1 in F. polita at Dang, from 0.14 in G. aqualla to 9.39 t.ha-1.year-1 in V. paradoxa at Biskewal, and from 0.35 in G. aqualla to 3.64 t.ha-1.year-1 in S. guineense var. macrocarpum at Wakwa. Contribution of leaf litter, fruits and wood were respectively more than 50%, 1.40% and 32% to the total litter. Litter production varied from 2.35 t.ha-1.year-1 at Wakwa to 2.91 t.ha-1.year-1 at Dang, but the sites did not differ significantly among them. Litter cellulose content varied from 4.11 in P. hookeri to 11.84% in V. doniana, that of lignin from 2.28 in V. paradoxa to 8.12% in V. doniana, that of NDF from 21.35 in S. guineense var. guineense to 75.73% in S. guineense var. macrocarpum, and that of phenolic compounds from 0.47 in V. doniana to 16.11% in C. molle. Litter production and organic compounds content were affected by plant diversity, but not by sites in the Sudano-guinea savannahs of Ngaoundere, Cameroon. These results would contribute to well select plant species for their domestication and to management of Adamawa savannahs of Cameroon.

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TREE LITTER PRODUCTION AND DECOMPOSITION IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS UNDER BACKGROUND CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION

Forest science issues ◽

10.31509/2658-607x-202143-87 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 1-52

Author(s):

E. A. Ivanova ◽

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Point Sources ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Litter Production ◽

Industrial Air Pollution ◽

Tree Litter ◽

The Impact ◽

Natural And Anthropogenic Factors

The paper provides an overview of Russian and foreign articles devoted to the study of the tree litter production and decomposition in forest ecosystems subjected to natural and anthropogenic factors. The spatial variability (below crown and between crown spaces) and the seasonal features of the tree litter production, its chemical composition and decomposition processes are poorly studied. In addition, most of the works, both in native and foreign countries science, highlight the influence of natural factors on the litter production and the processes of its decomposition, while the impact of point sources of industrial air pollution is rarely considered. The study of the variability of the size, fractional and chemical composition and processes of decomposition of tree litter under conditions of industrial air pollution is important for predicting the dynamics of forest ecosystems subjected to the combined action of natural and anthropogenic factors and reducing the negative impact of production processes on forests.

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Indicators of Success for Mine Site Restoration in Tropical Moist Forest Ecosystems

Proceedings of the First International Seminar on Mine Closure ◽

10.36487/acg_repo/605_63 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

David Jasper ◽

Erik Veneklaas ◽

Owen Nichols ◽

David Tongway

Keyword(s):

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Mine Site ◽

Moist Forest ◽

Site Restoration ◽

Indicators Of Success

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Interaction of macroinvertebrates in leaf litter in forest ecosystems: a review

Journal of Environmental Analysis and Progress ◽

10.24221/jeap.6.2.2021.3365.153-166 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 153-166

Author(s):

Cinara Wanderléa Felix Bezerra ◽

Luciana de Matos Andrade

Keyword(s):

Leaf Litter ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Forest Ecosystems ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Ecological Niches ◽

Litter Production ◽

Soil Fertilization ◽

Leaf Litter Production ◽

Semi Arid

The leaf litter consists of vegetable fragments/waste (e.g., leaves, fruits, twigs) and animals. Acting on soil fertilization through its decomposition and fragmentation by abiotic factors (for example, bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, and vertebrates), helping in the process of nutrient cycling, becoming an alternative in the recovery of degraded areas. Its production varies according to the climatic conditions of the region, being the observation as greater leaf litter production in tropical and subtropical areas, as well as the semi-arid regions, where the plants in greater depth lose their leaves allowing a higher deposition of the biomass in the soil. The leaf litter still acts, as it applies to a diversity of animals that they use as a means to develop. Among the most representative animals are the Annelida (Oligochaeta), Myriapoda (Chilopoda and Diplopoda), Hexapoda (Diptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Blattodea, Isoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Isopoda, Thysanura), Cheliceriformes Araneae, Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones and Opiliones), Mollusca (Gastropoda). All these factors make the leaf litter, a source of nutrients rich in organic compounds that help improve soil fertility and provides the animals that live in it a universe of ecological niches that suit the needs of each species.

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