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

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.

Which Agroforestry Practice Is Beneficial? A Comparative Assessment of the Traditional and the Improved Agroforestry Techniques in the Midhills of Nepal

Farmers are predominantly adopting two forms of agroforestry, traditional and improved practices, in the midhills of Nepal, but their efficacy on a comparative basis is poorly assessed, so farmers often confuse whether to continue the traditional practice or embrace the improved practice. We carried out a study in six villages of three districts, interviewed 210 farmers adopting each practice, organized six focus group discussions, and interacted with 24 key informants to compare agroforestry practices from income generation and forest conservation perspectives. An individual household adopting the improved practice annually generated 841.60 US$, which was more than two folds of the traditional practitioner. Similarly, the improved practitioner annually fulfilled 84% demand for forest products from the adopted agroforestry practice, whereas the traditional practitioner only fulfilled about 50%. The fodder, fuelwood, and timber productions were found to be significantly higher in the improved practice, whereas leaf litter production was found to be almost similar. The improved practitioners seemed to be self-sustained in forest products, where the traditional practitioners only satisfied half of their requirements from the agroforestry practice. The study concludes that the improved agroforestry practice is more beneficial compared to the traditional practice. Therefore, we suggest the traditional practitioners to modify their ongoing practice to enhance the contribution of agroforestry practice at the local level.

PRECIPITATION DEFICITS AND HIGH TEMPERATURE INCREASE LEAF LITTERFALL IN OPEN RESTINGA VEGETATION, IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Climate is an important driver of litterfall along different ecosystems. However, little is known about how climate affects litter production in plant communities of Restinga. The aim of this study is to characterize the temporal variation in leaf litter production in an Open Clusia Formation in Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, from 2001 to 2018, and assess how local variability in litter production reflects the local climatic conditions and its variability. We tested the hypothesis that monthly leaf litterfall increases in dry months and in drier and warmer than average months; we also evaluated if annual leaf litterfall increases in wetter and warmer years following leaf production patterns, that increases in these conditions. We found that litterfall peaks in the drier months. This pattern is consistent for many tropical ecosystems, even evergreen ecosystems, and may have evolved as a strategy that result in reduced water stress by plants, during drier and warmer periods, or may simply be a stress symptom. However, we also found that decreases in monthly rainfall and increases in monthly ∆Temperature (temperature observed minus estimated based on 1970-2000 interval) stimulate leaf litter production. Hot and warmer than average years also seem to stimulate leaf litterfall. It suggests that annual leaf litterfall and leaf production are less affected by precipitation regimes than variations in temperature (or radiation, which is directly related to temperature). It may result from the fact that Clusia hilariana, the dominant species in this ecosystem which accounts to 80 % of leaf litterfall, is a CAM photosynthesis species, a characteristic commonly associated with avoidance of water stress by plants. Although leaf litterfall seems to be predominantly driven by climate at annual scale, only 15 % of its variation was associated to climate at seasonal scale, suggesting that local factors control litterfall at lower temporal scales in Open Clusia Formation.

Dynamics of leaf, flower and fruit abscission in avocado cv. Hass in Antioquia, Colombia

The amount of leaf litter produced by avocado trees cv. Hass is an important potential source of mineral resources, and quantifying its production and nature is crucial to understanding the cycling of nutrients. The main objective of this study was to quantify the production of leaf litter and fallen flowers and small fruits in avocado orchards at eight locations in three producing areas in the Department of Antioquia (west, southwest, and north). The highest leaf litter production occurred in southwest Antioquia, at Jardin (7.6 t ha-1 year-1); the east locations had similar leaf fall (4.03-3.4 t ha-1 year-1). The dry matter produced in the north was very similar in both locations. The dry matter was 2.8 t ha-1 year-1. Higher leaf litter was recorded in all locations during the driest periods. Approximately 80% of the fallen fruits had diameters less than 1 cm. The highest flower production and fall occurred in southwest Antioquia, followed by the northern region.

Produksi Serasah Musiman pada Berbagai Spesies Mangrove di Pesisir Kabupaten Muna Barat, Sulawesi Tenggara

Mangrove litter production is important in the displacement of organic matter from mangrove vegetation to water such as in the coast of West Muna Regency. However, one factor influencing it is the frequency of rainfall. This research, therefore, aims to determine the influence of the frequency of rainfall in mangrove ecosystem by obtaining data through the fractional wet weight. The results showed that the biomass fraction with the largest amount were Rhizophora mucronata, Rhizophora apiculata, and Sonneratia alba with of 31.59; 31.07; and 30.96%, respectively, while the lowest was Rhizophora stylosa, Bruguiera cylindrica, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza with of 30.07; 30.10; and 31.95%, respectively. The species with the largest leaf litter production was Bruguiera cylindrica, with of 1.72 g.m-2.day-1 which occurred in April and the lowest was Rhizophora apiculata, 0.24 g.m-2.day-1 in August. The species with the largest leaf litter production was Bruguiera cylindrica, 1.96 g.m-2.day-1 which occurred in May and the lowest was Sonneratia alba, 0.29 g.m-2.day-1 in August. In addition, the species with the largest fruit litter production was Rhizophora apiculata, 1.76 g.m-2.day-1 in April and the lowest was Sonneratia alba, 0.32 g.m-2.day-1 in September. The total litter production was 18,75 g.m-2.day-1 consisted of 6,69 g.m2.day-1 leaf litter, 6,54 g.m-2.day-1 branch litter, and 5,52 g.m-2.day-1 fruit litter. The higher the frequency of the rain, the greater the litter production. Keywords: biomass fraction, seasonal litter production, West Muna Regency