Abstract Leaf litter decomposition is a key process in stream ecosystems, the rates of which can vary with changes quality or its colonization by microorganisms. Decomposition streams increasingly used to compare ecosystem functioning globally, often requiring distribution across countries. It important understand whether sterilization, required some countries, alter and associated processes. W...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the profitability of hatchery litter recycling into poultry feedstuff supplement. The data were collected in 2011 in 4 provinces, by direct interviewing of all hatcheries which used the hatchery litter drying machine. Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) methods were applied for this analysis. In the studi...

Progress in understanding changes in soil biology in response to latitude, elevation and disturbance gradients has generally lagged behind studies of above-ground plants and animals owing to methodological constraints and high diversity and complexity of interactions in below-ground food webs. New methods have opened research opportunities in below-ground systems, leading to a rapid increase in...

We report the effects of pine and oak litter on species composition and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi colonizing 2-year-old Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings grown in a bare-root nursery in Lithuania. A layer of pine or oak litter was placed on the surface of the nursery bed soil to mimic natural litter cover. Oak litter amendment appeared to be most favorable for seedling survival, with a 73% sur...

Phylogenetic distances of coexisting species differ greatly within plant communities, but their consequences for decomposers and decomposition remain unknown. We hypothesized that large phylogenetic distance of leaf litter mixtures increases differences of their litter traits, which may, in turn, result in increased resource complementarity or decreased resource concentration for decomposers an...