Tropical forests play a substantial role in the global carbon (C) cycle and are projected to experience significant environmental change, highlighting the importance of understanding the factors that control C and N cycling in this biome. Yet interactions between biogeochemical and abiotic variables, notably species diversity and precipitation, remain poorly resolved in the tropics. In a wet lo...

1. Climate change in the subarctic is expected to influence vegetation composition, specifically bryophyte and lichen communities, thereby modifying litter decomposition rates and carbon (C) dynamics of these systems with possible feedbacks to climate. 2. In a two-year experiment, we investigated decomposition rates and chemical traits of 27 bryophytes, 17 lichens and 5 vascular plants in litte...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Litter is a key factor in structuring plant populations, through positive or negative interactions. The litter layer forms a mechanical barrier that is often strongly selective against individuals lacking hypocotyle plasticity. Litter composition also interacts with plant growth by providing beneficial nutrients or, inversely, by allowing harmful allelopathic leaching. As co...

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling under future climate change is associated with large uncertainties in litter decomposition and the turnover of soil C and N. In addition, future conditions (especially altered precipitation regimes and warming) are expected to result in changes in vegetation composition, and accordingly in litter species and chemical composition, but it is unclear how such ch...

Although the importance of stream condition for leaf litter decomposition has been extensively studied, little is known about how processing rates change in response to altered riparian vegetation community composition. We investigated patterns of plant litter input and decomposition across 20 boreal headwater streams that varied in proportions of riparian deciduous and coniferous trees. We mea...

Plant community composition can impact ecosystem processes via litter feedbacks. Species variation in litter quality may generate diff erent patterns of nutrient supply for plants that are dependent on litter inputs. However, it is not known whether plants grow faster in their own litter, litter from other species, or in litter mixtures from multiple species. To test whether litter identity and...

Recent research on the organo-chemical composition of Sphagnum and on the fate of its litter has further clarified how this plant builds acidic, nutrient-poor, cold and anoxic peat bogs. The bog environment helps Sphagnum to outcompete other plants for light. Its morphology, anatomy, physiology and composition make it an effective ecosystem engineer and at the same time benefit the plant in the...

Aquatic hyphomycete assemblages on different types of plant litter in Belarus rivers and streams were investigated to determine whether any substrate specificity or preferences were apparent. Pooled samples (146) from 92 watercourses were analysed. Colonization coefficients were computed for each fungal taxa and substrate type and the resulting matrix analysed with principal component analysis ...

specific features of the structure of the ground litter invertebrate community in forest belt ecosystems in the ukrainian steppe zone have been considered. for 14 years invertebrate fauna of the litter of 176 forest belt sites with different composition has been studied with the aid of soil traps. the main characteristics of litter invertebrate communities (total population, a number of species...

effect of heat processing on the nutritive value of broiler litter, as a potential ruminant feedstuff,was studied in two pilot plans, processing through an assessment of chemical composition, proteinfractionation according to cncps as wells digestibility making use of tilley and terry method. in amanufactory located in the city of sabzevar. the average values of dry matter (dm), crude protein(c...