a total of 448 ross 308 male broiler chickens were assigned to seven treatments with four replicates, each containing 16 chicks. the birds were reared from d 21 to 42 and effects of physical sizes (ad libitum by a basal commercial broiler diet with 3050 kcal/kg me and 19.06% cp/kg from 21 to 42 d. the chickens which received clinoptilolite (1.5% with particle size of 0.4-0.8 mm) showed a signif...

1. While it is well established that leaf litter decomposition is controlled by climate and substrate quality at broad spatial scales, conceptual frameworks that consider how local-scale factors affect litter decay in heterogeneous landscapes are generally lacking. 2. A critical challenge in disentangling the relative impacts of and interactions among local-scale factors is that these factors f...

this experiment was conducted to determine the effects of sodium bentonite litter supplement and stoking density on performance and litter quality using a total of 252 broiler chicks in completely randomized design with 6 treatments which were arranged factorially (3×2) and 4 replicates. experimental factors included: stocking density (14; low and 18; high /birds per m2) and three levels of sod...

the aim of this research was to compare the amounts of existing mineral elements in plant aerial parts, litter and soil ofthree range species (bromus tomentellus, psathyrostachys fragilis, agropyron tauri) in order to investigate the litter effectof species on soil properties of taleghan rangeland. the measured mineral elements include carbon, nitrogen,phosphorous and potassium. after selection...

Many studies in ecosystem ecology argue for strong control of litter quality over nitrogen (N) cycling. We developed a model for temperate grasslands to test the importance of litter quality in decomposition for N and phosphorus (P) cycling based on the following premises. First, terrestrial N and P cycling differ fundamentally because N is a structural component of the soil organic matter (SOM...

Plant litter decomposition is an essential ecosystem function that contributes to carbon and nutrient cycling in streams. Aquatic shredders, mainly macroinvertebrates, can affect this process in various ways; they consume leaf litter, breaking it down into fragments and creating suitable habitats or resources for other organisms through the production of fine particulate organic matter (FPOM). ...

Litter quality and diversity are major factors structuring decomposer communities. However, little is known on the relationship between litter quality and the community structure of soil protists in tropical forests. We analyzed the diversity, density, and community structure of a major group of soil protists of tropical montane rainforests, that is, testate amoebae. Litterbags containing pure ...

Total weaning weight is a function of pig quantity and quality. Pig quality can be associated with individual pig weights and survivability. As litter size increases, total weaning weight increases at a decreasing rate. As shown in Figure 1., larger litter sizes not only wean more weight, but also have higher preweaning mortality. Increased litter size has been associated with smaller, more fra...