Leaf-litter decomposition of 15 tree species in a lowland tropical rain forest in Sarawak: decomposition rates and initial litter chemistry |
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| Authors: | Hirobe Muneto Sabang John Bhatta Balram K Takeda Hiroshi |
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| Institution: | (1) Faculty of Agriculture, Miyazaki University, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan;(2) Forest Research Centre, Sarawak, Malaysia;(3) Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan |
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| Abstract: | In a lowland tropical rain forest in Sarawak, leaf-litter decomposition and the initial litter chemistry of 15 tree species
were studied. During 13 months of field experiment, weight loss of litter samples was between 44% and 91%, and calculated
decomposition rate constants (k) ranged from 0.38 to 2.36 year−1. The initial litter chemistry also varied widely (coefficients of variation: 19%–74%) and showed low N and P concentrations
and high acid-insoluble residue (AIS) concentration. For nutrient-related litter chemistry, correlations with the decomposition
rate were significant only for P concentration, C/P ratio, and AIS/P ratio (r
s
= 0.59, −0.62, and −0.68, n = 15, P < 0.05, respectively). For organic constituents, correlations were significant for concentrations of AIS and total carbohydrates,
and AIS/acid-soluble carbohydrate ratio (r
s
= −0.81, 0.51, and −0.76, n = 15, P < 0.05, respectively). These results suggested that the relatively slow mean rate of decomposition (k = 1.10) was presumably due to the low litter quality (low P concentration and high AIS concentration), and that P might influence
the decomposition rate; but organic constituents, especially the concentration of AIS, were more important components of initial
litter chemistry than nutrient concentrations. |
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| Keywords: | Initial litter chemistry Litter decomposition Nutrients Organic constituents Tropical rain forest |
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