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Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa

Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa
Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa
Questions: Mixed litter may decompose at different rates to single-species litter, leading to differences in ecosystem functioning and decomposition. Studies of the effects of different litter species and combinations are rare in tropical forests and absent from African forests. Therefore we investigated: (1) Are there differences in litter decomposition in two forest types differing in tree diversity; and (2) is litter decomposition diversity-dependent?

Location: Old-growth moist evergreen tropical forest Dja Faunal Reserve, southeast Cameroon.

Methods: We calculate decomposition rates (leaf litter fall/leaf litter standing crop) along a tree diversity gradient in two forest types (naturally occurring low-diversity monodominant and adjacent higher-diversity mixed forest). Both forests experience the same climate on the same soil type; the former is dominated by a single species, Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (De Wild.) J. Léonard, probably due to lack of a long-term disturbance and has similar edaphic factors. Decomposition experiments were conducted in both forest types using single and mixed species litter bags of standard high-quality (bay leaves; Laurus nobilis L.) and low-quality (G. dewevrei) litter over 9 months.

Results: The estimated decomposition rate in mixed forest was four times faster than in monodominant forest, and not significantly correlated with local quadrat-scale tree species diversity. The litter bag experiment showed that decomposition of high-quality leaves was faster than low-quality leaves (k values: 2.0 yr?1 vs 0.6 yr?1). Decay rates for each single species litter type were not significantly different in both forest types. However, G. dewevrei litter in mixed bags decomposed faster than in single-species bags in mixed forest, suggesting an impact of litter mixing on decomposition. In addition, bay litter in mixed bags decomposed faster in mixed than in monodominant forests across the three study sites.

Conclusion: The observed difference in litter decomposition rate between low-diversity monodominant and adjacent high-diversity forest is more likely due to dominance of low-quality G. dewevrei litter, rather than low-diversity of the litter itself.
functional diversity, leaf litter fall, litter bag experiment, mixed forests, monodominant forests, standing litter crop, tree diversity
1100-9233
223-235
Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
0bd60207-dad8-43fb-a84a-a15e09b024cc
Sonké, Bonaventure
7b0779d1-888b-465b-99d9-11695ab93ccd
Taedoung, Hermann
3cfd4089-a2ec-40be-a06b-3d32dd127348
Séné, Oliver
220e5568-6806-4280-9c54-512ac8ab7133
Lloyd, Jon
e0fc723c-e3bd-49e1-8f60-14f34090ae34
Lewis, Simon L.
0442a91d-93f1-48ee-aca3-1a4757f0c7fa
Huston, Michael
ffeabaa7-3e0b-4e64-a8a2-33ff61fe61eb
Peh, Kelvin S.-H.
0bd60207-dad8-43fb-a84a-a15e09b024cc
Sonké, Bonaventure
7b0779d1-888b-465b-99d9-11695ab93ccd
Taedoung, Hermann
3cfd4089-a2ec-40be-a06b-3d32dd127348
Séné, Oliver
220e5568-6806-4280-9c54-512ac8ab7133
Lloyd, Jon
e0fc723c-e3bd-49e1-8f60-14f34090ae34
Lewis, Simon L.
0442a91d-93f1-48ee-aca3-1a4757f0c7fa
Huston, Michael
ffeabaa7-3e0b-4e64-a8a2-33ff61fe61eb

Peh, Kelvin S.-H., Sonké, Bonaventure, Taedoung, Hermann, Séné, Oliver, Lloyd, Jon, Lewis, Simon L. and Huston, Michael (2012) Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa. Journal of Vegetation Science, 23 (2), 223-235. (doi:10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01352.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Questions: Mixed litter may decompose at different rates to single-species litter, leading to differences in ecosystem functioning and decomposition. Studies of the effects of different litter species and combinations are rare in tropical forests and absent from African forests. Therefore we investigated: (1) Are there differences in litter decomposition in two forest types differing in tree diversity; and (2) is litter decomposition diversity-dependent?

Location: Old-growth moist evergreen tropical forest Dja Faunal Reserve, southeast Cameroon.

Methods: We calculate decomposition rates (leaf litter fall/leaf litter standing crop) along a tree diversity gradient in two forest types (naturally occurring low-diversity monodominant and adjacent higher-diversity mixed forest). Both forests experience the same climate on the same soil type; the former is dominated by a single species, Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (De Wild.) J. Léonard, probably due to lack of a long-term disturbance and has similar edaphic factors. Decomposition experiments were conducted in both forest types using single and mixed species litter bags of standard high-quality (bay leaves; Laurus nobilis L.) and low-quality (G. dewevrei) litter over 9 months.

Results: The estimated decomposition rate in mixed forest was four times faster than in monodominant forest, and not significantly correlated with local quadrat-scale tree species diversity. The litter bag experiment showed that decomposition of high-quality leaves was faster than low-quality leaves (k values: 2.0 yr?1 vs 0.6 yr?1). Decay rates for each single species litter type were not significantly different in both forest types. However, G. dewevrei litter in mixed bags decomposed faster than in single-species bags in mixed forest, suggesting an impact of litter mixing on decomposition. In addition, bay litter in mixed bags decomposed faster in mixed than in monodominant forests across the three study sites.

Conclusion: The observed difference in litter decomposition rate between low-diversity monodominant and adjacent high-diversity forest is more likely due to dominance of low-quality G. dewevrei litter, rather than low-diversity of the litter itself.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 21 October 2011
Published date: April 2012
Keywords: functional diversity, leaf litter fall, litter bag experiment, mixed forests, monodominant forests, standing litter crop, tree diversity
Organisations: Centre for Biological Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 352969
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/352969
ISSN: 1100-9233
PURE UUID: 6e02beb7-a14c-431c-ba0b-e079cdda0eae
ORCID for Kelvin S.-H. Peh: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2921-1341

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Date deposited: 22 May 2013 11:18
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:44

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Contributors

Author: Bonaventure Sonké
Author: Hermann Taedoung
Author: Oliver Séné
Author: Jon Lloyd
Author: Simon L. Lewis
Author: Michael Huston

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