Litter decomposition in forest ecosystems: a review

Abstract

Litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems has a major role in the biogeochemical cycling of elements in the environment. Climatic features, like temperature, rainfall, humidity, and seasonal variations affect the rate of litter decomposition. This review attempts to understand the litter decomposition process in tropical forest ecosystems. It also reviews the influence of various factors on litter degradation and techniques used for assessing leaf litter decomposition. It is observed that very few studies were conducted on litter decomposition in forest ecosystems, such as tropical and temperate forests. Hence, comprehensive studies on litter degradation have to be undertaken in order to understand the turnover rate of nutrients and other elements in these sensitive ecosystems.

Keywords

Biogeochemistry / Plant / Bacteria / Fungi / Respiration / Carbon

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Funding

Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Kerala, India