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Leaf-litter decomposition in Amazonian forest fragments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2005

Adriana Rubinstein  and
Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
Adriana Rubinstein
Affiliation:
Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA), C.P. 478, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil 621 Chapel St # C –, 06511 New Haven, CT, USA
Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
Affiliation:
Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, National Institute for Research in the Amazon (INPA), C.P. 478, 69011-970 Manaus, AM, Brazil Institute of Biology, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), C.P. 593, 38400-902 Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
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Abstract

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Most of the forests of the Amazon basin grow on nutrient-poor soils (Jordan 1982). Despite this, these forests remain productive through a variety of nutrient conservation mechanisms and a very effective system of organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling (Jordan 1982). When an area of forest is fragmented however, the remaining patches experience modified microclimatic conditions (Camargo & Kapos 1995, Didham & Lawton 1999), and changes in floristic composition (Laurance et al. 1998), which can affect the decomposer community (Didham et al. 1996, Souza & Brown 1994) and consequently the decomposition process.

Keywords

Amazonarea effectsedge effectshabitat fragmentationlitter decay rateslitter turnover
Type
Brief Report
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 21 , Issue 6 , November 2005 , pp. 699 - 702
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press