ECOLOGY/EVOLUTION: Limits From Leaf Litter

VOC emissions from dry leaf litter

VOC emissions from dry leaf litter and their dependence on temperature L. Derendorp, R. Holzinger, A. Wishkerman, F. Keppler, and T. Röckmann Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584ED Utrecht, The Netherlands Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry, Joh.-Joachim-Becher-Weg 2, 55128 Mainz, Germany Received: 11 January 2010 – Accepted: 1...

Do leaf-litter attributes affect the richness of leaf-litter ants?

The search for factors shaping leaf-litter ant communities has received particular attention due to the essential role of these insects in many ecological processes. Here, we aimed to investigate how the number of leaves and leaf morphotypes affect the litter-ant species density at forest edge and interior in an Atlantic Forest remnant in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. This study was developed b...

Toxicity evaluation of diazinon contaminated leaf litter.

Diazinon (O,O-diethyl O-[2-isopropyl-6-methyl-4pyrimidinyl] phosphothiate) is an organophosphate pesticide with widespread use on a variety of agricultural crops, such as fruit trees, corn, and tobacco (Burkepile et al., 2000). Approximately 6 million kg of diazinon are applied annually in the United States and, as a result, are a potential contributer to nonpoint source contamination of aquati...

Leaf litter degradation in highly turbid transitional waters: preliminary results from litter-bag experiments in the Gironde Estuary

Leaf Litter Mixtures Alter Microbial Community Development: Mechanisms for Non-Additive Effects in Litter Decomposition

To what extent microbial community composition can explain variability in ecosystem processes remains an open question in ecology. Microbial decomposer communities can change during litter decomposition due to biotic interactions and shifting substrate availability. Though relative abundance of decomposers may change due to mixing leaf litter, linking these shifts to the non-additive patterns o...