Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T08:50:55.553Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)