Leaf litter decomposition and weight loss pattern of five tropical tree species

Leaf litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems has a major role in recycling the nutrients to the soil. Various biotic (microorganisms) and abiotic (temperature, rainfall, humidity, seasonal variations) factors affect the rate of litter decomposition. This paper aims to compare leaf litter decomposition and weight loss pattern of five tropical tree species, and assess the effect of temperature and rainfall to the decomposition. A leaf litter bag method was used to assess the decomposition pattern for one year. Both decomposition rate constant (k), and weight loss were highest for Mallotus philippensis (% weight loss = 73.49; k = 0.33) and lowest for Shorea robusta (% weight loss = 54.01; k = 0.18). The study showed a significant positive correlation between decomposition rate constant (k) and temperature (p = 0.000; r = 0.54) and rainfall (p = 0.000; r = 0.51). The rate of leaf litter decomposition is primarily governed by biological organisms which in turn, get largely affected by climatic condition, especially temperature and precipitation, and litter quality. Thus, there is a need to analyze properties of leaf litter while using them as compost to get better production.