Abstract
A sensitive enzymatic test for glucose is introduced as a specific method for the determination of cellulolytic activity. The amount of released glucose serves as a measure for the cellulase activity of leaf litter, when crystalline cellulose is used as substrate. We compare the enzymatic measurement with an established method for the non-specific determination of glucose as a reducing carbohydrate. In comparison to our results on cellulase activity, the results of a modified determination of microbial respiration for small samples of leaf litter did not show the expected positive correlation to cellulolytic activities. This indication for differential effects of leaf litter characteristics on the composition of microbial populations provides arguments for suggesting simultaneous estimations of different measures for microbial activity.
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