Impact of tree litter identity, litter diversity and habitat quality on litter decomposition rates in tropical moist evergreen forest

Abstract

Attempts to restore degraded highlands by tree planting are common in East Africa. However, up till now, little attention has been given to effects of tree species choice on litter decomposition and nutrient recycling. In this study, three indigenous and two exotic tree species were selected for a litter decomposition study. The objective was to identify optimal tree species combinations and tree diversity levels for the restoration of degraded land via enhanced litter turnover. Litterbags were installed in June 2019 into potential restoration sites (disturbed natural forest and forest plantation) and compared to intact natural forest. The tested tree leaf litters included five monospecific litters, ten mixtures of three species and one mixture of five species. Standard green and rooibos tea were used for comparison. A total of 1,033 litters were retrieved for weight loss analysis after one, three, six, and twelve months of incubation. The finding indicates a significant effect of both litter quality and litter diversity on litter decomposition. The nitrogen-fixing native tree Millettia ferruginea showed a comparable decomposition rate as the fast decomposing green tea. The exotic conifer Cupressus lusitanica and the native recalcitrant Syzygium guineense have even a lower decomposition rate than the slowly decomposing rooibos tea. A significant correlation was observed between litter mass loss and initial leaf litter chemical composition. Moreover, we found positive non-additive effects for litter mixtures including nutrient-rich and negative non-additive effects for litter mixtures including poor leaf litters respectively. These findings suggest that both litter quality and litter diversity play an important role in decomposition processes and therefore in the restoration of degraded tropical moist evergreen forest.