Litter decomposition may in part be defined by the method used to study it. A very
common method is the litterbag, used for incubations in the field or in laboratory
microcosms. Another variety of direct incubation is tethered litter . With these kinds
of measurements, decomposition is evaluated in terms of loss of mass, and studies
normally do not distinguish between what is respired as carbon dioxide, and what is
leached out of the litter or lost due to fragmentation, unless these processes are investigated
separately. In terms of mass, mobile nutrients such as K and Mn are also part
of the loss. Ingrowth of microbial biomass , and the transport of nutrients into the litter
result in the movement of mass into the litter that was not there originally. Thus, what
is often called “litter mass loss”, or “decomposition”, is a net mass loss, although the
ingrowth of mycelium normally is negligible in terms of mass. As we will see later,
the in situ incubation of intact litter is, from several points of view, preferred to laboratory
incubation methods but may still be compared with laboratory studies
Litter decomposition may in part be defined by the method used to study it. A verycommon method is the litterbag, used for incubations in the field or in laboratorymicrocosms. Another variety of direct incubation is tethered litter . With these kindsof measurements, decomposition is evaluated in terms of loss of mass, and studiesnormally do not distinguish between what is respired as carbon dioxide, and what isleached out of the litter or lost due to fragmentation, unless these processes are investigatedseparately. In terms of mass, mobile nutrients such as K and Mn are also partof the loss. Ingrowth of microbial biomass , and the transport of nutrients into the litterresult in the movement of mass into the litter that was not there originally. Thus, whatis often called “litter mass loss”, or “decomposition”, is a net mass loss, although theingrowth of mycelium normally is negligible in terms of mass. As we will see later,the in situ incubation of intact litter is, from several points of view, preferred to laboratoryincubation methods but may still be compared with laboratory studies
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