Decomposition In Terrestrial Ecosystems

Decomposition processes in terrestrial ecosystems. The decomposition subsystem. The decomposer organisms. The influence of resource quality on decomposition processes. Decomposition processes at the molecular level. The influence of the physico-chemical environmental on decomposition processes. The decomposition subsystem; synthesis and summary.

Features review questions at the end of each chapter; Includes suggestions for recommended reading; Provides a glossary of ecological terms; Has a wide audience as a textbook for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and as a reference for practicing scientists from a wide array of disciplines

With almost 90% of terrestrial plant material entering the detrital pool, the processing of this significant carbon source is a critical ecosystem function to understand. Riverine ecosystems are estimated to receive, process and transport nearly 1.9 Pg of terrestrial carbon per year globally, highlighting the focus many freshwater ecologists have on the factors that explain decomposition rates of senesced plant material. Since Webster and Benfield offered the first comprehensive review of these factors in 1986, there has been an explosion of research addressing key questions about the ecological interactions at play. Ecologists have developed field and laboratory techniques, as well as created global scale collaborations to disentangle the many drivers involved in the decomposition process. This book encapsulates these 30+ years of research, describing the state of knowledge on the ecology of plant litter decomposition in stream ecosystems in 22 chapters written by internationally renowned experts on the subject.

The present book is a detailed assessment of the pools and fluxes of detritus in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Besides presenting a comprehensive analysis of the process of detritus decomposition, the book gives an exhaustive account of the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the rate of detritus decomposition. Portrayal of the role of decomposition in nutrient cycling and delineation of the contemporary concepts of humus biosynthesis are the noteworthy features of this book. The book would be serve the needs of post-graduate students having Ecology as one of their major subject and researchers engaged in soil biology and biochemistry, soil sciences and ecosystem structure and function. The present book attempts to bring together the enormous but fragmented information and fill this lacuna. It has been designed to outline the basic and fundamental aspects of detritus and its decomposition to be understood in their right perspective and envisages to put forward a clear understanding of the current concepts of this fundamental aspect of ecology and its widening horizons.

Features review questions at the end of each chapter; Includes suggestions for recommended reading; Provides a glossary of ecological terms; Has a wide audience as a textbook for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students and as a reference for practicing scientists from a wide array of disciplines

The present book is a detailed assessment of the pools and fluxes of detritus in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Besides presenting a comprehensive analysis of the process of detritus decomposition, the book gives an exhaustive account of the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the rate of detritus decomposition. Portrayal of the role of decomposition in nutrient cycling and delineation of the contemporary concepts of humus biosynthesis are the noteworthy features of this book. The book would be serve the needs of post-graduate students having Ecology as one of their major subject and researchers engaged in soil biology and biochemistry, soil sciences and ecosystem structure and function.