The relationships between litter fauna and rates of litter decomposition in a tropical rain forest

The abundance and diversity of meso- and macroinvertebrates associated with leaf decomposition were analyzed for the plant species Nectandra ambigens Blake (C.K. Allen) (Lauraceae) and Ficus yoponensis Desvaux (Moraceae) in a tropical rain forest in Mexico. A closed canopy in mature forest and secondary forest were compared in terms of remaining dry weights of the litter and effects of mesh size of litterbags. The abundance and diversity of the fauna were quantified at the levels of order and class. The leaves of F. yoponensis had a significantly higher decomposition rate than these of N. ambigens. However, there were no significant differences in litter mass loss between sites and mesh sizes for both species. Faunal richness did not differ between sites, but diversity was higher in the secondary forest. Invertebrates were more abundant on N. ambigens leaves. Results are discussed in terms of litter quality. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.