Decomposition and nutrient dynamics of leaf litter in litter bags of two mesh sizes set in two dipterocarp forest sites in Peninsular Malaysia

Carbon and nutrient dynamics patterns of Dipterocarpus baudii leaf litter in a plantation forest and of mixed leaf litter in a lowland dipterocarp forest were investigated using litter bags with two mesh sizes (0.5 mm and 2.0 mm) which allow differential access of soil fauna. The decomposition rate constants (Olson's k) were significantly higher in the coarse mesh bags (k=1.64 and 2.15 in the plantation and dipterocarp forest sites, respectively) than in the fine mesh bags (k = 1.02 and 0.76 in the plantation and dipterocarp forest sites respectively), suggesting that soil animals especially termites accelerated the leaf litter decomposition by their feeding. Further, the nutrient dynamics of decomposing leaf litter differed between the coarse and fine mesh bags. Nutrient mass released was higher in the coarse than in the fine mesh litter bags, suggesting that termites feeding activities enhanced nutrient mobilization in both study sites.