Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa

Research in the Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, reveals that litter decomposition rates in tropical forests are more influenced by the quality of dominant litter species than by forest diversity itself. The study found that decomposition in mixed-species forests was four times faster than in monodominant forests, primarily due to the prevalence of low-quality Gilbertiodendron dewevrei litter. While high-quality bay leaves decomposed significantly faster than low-quality G. dewevrei leaves, mixing litter types accelerated decomposition for G. dewevrei, suggesting a diversity-dependent effect. The findings challenge the assumption that tree species diversity alone drives decomposition rates, highlighting the critical role of litter quality in ecosystem functioning.

Peh, K. S.-H., Sonké, B., Taedoung, H., Séné, O., Lloyd, J., & Lewis, S. L. (2011). Investigating diversity dependence of tropical forest litter decomposition: experiments and observations from Central Africa. Journal of Vegetation Science, 23(2), 223–235. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01352.x