Abstract
The dry weight loss and chemical changes during the process of decomposition of two types of litters viz.; pine (Pinus kesiya Royle) needles and teak (Tectona grandis L.) leaves have been studied in a small freshwater lake using plastic net (1 mm pore size) bags. The results reveal that type of litter and depth of water were the most important factors regulating the rate of decomposition. The percentage composition of cellulose and hemicellulose showed little variation and only a minor fall was noted in their values towards the end of the study period. The lignin percentage increased steadily at all the stations except the deepest station. The sugar and amino acid concentration dropped appreciably during the initial phase and stabilised during later periods. The general trend of change in nitrogen percentage was initial fall - increase - fall - stabilisation at a near original value. The rate of decomposition was faster when compared with similar studies in Canada and Europe.
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Tiwari, B.K., Mishra, R.R. Dry weight loss and changes in chemical composition of pine (Pinus kesiya Royle) needles and teak (Tectona grandis L.) leaves during processing in a freshwater lake. Hydrobiologia 98, 249–256 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021026
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00021026