036 decomposition in nature
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coarse medium fine
036 DECOMPOSITION IN NATURE
To study the rate of decomposition of leaf and litter in nature, using bags of
3 mesh sizes. Coarse allows soil organisms including earthworms, medium
restricts earthworms but allows microarthropods, fine allows microorganisms.
Mesh Bags (coarse, medium and fine)
Leaf or litter discs
Graph paper and pencil
MATERIALS REQUIRED
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corer
leafdiscs
Make leaf or litter discs with a corer (GI pipe sharpened at one end)
soak litter in water if brittle before making discs.
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coarse finemedium
Insert your samples in the bags – do not overload, see to it the discs are well
loose and scattered. Place these bags in the surface litter. Remove some discs
from the bags, every 10 days and study them.
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Graph sheet
Place the original disc on a graph sheet, draw it and count the mm units to
represent in mm2. then place the sample, draw it and study of the mm2 units
have decomposed in each type of bag over time. This indicates the rate of
decomposition in different mesh sizes and how organisms of different sizes
influence decomposition.