Dry Season Decomposition of Leaf Litter from Five Common Plant Species of West Africa

The rates of decomposition of litter from five plant species common to West Africa namely: Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed), Anacardium occidentale (cashew), Acioa batteri, Imperata cylindrica (spear grass) and Pentaclethra macrophylla (oil bean) were investigated in the laboratory and the field during the dry season using respiration and litter bag techniques. There were significant differences (P Chromolaena > Anacardium > Pentaclethra > Acioa. Unexpectedly, the particle size of litter (ground versus unground) did not affect the rates of respiratory activity in any regular pattern although the unground samples were in nylon mesh bags. Possibly, fungi were the main agents of decomposition since by their mycelial habit, they ramify into a substrate. Under adequate moisture conditions, the highest amount of litter decomposed—58.3%, 52.3% and 34.3% were obtained with Chromolaena, ...