Organic matter decomposition, carbon and nutrient cycling are important topics for ecological study. Previous studies have investigated decomposition of different plant parts, but few considered bark decomposition or its role in decomposition of wood.

Researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) investigated factors affecting bark decomposition and the effects of bark on wood decomposition for five important tree species in a secondary seasonal tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna, SW China. They employed a common litter-bed approach to examine the decomposition of both bark litter and branches of five important tropical tree species (Kleinhovia hospita, Tectona grandis, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Dipterocarpus turbinatus, and Toona ciliate).

 They found that litter in mesh bags that permitted meso- and macro-faunal access (i.e. coarse mesh) decomposed faster, regardless of wood species. Bark litter in coarse-mesh decomposed faster than in fine-mesh bags across the five species, indicating that species traits and litter fauna access had important effects on bark litter decomposition.

There was very high within-species variance in decomposition rates for bark litter in coarse-mesh bags. Branches with bark decomposed faster than without bark in three species and in the remaining two species there were no significant effects of bark removal.

Through a bark removal experiment, they also found that bark enhanced the rate of wood decomposition in some species, but had no effect in others. The species with significant bark removal effects had the slowest decomposing wood.

The study entitled “Factors controlling bark decomposition and its role in wood decomposition in five tropical tree species” has been published in Scientific Reports.

Contact

Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa  Ph.D

Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China

E-mail: 1416338015@qq.com