A thesis submitted in the Faculty of Science, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 1996. / Litter accumulates on the forest floor in Pinus patula plantations in Mpumalanga, South Africa and as a result nutrients become immobilized and site productivity is reduced. Studies have correlated litteraccumulation with abiotic factors, such as high altitude sites, high rainfall soils derived from the timeball series (shale) have thick litter layers. This study focuses on the biotic factors involved in litter accumulation. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR 2017