Promotion of agroforestry practices in sub-Sahara Africa may help sustain subsistent food and wood production by integrating trees and crops on farmlands to replenish soil fertility and improve crop yield. Using rotational woodlot and pigeonpea intercropping systems in semi-arid Tanzania as case studies, my research screened suitable tree species to increase fuelwood supply and examined mechanisms for reducing tree-crop competition. By adopting nutrient use efficiency (the ratio of biomass yield to nutrient uptake) as a criterion, I found that selecting tree species of low wood nutrient concentrations would minimize nutrient exports by 42 – 60 %, thus reducing soil nutrient depletion while concurrently sustaining local fuelwood supply harvested from rotational woodlots. Currently smallholder farmers cannot afford to replenish soil fertility because of high fertilizer costs. However, 5-year tree fallowing raised soil N and P levels for maize culture as high as those from recommended fertilizer applications. Post-fallow maize yield was also increased significantly over natural fallow practices. Apparently there is a trade-off between yields of maize and fuelwood under rotational woodlot culture providing farmers the choice to proportion tree and crop composition based on priority demands. An alternative practice of intercropping pigeonpea with maize may also rapidly replenish soil fertility as well as enhance maize yield when competitive interactions between trees and crops are controlled. Vector analysis revealed that such interactions suppressed biomass yields of maize and pigeonpea by 30 % and 60 %, respectively, due to limited soil nutrients and/or moisture. Optimizing yields of both crops would require prescribed fertilizer addition when intercropped, but dose rates can be lowered by half under the improved fallow system due to alleviating interspecific competition. My findings form the basis of a plea for greater use of rotational woodlot and pigeonpea intercropping systems in semi-arid areas. I conclude that smallholder farm management of rotational agroforestry systems can be significantly improved by refining tree selection criteria and mitigating nutrient competition between trees and crops to maintain food and fuelwood production.

No description available.

A atividade de decomposição constitui-se em importante indicador do padrão funcional dos ecossistemas, pois controla processos básicos relacionados à disponibilidade de nutrientes e produtividade. Salienta-se a importância das características climáticas, edáficas, da qualidade da serapilheira e da fauna do solo como determinantes no processo de decomposição. No entanto, a importância de cada um destes fatores varia em escalas de tempo e espaço. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a importância de alguns fatores determinantes na decomposição em trechos representativos dos principais ecossistemas florestais do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto foram conduzidos dois experimentos independentes. O primeiro, aqui denominado Experimento Exóticas, examinou os efeitos do tipo florestal e da fauna do solo sobre a decomposição de folhas de uma espécie exótica (Laurus nobilis L.) em duas florestas úmidas (Floresta de Restinga do Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso e Floresta Atlântica de Encosta do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho) e uma floresta estacional (Floresta Estacional Semidecidual da Estação Ecológica de Caetetus). Os efeitos destes fatores foram testados em duas situações: acima e abaixo da superfície simulando então o ambiente de decomposição de folhas e raízes respectivamente. O tipo florestal apresenta efeito superior à fauna acima da superfície, enquanto abaixo apenas o efeito da fauna é significativo. Esses resultados indicam que a hierarquia dos fatores determinantes na decomposição difere para folhas e raízes. Se por um lado a decomposição de folhas é muito mais susceptível às mudanças climáticas do que a de raízes, por outro, alterações na comunidade afetam a decomposição em ambas as condições. Acima da superfície, a fauna apresentou efeito significativo apenas na Floresta Atlântica de Encosta, sendo essencial na diferenciação das duas florestas úmidas. Abaixo da superfície e na ausência da fauna, a porcentagem de massa remanescente foi muito similar nas três florestas. No entanto, diferenças entre as florestas, na presença da fauna, tornam-se aparentes sugerindo que há contribuição específica da fauna na decomposição de raízes destas florestas. A Floresta de Restinga apresentou o efeito mais pronunciado da fauna abaixo do solo. Esses resultados indicam que a fauna é um fator de notável importância na determinação da decomposição de raízes, particularmente em florestas tropicais úmidas arenosas. Outro experimento, aqui denominado Experimento Nativas, foi desenvolvido para avaliar o efeito do substrato e da formação florestal na decomposição de folhas de quatro espécies nativas em trechos das quatro principais formações florestais do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto, o experimento foi desenvolvido nos três trechos florestais do experimento Exóticas incluindo ainda o Cerradão da Estação Ecológica de Assis. Foi escolhida uma espécie de árvore, em cada um dos tipos florestais, para que suas folhas fossem usadas como substrato nas bolsas de serapilheira. Tipo florestal e substrato demonstraram efeito significativo sobre a quantidade de massa remanescente ao longo do experimento. A maior parte das espécies sofreu maiores perdas na Floresta Atlântica, seguida da Floresta de Restinga, Floresta Estacional e Cerradão. Esses resultados sugerem que o total de precipitação associado a sua distribuição são importantes determinantes no processo de decomposição, de forma que as duas florestas mais úmidas apresentam, em média, taxas de decomposição duas vezes maiores do que as duas florestas estacionais. As demais diferenças encontradas entre as formações florestais devem ser explicadas por características edáficas e bióticas. Em relação ao efeito das espécies, observaram-se as maiores perda de massa em Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl., seguida de Copaifera langsdorfii Desf., Guapira opposita Vell. e Calophyllum brasiliensis Camb.. Os parâmetros químicos só mostram correlação negativa significativa com as taxas de decomposição quando G. opposita é excluída da análise. Neste caso a porcentagem de lignina foi o parâmetro que apresentou melhor correlação (r2= 0,59). Apesar dos padrões gerais apresentados acima, a interação entre tipo florestal e substrato evidencia algumas variações, que se relacionam principalmente ao aumento relativo na perda de massa de C. langsdorfii em sua área de origem, o Cerradão. Quando comparadas as taxas de decomposição (k) encontradas na Floresta Estacional e no Cerradão, C. langsdorfii apresenta decaimento 40% maior no Cerradão, enquanto as demais espécies apresentam, em média, taxas 28% menores no Cerradão do que na Estacional. Esses resultados sugerem estreita correlação entre a comunidade decompositora e a serapilheira local. O estudo do processo de decomposição, reconhecendo seus fatores determinantes e a variação na hierarquia desses fatores em diferentes condições ambientais, como apresentado nesse trabalho, é de fundamental importância, não só para o entendimento dos ecossistemas florestais de São Paulo, mas para o planejamento de atividades de manejo, restauração e conservação. / Composition is an important indicator of functional patterns of ecosystems, as it controls basic processes related to the availability of nutrients and to ecosystem productivity. Climatic and edaphic conditions and the quality of the litter and soil fauna as determining factors are of particular importance in the process of decomposition. The significance of each one of these varies with spatial and temporal scale. The objective of this work was to evaluate the importance of certain determining factors of decomposition in sites representing the main forest ecosystems of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. To accomplish this, two independent experiments were conducted. The first, denoted here as the “Exotics" experiment, was to examine the effects of the type of forest and the soil fauna on the decomposition of leaves of an exotic species (Laurus nobilis L.) in two humid forests (Restinga Forest of the Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso e Atlantic Forest of the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho) and a seasonal forest (Semideciduous Forest of the Estação Ecológica de Caetetus). The effects of these factors were tested above and belowground, to simulate the environment of decomposition among leaves and roots respectively. The type of forest had a significant effect over fauna above the surface, while below the surface, only fauna had significant effect. These results indicate that the hierarchy of determining factors in decomposition differs between leaves and roots. If on the one hand decomposition in leaves is much more susceptible to variation in climate than are roots, on the other hand changes in the soil fauna affect decomposition in both environments. Above the surface, fauna had a significant effect only in the Atlantic Forest, emphasizing the difference between two humid forests. Under the surface, and in the absence of fauna, the percentage of remaining biomass was very similar in the three forests. Notwithstanding differences in the forests, the presence of fauna was apparent, suggesting that there is a specific contribution of fauna in decomposition among roots in these forests. The Restinga Forest produced the most pronounced effect of fauna below the soil surface. These results indicate that fauna is a factor of notable importance in the decomposition of roots, especially in humid sandy tropical forests. The other experiment, here called the “Native" experiment, was developed to evaluate the effects of the substrate and the forest type on the decomposition of leaves of four native species in sites of the four major forest types in São Paulo state. The experiment was conducted in the same three forest sites as the “Exotics" experiment, including the Cerradão da Estação Ecológica de Assis. A tree species was chosen in each forest type, the leaves of which were used as substrate for the litter bags. The type of forest and the substrate demonstrated a significantly greater effect on the quantity of remaining mass throughout the experiment. The majority of the species suffered greater losses in the Atlantic Forest, followed by the Restinga Forest, the Semideciduous Forest, and the Cerradão. These results suggest that the total associated precipitation and its distribution are important determinants in the process of decomposition. As such, the two most humid forests show, on average, decomposition rates twice as great as the two seasonal forests. The rest of the differences encountered between forest types can be explained by edaphic and biotic factors. With respect to the effect of the species, the greatest biomass losses were observed in Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl., followed by Copaifera langsdorfii Desf., Guapira opposita Vell. and Calophyllum brasiliensis Camb. Chemical parameters only show significant negative correlation with decomposition rates when G. opposita is excluded from the analysis. In this case the percentage of lignin was the parameter that showed the greatest correlation (r2= 0,59). In spite of the general patterns presented above, the interaction between forest type and substrate showed some variation, principally related to the loss of mass of C. langsdorfii in its native habitat, the Cerradão. Comparing decomposition rates (k) found in the Semideciduous Forest and Cerradão, C. langsdorfii shows a decrease of 40% more in the Cerradão, while the other species show, on average rates 28% lower in the Cerradão than in the Semideciduous Forest. These results suggest a strict correlation between the decomposition community and the local litter. Understanding processes of decomposition, is of fundamental importance and includes recognizing the determining factors and the variation in the importance of these factors under different environmental conditions, as presented in this study. This is true not only for our understanding of the forest ecosystems of São Paulo, but also for management planning, restoration, and conservation.

Promotion of agroforestry practices in sub-Sahara Africa may help sustain subsistent food and wood production by integrating trees and crops on farmlands to replenish soil fertility and improve crop yield. Using rotational woodlot and pigeonpea intercropping systems in semi-arid Tanzania as case studies, my research screened suitable tree species to increase fuelwood supply and examined mechanisms for reducing tree-crop competition. By adopting nutrient use efficiency (the ratio of biomass yield to nutrient uptake) as a criterion, I found that selecting tree species of low wood nutrient concentrations would minimize nutrient exports by 42 – 60 %, thus reducing soil nutrient depletion while concurrently sustaining local fuelwood supply harvested from rotational woodlots. Currently smallholder farmers cannot afford to replenish soil fertility because of high fertilizer costs. However, 5-year tree fallowing raised soil N and P levels for maize culture as high as those from recommended fertilizer applications. Post-fallow maize yield was also increased significantly over natural fallow practices. Apparently there is a trade-off between yields of maize and fuelwood under rotational woodlot culture providing farmers the choice to proportion tree and crop composition based on priority demands. An alternative practice of intercropping pigeonpea with maize may also rapidly replenish soil fertility as well as enhance maize yield when competitive interactions between trees and crops are controlled. Vector analysis revealed that such interactions suppressed biomass yields of maize and pigeonpea by 30 % and 60 %, respectively, due to limited soil nutrients and/or moisture. Optimizing yields of both crops would require prescribed fertilizer addition when intercropped, but dose rates can be lowered by half under the improved fallow system due to alleviating interspecific competition. My findings form the basis of a plea for greater use of rotational woodlot and pigeonpea intercropping systems in semi-arid areas. I conclude that smallholder farm management of rotational agroforestry systems can be significantly improved by refining tree selection criteria and mitigating nutrient competition between trees and crops to maintain food and fuelwood production.

A atividade de decomposição constitui-se em importante indicador do padrão funcional dos ecossistemas, pois controla processos básicos relacionados à disponibilidade de nutrientes e produtividade. Salienta-se a importância das características climáticas, edáficas, da qualidade da serapilheira e da fauna do solo como determinantes no processo de decomposição. No entanto, a importância de cada um destes fatores varia em escalas de tempo e espaço. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a importância de alguns fatores determinantes na decomposição em trechos representativos dos principais ecossistemas florestais do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto foram conduzidos dois experimentos independentes. O primeiro, aqui denominado Experimento Exóticas, examinou os efeitos do tipo florestal e da fauna do solo sobre a decomposição de folhas de uma espécie exótica (Laurus nobilis L.) em duas florestas úmidas (Floresta de Restinga do Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso e Floresta Atlântica de Encosta do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho) e uma floresta estacional (Floresta Estacional Semidecidual da Estação Ecológica de Caetetus). Os efeitos destes fatores foram testados em duas situações: acima e abaixo da superfície simulando então o ambiente de decomposição de folhas e raízes respectivamente. O tipo florestal apresenta efeito superior à fauna acima da superfície, enquanto abaixo apenas o efeito da fauna é significativo. Esses resultados indicam que a hierarquia dos fatores determinantes na decomposição difere para folhas e raízes. Se por um lado a decomposição de folhas é muito mais susceptível às mudanças climáticas do que a de raízes, por outro, alterações na comunidade afetam a decomposição em ambas as condições. Acima da superfície, a fauna apresentou efeito significativo apenas na Floresta Atlântica de Encosta, sendo essencial na diferenciação das duas florestas úmidas. Abaixo da superfície e na ausência da fauna, a porcentagem de massa remanescente foi muito similar nas três florestas. No entanto, diferenças entre as florestas, na presença da fauna, tornam-se aparentes sugerindo que há contribuição específica da fauna na decomposição de raízes destas florestas. A Floresta de Restinga apresentou o efeito mais pronunciado da fauna abaixo do solo. Esses resultados indicam que a fauna é um fator de notável importância na determinação da decomposição de raízes, particularmente em florestas tropicais úmidas arenosas. Outro experimento, aqui denominado Experimento Nativas, foi desenvolvido para avaliar o efeito do substrato e da formação florestal na decomposição de folhas de quatro espécies nativas em trechos das quatro principais formações florestais do Estado de São Paulo. Para tanto, o experimento foi desenvolvido nos três trechos florestais do experimento Exóticas incluindo ainda o Cerradão da Estação Ecológica de Assis. Foi escolhida uma espécie de árvore, em cada um dos tipos florestais, para que suas folhas fossem usadas como substrato nas bolsas de serapilheira. Tipo florestal e substrato demonstraram efeito significativo sobre a quantidade de massa remanescente ao longo do experimento. A maior parte das espécies sofreu maiores perdas na Floresta Atlântica, seguida da Floresta de Restinga, Floresta Estacional e Cerradão. Esses resultados sugerem que o total de precipitação associado a sua distribuição são importantes determinantes no processo de decomposição, de forma que as duas florestas mais úmidas apresentam, em média, taxas de decomposição duas vezes maiores do que as duas florestas estacionais. As demais diferenças encontradas entre as formações florestais devem ser explicadas por características edáficas e bióticas. Em relação ao efeito das espécies, observaram-se as maiores perda de massa em Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl., seguida de Copaifera langsdorfii Desf., Guapira opposita Vell. e Calophyllum brasiliensis Camb.. Os parâmetros químicos só mostram correlação negativa significativa com as taxas de decomposição quando G. opposita é excluída da análise. Neste caso a porcentagem de lignina foi o parâmetro que apresentou melhor correlação (r2= 0,59). Apesar dos padrões gerais apresentados acima, a interação entre tipo florestal e substrato evidencia algumas variações, que se relacionam principalmente ao aumento relativo na perda de massa de C. langsdorfii em sua área de origem, o Cerradão. Quando comparadas as taxas de decomposição (k) encontradas na Floresta Estacional e no Cerradão, C. langsdorfii apresenta decaimento 40% maior no Cerradão, enquanto as demais espécies apresentam, em média, taxas 28% menores no Cerradão do que na Estacional. Esses resultados sugerem estreita correlação entre a comunidade decompositora e a serapilheira local. O estudo do processo de decomposição, reconhecendo seus fatores determinantes e a variação na hierarquia desses fatores em diferentes condições ambientais, como apresentado nesse trabalho, é de fundamental importância, não só para o entendimento dos ecossistemas florestais de São Paulo, mas para o planejamento de atividades de manejo, restauração e conservação. / Composition is an important indicator of functional patterns of ecosystems, as it controls basic processes related to the availability of nutrients and to ecosystem productivity. Climatic and edaphic conditions and the quality of the litter and soil fauna as determining factors are of particular importance in the process of decomposition. The significance of each one of these varies with spatial and temporal scale. The objective of this work was to evaluate the importance of certain determining factors of decomposition in sites representing the main forest ecosystems of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. To accomplish this, two independent experiments were conducted. The first, denoted here as the “Exotics” experiment, was to examine the effects of the type of forest and the soil fauna on the decomposition of leaves of an exotic species (Laurus nobilis L.) in two humid forests (Restinga Forest of the Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso e Atlantic Forest of the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho) and a seasonal forest (Semideciduous Forest of the Estação Ecológica de Caetetus). The effects of these factors were tested above and belowground, to simulate the environment of decomposition among leaves and roots respectively. The type of forest had a significant effect over fauna above the surface, while below the surface, only fauna had significant effect. These results indicate that the hierarchy of determining factors in decomposition differs between leaves and roots. If on the one hand decomposition in leaves is much more susceptible to variation in climate than are roots, on the other hand changes in the soil fauna affect decomposition in both environments. Above the surface, fauna had a significant effect only in the Atlantic Forest, emphasizing the difference between two humid forests. Under the surface, and in the absence of fauna, the percentage of remaining biomass was very similar in the three forests. Notwithstanding differences in the forests, the presence of fauna was apparent, suggesting that there is a specific contribution of fauna in decomposition among roots in these forests. The Restinga Forest produced the most pronounced effect of fauna below the soil surface. These results indicate that fauna is a factor of notable importance in the decomposition of roots, especially in humid sandy tropical forests. The other experiment, here called the “Native” experiment, was developed to evaluate the effects of the substrate and the forest type on the decomposition of leaves of four native species in sites of the four major forest types in São Paulo state. The experiment was conducted in the same three forest sites as the “Exotics” experiment, including the Cerradão da Estação Ecológica de Assis. A tree species was chosen in each forest type, the leaves of which were used as substrate for the litter bags. The type of forest and the substrate demonstrated a significantly greater effect on the quantity of remaining mass throughout the experiment. The majority of the species suffered greater losses in the Atlantic Forest, followed by the Restinga Forest, the Semideciduous Forest, and the Cerradão. These results suggest that the total associated precipitation and its distribution are important determinants in the process of decomposition. As such, the two most humid forests show, on average, decomposition rates twice as great as the two seasonal forests. The rest of the differences encountered between forest types can be explained by edaphic and biotic factors. With respect to the effect of the species, the greatest biomass losses were observed in Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl., followed by Copaifera langsdorfii Desf., Guapira opposita Vell. and Calophyllum brasiliensis Camb. Chemical parameters only show significant negative correlation with decomposition rates when G. opposita is excluded from the analysis. In this case the percentage of lignin was the parameter that showed the greatest correlation (r2= 0,59). In spite of the general patterns presented above, the interaction between forest type and substrate showed some variation, principally related to the loss of mass of C. langsdorfii in its native habitat, the Cerradão. Comparing decomposition rates (k) found in the Semideciduous Forest and Cerradão, C. langsdorfii shows a decrease of 40% more in the Cerradão, while the other species show, on average rates 28% lower in the Cerradão than in the Semideciduous Forest. These results suggest a strict correlation between the decomposition community and the local litter. Understanding processes of decomposition, is of fundamental importance and includes recognizing the determining factors and the variation in the importance of these factors under different environmental conditions, as presented in this study. This is true not only for our understanding of the forest ecosystems of São Paulo, but also for management planning, restoration, and conservation.

No description available.

<div>In fire-prone forests, tree taxa and burn temperature are the major controllers of the chemical and physical properties of pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM), the aromatic carbon-rich product of the incomplete combustion of plant biomass, that accumulates in soil in such settings. These controls also dictate how soil microbes can degrade plant C once it enters into soil as previous studies demonstrate that increased fire temperature results in low PyOM degradability but also impacts the decomposition of the original soil. However, we know little about how taxa and temperature of C-inputs impact the production and accumulation of cellular residues from soil microbes, which can be the dominant source of stabilized soil organic matter in many ecosystems. </div><div>This work presents the results of the analysis of soil microbial amino sugars, as proxies for soil microbial necromass, from long-term soil incubation experiments, 180 and 600 days, that were amended with jack pine (JP) and red maple (RM) wood or their PyOM produced at 300°C or 450°C. Both wood taxa amendments resulted in an increase in microbial sugar residues compared to non-amended soils but RM, the taxa with the highest proportion of soluble sugars and low tannin content, exhibited the highest percentage increase. Soils amended with PyOM exhibited lower amino sugar content as compared to their wood but no difference compared to controls (non-amended soils). There was no difference in soil amino sugars observed between the PyOM derived from the two taxa nor between the temperature of pyrolysis, possibly due to only small amounts of bioavailable C and N in the PyOM. Total amino sugar concentrations varied significantly between PyOM and fresh wood treatments, with PyOM treatments yielding 659 – 730 μg/ g soil while wood treatments yielded 757 – 930 μg/ g soil early in incubations. While fungal-derived amino sugars were dominated in all treatments, longer soil incubation time, 600 days vs 180 days, resulted in a proportionately greater decrease bacterial-derived amino sugars. Overall, at 180 days, PyOM treatments exhibited 19-27% of soil N and 4-5% of soil C quantifiable as amino sugars while wood treatments exhibited 27-28% of total soil N and 6-7% of total soil C as amino sugars. This work shows, for the first time, that on a per C or per N basis, PyOM versus fresh wood addition to soils will result in a net depletion of microbial residues. The variable response in amino sugars between treatments and incubation time highlights the importance and dynamic nature of the physicochemical characteristics of organic matter input to soil in controlling the contribution of soil microbial residues to that soil. </div><div><br></div>

The anthropogenic introduction of species into new ecosystems is a global phenomenon, and identifying the mechanisms by which some introduced species become dominant in their introduced ranges (i.e., invasive) is crucial to predicting, preventing, and mitigating the impacts of biological invasions. Introduced perennial C₄ grasses are invading semi-arid grassland and savanna ecosystems throughout the south-central U.S. We hypothesized that in these semi-arid ecosystems, where variable precipitation patterns strongly influence vegetation dynamics, the success of an invasive plant species may be due in part to ecophysiological traits that enable high performance in response to unpredictable water availability. We also hypothesized that increased primary productivity and decreased plant input quality associated with these grass invasions have the potential to alter ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling and storage by altering the ratio of inputs (productivity) to outputs (decomposition/respiration). We tested the first hypothesis by quantifying ecophysiological performance differences between an invasive C₄ grass, Bothriochloa ischaemum, and co-occurring C₃ and C₄ native grasses under wet and dry conditions in the field and under two levels of simulated precipitation frequencies in a greenhouse experiment. We tested the second hypothesis by examining whether increased primary productivity and decreased C₃:C₄ grass ratios in savanna grass-matrices associated with B. ischaemum invasion altered (1) plant input quality and thus nutrient cycling and/or (2) net ecosystem carbon uptake in invaded areas. B. ischaemum's success as an invader was not directly related to its ability to cope with precipitation variability and availability, but its ability to rapidly produce large amounts of biomass may allow it to directly out-compete native species. B. ischaemum invasion decreased plant input quality and soil nitrogen availability. B. ischaemum invasion shifted ecosystem C-uptake from being nearly year-round to occurring predominantly in the summer. Greater C-uptake during the summer and under drier conditions compensated for a shorter growing seasons in B. ischaemum-invaded areas and cumulative annual NEE was similar between invaded and native-dominated areas. We conclude that B. ischaemum's impacts on soil nitrogen availability and plant-canopy microhabitat may allow it to exclude native species from invaded areas, but that its impacts on ecosystem C sequestration may be small. / text

No description available.

The effects of reafforestation with seedlings of spruce, birch, mountain-ash, beech and larch, partially in combination with liming and removal of the topsoil layer before planting, on the community of saprophagous invertebrates (lumbricids, enchytraeids, oribatids, collembolans) were examined. The study area was located on plateau sites of the eastern Ore Mountains (Saxonia, Germany). Investigations were carried out on study sites exposed to high sulphur dioxide immissions and reforested 3 respectively 10 years ago. Invertebrates were sampled by the extraction of soil cores and by the ?electro-octett-method? (lumbricids). Additionally, the ?minicontainer method? was used to investigate decomposition rates of different types of litter. On the control area, a diedback spruce stand, the decomposer community showed high adaptations to the acidic soil substrate and was dominated by few enchytraeid species. Long-termed loss of tree shelter, liming and topsoil removal before planting resulted in a severe decline of most saprophagous species. However, changes in invertebrate community pattern due to different plantations were not found. A comparison of leaf and needle litter decomposition rates resulted in the following order: birch (k = 0.50) &amp;gt; mountain-ash (0.40) &amp;gt; spruce (0.30) &amp;gt;&amp;gt; larch (0.12). Considering all investigated taxa, the metabolic decomposing capacity of the larch litter reached 39 %, that the spruce litter 54 % of the foliage litter results. / Anläßlich des kompletten Ausfalls der Fichte in den extrem immissionsbelasteten Kammlagen des Osterzgebirges (Sachsen) wurden im Rahmen eines interdisziplinären Verbundprojektes verschiedene Waldbaukonzepte hinsichtlich ihrer Einflüsse auf die saprophage Invertebratenfauna (Enchytraeidae, Lumbricidae, Oribatida, Collembola) untersucht. Zur Disposition standen Verfahren zur Waldneugründung (Kulturparzellen mit Reihenpflanzung von Birke, Eberesche oder Fichte; zusätzlich waldbaulich unbeeinflußte Sukzessionsparzellen) und zum Waldumbau (Kulturparzellen mit Reihenpflanzung von Buche oder Lärche nach Abtrieb und flächigem Oberbodenabschub). Ein absterbender Fichtenreinbestand in fortgeschrittener Auflösung diente als Referenz- bzw. Korrelationsmaßstab. Die Erfassung der Mesofauna erfolgte über die Extraktion von Stechrohrproben. Lumbriciden wurden mit der Elektrooktett-Methode aufgenommen. Neben der flächenbezogenen Datenerfassung wurden 1.200 mit Blattstreu von Birke, Eberesche, Fichte und Lärche befüllte Minicontainer über 19 Monate auf einer Sukzessionsparzelle exponiert, um substratspezifische Abbaugeschwindigkeiten zu ermitteln und faunistische Sukzessionsverläufe zu studieren. Die Referenzfläche zeichnete sich durch eine stark enchytraeendominierte Zersetzergemeinschaft aus, die deutliche Anzeichen einer kalkungsbedingten Überprägung erkennen ließ. Der Enchytraeenanteil an den potentiellen Umsatzleistungen der untersuchten Destruententaxa (berechnet über metabolische Äquivalenzwerte) lag bei über 90 %. Hiervon ausgehend zeigten die Zersetzergemeinschaften der Versuchsanlagen &amp;quot;Waldneugründung&amp;quot; und &amp;quot;Waldumbau&amp;quot; stark divergierende Entwicklungsrichtungen. Als ausschlaggebende Faktoren konnten Schirmverlust, Kalkung und Oberbodenbeseitigung wahrscheinlich gemacht werden. Dagegen waren Einflüsse der unterschiedlichen Kulturbaumarten kaum nachzuweisen. Die streuspezifischen Dekompositionsgeschwindigkeiten unterschieden sich wie folgt: Birke (k = 0,50) &amp;gt; Eberesche (0,40) &amp;gt; Fichte (0,30) &amp;gt;&amp;gt; Lärche (0,12). Diese vergleichsweise geringen Abbauraten stehen überwiegend mit dem rauhen Montanklima in Zusammenhang. Enchytraeen besiedelten alle Streutypen zügig, während Collembolen vor allem die Ebereschenstreu verzögert aufsuchten und mit geringster Dichte bevölkerten. Oribatiden zeigten die geringste Besiedlungsgeschwindigkeit und hatten wie die Enchytaeen in der Laubstreu signifikant höhere Wohndichten. Nur Steganacarus spinosus zeigte eine besondere Affinität für Nadelstreu. Das metabolische Leistungspotential des Destruentenbesatzes der Lärchenstreu erreichte 39 %, das der Fichtenstreu 54 % der Laubstreuresultate.