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| 11 Feb 2016
Impacts of land-use intensification on litter decomposition in western Kenya
G. H. Kagezi,M. Kaib,P. Nyeko,C. Bakuneeta,M. Schädler,J. Stadler,and R. Brandl
G. H. Kagezi
Department of Ecology/Animal, Faculty of Biology,
Philipps-Universität Marburg, C/o National Banana Research Programme,
National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL) Institute, Kawanda, P.O. Box 7065 Kampala, Uganda
M. Kaib
Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth,
95440 Bayreuth, Germany
Department of Forest Biology and Ecosystems Management,
Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Makerere University, P.O. Box
7062 Kampala, Uganda
C. Bakuneeta
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Makerere
University, P.O. Box 7062 Kampala, Uganda
M. Schädler
Department of Community Ecology, Helmoltz Centre for
Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig,
Germany
J. Stadler
Department of Community Ecology, Helmoltz Centre for
Environmental Research – UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig,
Germany
Tropical forests are faced with a loss of forest cover with effects on ecosystem processes. We quantified decomposition within forest fragments and sites affected by increasing levels of agricultural land-use intensity. Mass loss increased with the area of forest fragments and decreased with land-use intensification. Fragmentation has negative effects on litter decomposition. However, the magnitude of this negative effect was not as large as expected.
Tropical forests are faced with a loss of forest cover with effects on ecosystem processes. We...
