Articles | Volume 16, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-16-51-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/we-16-51-2016
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11 Feb 2016
Standard article | Highlight paper |  | 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

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Cited articles

Attignon, S. E., Weibel, D., Lachat, T., Sinsin, B., Nagel, P., and Peveling, R.: Leaf litter breakdown in natural and plantation forests of the Lama forest reserve in Benin, Appl. Soil Ecol., 27, 109–124, 2004.
Barros, E., Pashanasi, B., Constantino, R., and Lavelle, P.: Effects of land-use system on the soil macrofauna in western Brazilian Amazonia, Biol. Fert. Soils, 35, 338–347, 2002.
Bihn, J. H., Verhaagh, M., Brändle, M., and Brandl, R.: Do secondary forests act as refuges for old growth forest animals? Recovery of ant diversity in the Atlantic forest of Brazil, Biol. Conserv. 141, 733–743, 2008.
Bradford, M. A., Tordoff, G. M., Eggers, T., Jones, T. H., and Newington, J. E.: Microbiota, fauna, and mesh size interactions in litter decomposition, Oikos, 99, 317–323, 2002.
Coûteaux, M. M., Sarmiento, L., Bottner, P., Acevedo, D., and Thiéry, J. M.: Decomposition of standard plant material along an altitudinal transect (65–3968 m) in the tropical Andes, Soil Biol. Biochem., 34, 69–78, 2002.
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Short summary
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.