Soil and litter chemistry, soil microbial communities and litter decomposition from tropical forest and oil palm

A study examining the interactions between soil chemistry, litter chemistry and soil microbial decomposers as controls on rates of litter decomposition across a tropical land use disturbance gradient. Co-located soil and litter samples were collected from old growth forest, moderately logged forest, heavily logged forest and oil palm plantations. Soil and litter were chemically characterised and soil bacterial and fungal community composition and abundance were measured. These were then combined in fully factorial ex-situ microcosms and measured litter decomposition rates at 3 time points during different stages of decomposition.