Organic mater decomposition

The nutrient cycles of the forest catchment ecosystems are to a large extent determined by biota, especially by the primary production of plants and by microbial decomposition. Severe losses from the ecosystem of important nutrients, e.g., Ca, Mg, K and P, are expected to lower the productivity when occurring in the root zone. Most nutrients available for circulation in the temperate forested ecosystems are found in the tree layer or in the accumulated organic mater of soil layer. This is especially true for the most important macronutrients (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S). Nitrogen is... 

Agren, G. I., Busatta, E. and Balesdent, 1. (1996). Isotope discrimination during decomposition of organic mater a theoretical analysis. Soil Sci. Am. 1.60, 1121-1126. 

Hirschler, M.M. Fire performance of organic polymers, thermal, decomposition, and chemical decomposition. Polym. Mater. Sci. Eng., 2000, ACS Meeting, Washington, DC, Aug., 83, 79-80. 

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