AFOLABI Akinjide Moses, ADEMOH Ozavize Fatimoh, OLOWOLAJU Ezekiel Dare, OLABIYI Oluwatobiloba, KAYODE Sunday and MUOGHALU J. I.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55706/jae1926
Abstract
The study determined litter decomposition and microbial species involved in litter decomposition and their dynamics during decomposition in natural forest and cacao plantation. This was with a view to providing comprehensive understanding of nutrient cycling via litter in the ecosystems due to their different management practices. The study was carried out in 0.063 ha sample plots, three each in natural forests and cacao plantations adjacent to each other in Ile-Oluji, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Litter decomposition was studied using the litterbag method. Thirty six labeled and numbered litter bags each were placed on the litter layer in each sample plot. Three litter bags were retrieved randomly from each plantation plot of cacao and natural forest at monthly intervals for twelve months. One of the retrieved litter bags from each sample plot was transported aseptically to Microbiology Laboratory for the isolation and identification of the microbial decomposers (bacteria and fungi) in addition to the estimation of the microbial load of the sample. The contents of the other two bags were emptied, oven-dried at 80° C to a constant weight, weighed and ground for chemical analyses The results showed that Litter decomposition rate in the forest, 3.497, was higher than 1.568 in cacao plantation. There were lower number of fungal (16) but higher number of bacterial species (18) involved in litter decomposition in forest than those in cacao plantation (fungi, 17, bacteria 16). The densities (cfu/g) of bacterial species 6.15 x 106-9.95 x1017 and fungi 4.45 x105- 3.25 x107 involved in litter decomposition in the forest were higher than those in cacao plantation (bacteria, 8.9 x 105- 3.05 x 109; fungi, 1.75 x105 -1.0 x 107). This study concluded that nutrient cycling via litter decomposition is more efficient in natural forests than in cacao plantations and that clearing forests to establish cacao plantations is adversely affecting nutrient cycling.
Keywords: Decomposition; Forest; Cacao Plantation; Microbial Community.
