Influence of site factors other than climate

Abstract

Although litter chemical composition and climate appear to dominate as regulating factors in decomposition over a regional scale (Chaps. 4–7), there are numerous factors that are important in regulating decomposition at the local or even micro scale. These are related to soil characteristics, nutrient availability and cycling, plant community composition and structure, soil fauna, and topography. Some of these factors exert their influence by modifying the microclimate. Other factors operate primarily through biochemical or nutritional influences on microbial metabolism. Not only can these site-specific factors influence microbial metabolism, they can also alter the composition of the microbial community, as was discussed in Chapter 3.