Abstract
The Minicontainer-test, first described by Eisenbeis (1993), was designed to study the kinetics of organic residue decomposition at a microsite level. It is derived from the litterbag technique and consists of polyethylene minicontainers (volume about 1.5 cm3) filled with a test substrate (litter, straw, cellulose, etc.). The minicontainers (MCs) are closed at either end with plastic gauze discs of variable mesh size (e.g. 20 μm, 250 μm, 500 μm or 2 mm). A definite number of such units are inserted into PVC-bars, which can be implanted into the soil horizontally or vertically, or be exposed on the soil surface horizontally. The bars are very stable and can be exposed in different environments for months to years. If required, the bars can be removed temporarily and stored, e.g. during soil cultivation. Should fresh litter be used, two phases of decomposition can be distinguished: a fast initial phase, which can be mainly related to the effect of leaching, and a second slow phase depending mainly on the activity of soil organisms and litter quality. Several questions can be addressed to investigations using MCs, e.g. 1) parts of the soil fauna which are involved in decomposition (nematodes, microarthropods, and smaller specimens of the macrofauna, e.g. enchytraeidae, diplopods and dipteran larvae) can be extracted from the litter substrate using a miniscale high gradient extractor, 2) the organic mass loss of litter can be determined, 3) microbial biomass (Cmic, Nmic) can be assessed by fumigation extraction and 4) microbial activity (respiration) in the test substrate can also be assessed by use of standardised methods. Compared to litterbag studies, the larger number of small replicate units improves the statistical evaluation. Until today the Minicontainer-test has been applied in forestry and agriculture, e.g. studying the effects of liming, soil restoration and the application of insecticides, e.g. Diflubenzuron (Dimilin) and Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis var.kurstaki).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, J.M. (1973): The breakdown and decomposition of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) leaf litter in two deciduous woodland soils. I. Breakdown, leaching and decomposition. Oecologia (Berlin) 12, 251–274
Berg, B.; Staaf, H. (1980): Decomposition rate and chemical changes of scots pine needle litter. II. Influence of chemical composition. In: T. Persson, T. (Editor), Structure and Function of Northern Coniferous Forests - An Fxosystem Study. Ecol. Bull. (Stockholm) 32, 373–390
Blair, J.M.;Crossley, D.A. Jr.;Callaham, L.C. (1991): A litterbasket technique for measurement of nutrient dynamics in forest floor. In:Crossley, D.A. Jr.;Coleman, D.C.;Hendrix, P.F.;Cheng, W.;Wright, D.H.;Beare, M.H.;Edwards, C.A. (Eds.): Modern Techniques in Soil Ecology. Elsevier, New York, pp. 465–471
Blair, J.M.;Crossley, D.A. Jr.;Callaham, L.C. (1992): Effects of litter quality and microarthropods on N dynamics and retention of exogenous15N in decomposing litter. Biol. Fertil. Soils 12, 241–252
Bocock, K.L.;Gilbert, O.J.W. (1957): The disappearance of leaf litter under different woodland conditions. Plant and Soil 9, 179–185
Brookes, P.C.;Landman, A.;Pruden, G.;Jenkinson, D.S. (1985): Chloroform fumigation and the release of soil nitrogen: A rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 17, 837–842
Cornelissen, J.H.C. (1996): An experimental comparison of leaf decomposition rates in a wide range of temperate plant species and types. J. Ecology 84, 573–582
Crossley, D.A. Jr.;Hogland, M.P. (1962): A litter bag method for the study of microarthropods inhabiting leaf litter. Ecology 43, 571–573
Couteaux, M.-M.;Bottner, P.;Berg, B. (1995): Litter decomposition, climate and litter quality. Tree 10, 63–66
Eisenbeis, G. (1993): Zersetzung im Boden. - In:Ehrnsberger, R. (Editor): Bodenmesofauna und Naturschutz - Bedeutung und Auswirkungen von anthropogenen Maßnahmen. - Inf. Natursch. Landschaftspfl. 6, 53–76, Naturschutzverband Niedersachsen (NVN), G. Runge, Cloppenburg
Eisenbeis, G. (1994): Die biologische Aktivität von Böden aus zoologischer Sicht. Braunschw. naturkdl. Schr. 4, 653–658
Eisenbeis, G.;Dogan, H.;Heiber, T.;Kerber, A.;Lenz, R.;Paulus, F. (1995): Das Minicontainersystem - ein bodenökologisches Werkzeug für Forschung und Praxis. Mitt. Dtsch. Bodenkundl. Ges. 76, 585–588
Eisenbeis, G.;Lenz, R.;Dogan, H.;Schüler, G. (1996): Zur biologischen Aktivität von Nadelwaldböden: Messung der tierischen Fraßaktivität mit dem Köderstreifen-Test sowie Bestimmung von Streuabbauraten mit dem Minicontainer-Test. Verh. Ges. Ökol. 26, 305–311
Eisenbeis, G.;Paulus, R. (1997): Bodenbiologische Untersuchungen auf forstlichen Dauerbeobachtungsflächen in Rheinland-Pfalz mit dem Minicontainer- und Köderstreifen-Test. Mitt. a. d. Forstl. Versuchsanstalt Rheinland-Pfalz 40/1997, 1–25
Emmerung C.;Eisenbeis, G. (1998): Influence of modern soil restoration techniques on litter decomposition in forest soils. Applied Soil Ecology 9, 501–507
Heath, G.W.;Edwards, C.A.;Arnold, M.K. (1964): Some methods for assessing the activity of soil animals in the breakdown of leaves. Pedobiologia 4, 80–87
Herlitzius, H. (1983): Biological decomposition efficiency in different woodland soils. Oecologia (Berlin) 57, 78–97
Johannson, M.B.;Berg, B.;Meentemeyer, V. (1995): Litter mass loss rates in late stages of decomposition in a climatic transect of pine forests: long term decomposition in a scots pine forest. Can. J. Bot. 73, 1509–1521
Kratz, W. (1991): Cycling of nutrients and pollutants during litter decomposition in pine forest in the Grunewald, Berlin. -In:Nakagoshi, N.;Golley, F.B. (Eds.): Coniferous Forest Ecology from an International Perspective. SPB Academic Publishing, The Hague, pp. 151–160
Kratz, W. (1998): The bait-lamina test. General aspects, applications and perspectives. Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 5, 94–96
Kula, C.;Römbke, J. (1998): Evaluation of soil ecotoxicity tests with functional endpoints for the risk assessment of plant protection products. Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 5, 55–66
Lenz, R.;Eisenbeis, G. (1998a): The vertical distribution of decomposition activity and of litter-colonizing nematodes in soils under different tillage. Pedobiologia 42, 193–204
Lenz, R.;Eisenbeis, G. (1998b): An extraction method for nematodes in decomposition studies using the minicontainer-method. Plant and Soil 198, 109–116
Olson, J.S. (1963): Energy storage and the balance of producers and decomposers in ecological systems. Ecology 44, 322–331
Paulus, R.;Römbke, J.;Ruf, A.;Beck, L. (1999): A comparison of the litterbag-, minicontainer-, and bait-lamina-methods in an ecotoxicological field experiment with diflubenzuron and Btk. Pedobiologia 43, 120–133
Rink, U. (1995): Container systems for estimating influence of earthworms on decomposition of soil litter. Acta Zool. Fennica 196, 87–89
Törne, E. von (1990a): Assessing feeding activities of soil-living animals I. Bait-lamina-tests. Pedobiologia 34, 89–101
Törne, E. von (1990b): Schätzungen von Freßaktivtäten bodenlebender Tiere II. Miniköder-Tests. Pedobiologia 34, 269–279
Vance, E.D.;Brookes, P.C.;Jenkinson, D.S. (1987): An extraction method for measuring soil microbial C. Soil Biol. Biochem. 19, 703–707
Wieder, R.K.;Lang, G.E. (1982): A critique of the analytical methods used in examining decomposition data obtained from litter bags. Ecology 63, 1636–1642
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eisenbeis, G., Lenz, R. & Heiber, T. Organic residue decomposition: The minicontainer-system a multifunctional tool in decomposition studies. Environ. Sci. & Pollut. Res. 6, 220–224 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987332
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987332