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Leaf fall and litter disappearance in a tropical forest

This work investigates leaf-fall and litter disappearance in a tropical forest at Ibadan, Nigeria. Leaves fell throughout the year, but mainly during the dry season, when different tree species shed their leaves at different intervals. The annual rate of litter disappearance was high compared with temperate regions. Litter disappeared mainly during the wet season, owing largely to the activity of mites and Collembola. Numerous vertical earthworm casts were produced during the wet season, by Hyperiodrilus africanus (Beddard). These earthworms do not appear to consume the litter, unlike other ea…