Open AccessLitter decomposition by slugs in mixed deciduous woodland
Author(s) -
Jennings T. J.,
Barkham J. P.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
ecography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.973
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1600-0587
pISSN - 0906-7590
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0587.1979.tb00678.x
Subject(s) - plant litter , litter , fauna , dry weight , biology , woodland , deciduous , zoology , botany , feces , ecology , horticulture , ecosystem
For the one year period considered, it is calculated that 683.5 g m ‐2 plant litter entered the study area site. Of the six slugs studied, Arion intermedius Normand, the smallest species, had the highest overall consumption rate on the nine test foods (29.1 ± 0.9 mg dry wt g live wt ‐1 d ‐1 ) and the highest overall mean assimilation efficiency (72.0 + 0.9%). The mean faecal production for each of the six slug species was very similar, ranging from 8.4 to 9.9 mg dry wt g live wt ‐1 d ‐1 . Using regression equations of food consumed on faeces produced, it is estimated that the slug fauna each year consumes 8.4% of the leaf litter input and 6.5% of the total available plant litter. Of the plant material consumed, 13.8 g dry wt m ‐2 are deposited annually as faeces. The role of slugs in decomposition processes is discussed and compared with that of other soil organisms.