Methods to Study Litter Decomposition A Practical Guide - Graça, Manuel A.S.; Bärlocher, Felix; Gessner, Mark O.; SpringerLink (Online service) (Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands : Imprint: Springer, 2005)
Litter Dynamics -- Litter Input -- Leaf Retention -- Manipulation of Stream Retentiveness -- Coarse Benthic Organic Matter -- Leaching -- Leaf Mass Loss Estimated by Litter Bag Technique -- Coarse Particulate Organic Matter Budgets -- Leaf Chemical And Physical Properties -- Determination of Total Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Leaf Litter -- Total Protein -- Free Amino Acids -- Determination of Total Carbohydrates -- Determination of Soluble Carbohydrates -- Total Lipids -- Total Phenolics -- Radial Diffusion Assay for Tannins -- Acid Butanol Assay for Proanthocyanidins (Condensed Tannins) -- Proximate Lignin and Cellulose -- Leaf Toughness -- Microbial Decomposers -- Techniques for Handling Ingoldian Fungi -- Maintenance of Aquatic Hyphomycete Cultures -- An Illustrated Key to the Common Temperate Species of Aquatic Hyphomycetes -- Molecular Approaches to Estimate Fungal Diversity. I. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) -- Molecular Approaches to Estimate Fungal Diversity. II. Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) -- Sporulation by Aquatic Hyphomycetes -- Ergosterol as a Measure of Fungal Biomass -- Acetate Incorporation into Ergosterol to Determine Fungal Growth Rates and Production -- Bacterial Counts and Biomass Determination by Epifluorescence Microscopy -- Secondary Production and Growth of Litter-Associated Bacteria -- Isolation of Cellulose-Degrading Bacteria -- Extraction and Quantification of ATP as a Measure of Microbial Biomass -- Respirometry -- Enzymatic Capabilities -- Extractellular Fungal Hydrolytic Enzyme Activity -- Cellulases -- Viscosimetric Determination of Endocellulase Activity -- Fluorometric Determination of the Activity of ?-Glucosidase and Other Extracellular Hydrolytic Enzymes -- Pectin-Degrading Enzymes: Polygalacturonase and Pectin Lyase -- Lignin-Degrading Enzymes: Phenoloxidase and Peroxidase -- Phenol Oxidation -- Proteinase Activity: Azocoll and Thin-Layer Enzyme Assay -- Detritivorous Consumers -- Maintenance of Shredders in the Laboratory -- Feeding Preferences -- Data Analysis -- Biodiversity -- A Primer for Statistical Analysis.
Keywords: Ecology .; Plant ecology; Sedimentology; Ecosystems; Microbial ecology; Microbiology; Ecology; Plant Ecology; Sedimentology; Ecosystems; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology