<p>Biomass tend to be superior, however it's gone fast. Tropical moist forests have <a href="https://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1200/indonesia/indonesia_sulawesi_170358.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">little</a> leaf litter, because of the climate and humidity; dead organic litter <a href="https://www.sidmartinbio.org/how-the-tropical-forest-decomposition-rate-is-more-than-temperate-forest/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">decomposes</a> fairly fast. These organisms thrive in the warm, moist environment and it's seldom dry, so fungi proliferate uninpuned and are able to decompose organic matter very rapidly. Waste that would typically take one year to decompose in a regular temperate forest would decompose within six weeks in the tropics.</p>
<p>In the tropics, leaves fallen will dissappear in six weeks.
Temperate: one year
cooler range temperate: 2-3 years
Cold boreal region: Decades
Mediterranean climate: Periodic Fire deals with aiding decomposition</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-06T15:24:58.260Z
thank you very much!
Hennadii Madan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-05T07:51:17.317Z
2022-02-05T07:51:17.317Z
LazyReader
<p>I want to run an experiment: collect leafs in forests to try to stabilize them and prevent from rotting and emitting greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>I live in an area with temperate deciduous forest and have a fair idea of annual leaf litter production.</p>
<p>But how does that compare to tropical deciduous forest (and any other forest for that matter)?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-10T13:00:12.713Z
So, you want to take valuable biomass out of the system in order to stabilize the system? Sounds like a bad idea to me, at least in tropical forests, but hey...
Erik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-11T09:09:30.727Z
@Erik Totally agree. The goal is to stabilize the litter, not the forest system, the system will inevitably change, but "the hope" is that the producing part will not be damaged much. My reasoning is this: 1. We have old trees in old parks, where all the fallen leafs are collected and taken away, so at least for some species it's OK not to have litter decompose in the soil nearby. 2. We can replace some of the nutrients lost by manure or other fertilizer.
Hennadii Madan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-11T09:18:30.907Z
Geoengineering, even on such a small scale, is always a bad idea, since we know shit about feedbacks and tipping points.
Erik
<climate-change><forest>
Is there more leaf litter in tropical decisuous forests or temperate deciduous forests
Hennadii Madan
# Is there more leaf litter in tropical decisuous forests or temperate deciduous forests

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-03)

I want to run an experiment: collect leafs in forests to try to stabilize them and prevent from rotting and emitting greenhouse gases.

I live in an area with temperate deciduous forest and have a fair idea of annual leaf litter production.

But how does that compare to tropical deciduous forest (and any other forest for that matter)?

**Tags:** climate-change, forest

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: So, you want to take valuable biomass out of the system in order to stabilize the system? Sounds like a bad idea to me, at least in tropical forests, but hey...  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Totally agree. The goal is to stabilize the litter, not the forest system, the system will inevitably change, but "the hope" is that the producing part will not be damaged much. My reasoning is this: 1. We have old trees in old parks, where all the fallen leafs are collected and taken away, so at least for some species it's OK not to have litter decompose in the soil nearby. 2. We can replace some of the nutrients lost by manure or other fertilizer.  
> **username_1**: Geoengineering, even on such a small scale, is always a bad idea, since we know shit about feedbacks and tipping points.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-02-05. Score: 1

Biomass tend to be superior, however it's gone fast. Tropical moist forests have [little](https://mongabay-images.s3.amazonaws.com/1200/indonesia/indonesia_sulawesi_170358.jpg) leaf litter, because of the climate and humidity; dead organic litter [decomposes](https://www.sidmartinbio.org/how-the-tropical-forest-decomposition-rate-is-more-than-temperate-forest/) fairly fast. These organisms thrive in the warm, moist environment and it's seldom dry, so fungi proliferate uninpuned and are able to decompose organic matter very rapidly. Waste that would typically take one year to decompose in a regular temperate forest would decompose within six weeks in the tropics.

In the tropics, leaves fallen will dissappear in six weeks.
Temperate: one year
cooler range temperate: 2-3 years
Cold boreal region: Decades
Mediterranean climate: Periodic Fire deals with aiding decomposition

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thank you very much!  

---

