Science University Research Symposium (SURS)
Publication Date
Winter 11-10-2025
College
College of Sciences & Mathematics
Department
Biology, Department of
SURS Faculty Advisor
Darlene Panvini
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Decomposition is the process by which dead organic matter is broken down by bacteria and fungi. Leaves are a prominent form of organic matter that decomposes and enriches soil by returning nutrients. In this experiment, chive and primrose leaves were investigated. Chive leaves are thinner and softer, while primrose leaves are thicker and more dense, supporting our hypothesis that Chive leaf litter will decompose faster than primrose leaf litter because chives have a lower lignin content and are structurally narrower, making them easier to decompose. For this experiment, we placed around 4 grams of both species into a series of 4 groups of porous wire gridded leaf litter bags on the 5th floor green roof of the Janet Ayres Building in 4 separate locations to allow natural decomposition to take place through physical breakdown, chemical leaching, and microbial activity. Every 3 weeks, we collected 4 leaf bags, which were dried and re-weighed to determine mass loss as an indicator of decomposition rate. Our results showed that the chives decomposed much faster than the primrose, and the primrose did not fully decompose since we started the litter bags, while all the chives had fully decomposed.
Recommended Citation
Fortney, Tatum P.; Panvini, Darlene; Aklile, Kidist; Mackay, Matty; and Kap, Solomon, "The effect of leaf composition and structure on decomposition rates in Primula sp. and Allium schoenoparsum" (2025). Science University Research Symposium (SURS). 254.
https://repository.belmont.edu/surs/254
