Ecological Archives E094-144-A1

Aaron B. Stoler, Rick A. Relyea. 2013. Leaf litter quality induces morphological and developmental changes in larval amphibians. Ecology 94:1594–1603. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/12-2087.1

Appendix A. Details on litter chemical analyses.

All chemical analyses were performed in triplicate after grinding dried litter using a Wiley mill. To determine total N, samples were sent to the University of Georgia Isotope Laboratory and analyzed with a CHN analyzer. The percentage of total phenolics was determined by spectrophotometry using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent after extraction in 70% acetone (Graça et al. 2008). The percentage of total lignin was determined via carbon fractionation using water and ethanol to remove soluble components followed by acid digestion to remove cellulose and hemicellulose (Moorhead and Reynolds 1993).

Literature Cited

Graça, M. A. S., F. Bärlocher, and M. O. Gessner. 2008. Methods to study litter decomposition: a practical guide. Springer, New York, New York, USA.

Moorhead, D. L., and J. R. Reynolds. 1993. Changing carbon chemistry of buried creosote bush litter during decomposition in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. American Midland Naturalist 130:83–89.


[Back to E094-144]