A student measures decomposition rate by burying mesh bags of dried oak leaves at three sites: a tropical rainforest, a temperate forest, and an arctic tundra. After six months, bags are recovered, oven-dried, and re-weighed. Percent mass loss is calculated as the dependent variable.
Which site is predicted to show the greatest mass loss, and why?
- Acheck_circle
Tropical rainforest, due to high temperature and moisture supporting decomposers
- B
Tundra, due to slow microbial growth
- C
Temperate forest, due to neutral soil pH
- D
All three should be the same
Explanation
Decomposition rate scales with temperature and moisture, both of which are highest in tropical rainforests, supporting fast microbial and fungal activity. Tundra is slowest due to cold and frozen soil.