Wood Block Decomposition 12 Month Mass Loss Assessment, Robson Creek SuperSite, Core 1 ha, 2018

The SuperSites wood block decomposition assessment is part of a global program looking at the influence of microbes and invertebrates on wood decay. A common protocol was developed exposing small (~400 cm3) pieces of a wood-substrate (untreated Pinus radiata) to the environment excluding and not-excluding macroinvertebrates (e.g. termites) by the use of a plastic mesh. This will provide baseline information on the relative rates of decomposition that can be ascribed to saprotrophic microbes and invertebrates in different ecosystems across Australia and the world. The use of a common wood substrate allows for direct comparison among studies.

SuperSites木块分解评估是一项全球研究计划的组成部分，该计划旨在探究微生物与无脊椎动物对木材腐朽的影响。研究团队制定了一套标准化实验方案：将体积约400 cm³的未处理辐射松（Pinus radiata）木材基质试件置于两种环境中，一组通过塑料网筛阻隔大型无脊椎动物（macroinvertebrates，如白蚁），另一组不设置此类阻隔。该实验将为全球及澳大利亚各地不同生态系统中，腐生微生物（saprotrophic microbes）与无脊椎动物各自驱动的木材相对分解速率提供基准数据。采用统一的木材基质，可保障不同研究间的直接可比性。