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.