Descomposition by Cockroaches

Litter decomposition participates in soil turnover and nutrient cycling. Factors modifying decomposition rates are abiotic (i.e. microclimate), biotic (i.e. decomposer microbiota) and chemical (i.e. hardness of leaves). Insects which inhabit litter contribute to process by breaking or feeding on leaves or by scattering decomposer microbiota. In tropical forests Blattodea species feed on litter, afecting plant decomposition rates. In the sclerophyllous forest litter in Central Chile, Moluchia castanea Blanchard and M. brevipennis Saussure species (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) are abundant, however, their contribution to litter decomposition is unknown. During eight months (may 2015 to january 2016) the individual and joint effect by M. castanea y M. brevipennis on decomposition rates were assessed for two types of vegetal association by using litter bags. Coupled with this, temperature, humidity, pH and luminosity was evaluated for each area and results were analyzed by using repeated measures ANOVA. Though litter from most hydrophilic association decomposed at greater rate, results show that cockroaches species neither affects, together nor individually, litter decomposition rates, in spite of being abundant in both substrata. Differences between vegetal associations on descomposition rates would not be explained by microclimatic differences between environments, but by chemical quality of leaves. Based on results, cockroaches role on litter of sclerophyllous forest in Central Chile is discussed.