Plant detritus breakdown in the hyporheic zone of headwater streams: importance of fungal decomposers

摘要: In headwater streams, leaf litter decomposition constitutes a key ecosystem-level process. The objective of this thesis was to characterize in the hyporheic habitat quantify associated dynamics fungal and invertebrate decomposers together with effect abiotic factors, incorporate process into stream ecosystem perspective. Taken as whole, these findings suggest that functioning woodland ecosystems, largely based on trophic relationships carbon related occurring at sediment surface, should be reconsidered incorporation vertical dimension conceptualized by "hyporheologists". These results lead think out role aquatic hyphomycetes broader scale than water column alone, highlight crucial function zone, which up now remained mostly neglected regard.