The Ecology of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems: An Overview

The decomposition of plant litter of terrestrial origin is a key process for the functioning of many stream ecosystems with notable relevance for global biogeochemical cycles. The process has received much attention in the literature but, since the iconic paper of Kaushik and Hynes (1971), we lack a comprehensive review of its patterns of variation and drivers. This book provides an updated compendium of the ecology of plant litter decomposition in streams, through 22 chapters grouped in four sections that focus on (I) the analysis of the patterns and drivers of decomposition, the importance of (II) biodiversity and (III) multiple aspects of global change, and (IV) the methodological approaches used to study litter decomposition and its applications. By summarizing decades of fruitful research, we hope this will be a reference textbook for ecologists and students that will stimulate further research and promote collaboration among researchers in this field.