Abstract
Arid areas are characterized by low and erratic precipitation, high day temperatures during the summer and low temperatures in winter, high erosive winds, high evaporative demand by the atmosphere, low organic matter and low moisture retention capacity of soils. These factors pose considerable difficulties for the survival and growth of microorganisms involved in the decomposition process. The problem is further accentuated since addition of organic matter to arid soils is limited due to heavy demands on straw for fodder and cow dung for fuel. As tree leaves are abundant and leaf fall is very common in desert regions, there is the possibility of using tree leaves to build up soil organic matter in this area.
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Tarafdar, J.C. (1999). Analysis of Tree Leaf Decomposition in Arid Soils. In: Linskens, H.F., Jackson, J.F. (eds) Analysis of Plant Waste Materials. Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, vol 20. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03887-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-03887-1_6
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