Litter Decomposition Study (Avicenniaofficinalis) with the Help of Soil Arthropods w.r.f to Nayachar Island, West Bengal, India

Avicennia officinalis is the most common mangroves species in Nayachar Island (Latitude 21⁰58’33’’ and longitude 88⁰ 04’54’’). This species tends to occupy the inner parts of the Island and is the most abundant mangrove. This study presents the decomposition rate for Avicennia officinalis leaf litter throughout the year. It also quantifies physic-chemical factors along with microarthropds population abundance throughout the decomposition process. Soil microarthropods help ecosystem functioning by way of imparting important role in food-chain, food-web system vis-à-vis in tropic relationships and also help nutrient cycling as decomposer. The present study attempt to analysis of soil microarthropods population extracted from mangroves litters under the process of decomposition over an interval period of 3 months throughout the year to investigate successional development of soil microarthropods population, species composition and tropic relationships of soil microarthropods communities in relation to changing ecological parameters of Avicennia officinalis during different phase of decomposition.