A step-by-step guide to leaf litter: helpful or harmful to soil?
Yard waste is something we are familiar with.Our beloved grass is at risk of being smothered by fallen leaves every year.There are hours of raking and bagging fallen leaves.There are leaves in the jungle that have an expiration date and have to go somewhere.Unlike our yards, there is no one to rake them up and haul them to the curb.Instead, a complex network of organisms has developed to break down the fallen leaves.
I was able to travel to the jungles of Costa Rica a long time ago.On my first visit to that primeval green landscape known as primary rainforest, I used a stick to pull back a thick layer of leaves that hugged the forest floor.It was somewhat expected and a surprise.I expected to see layers upon layers of leaves, about 10 inches thick, the uppermost layer intact, then decaying the further down I went until I arrived at a basement of rich, black earth.
I didn't expect to see so much life.The leaf litter was feasted upon by insects and arthropods.Centipedes and spiders made short work of the hapless bugs, while higher up, small lizards and Frogs hunted for prey.The Oophaga pumilio was my first wild dart frog and it was here that I encountered it.
I walked into my frog room after this trip and it looked a bit empty.The diversity of life I saw in the Neotropics was not supported by the thin layer of leaf litter in most tanks.Extra layers of leaf litter and new species of microfauna were added to the tanks over the next month.Due to the size of the enclosures, there was a limited population that the leaf litter could support.In order to keep the populations high, I began to experiment with feeding the vivaria.The origin of Josh's Frogs Clean Up Crew Cuisine and Bioactive Booster was here.
I could go on and on about the impact this trip had on my approach to animal keeping, and we all have things to do.Let's focus on leaf litter, what to use it for, and how to get the most out of it.
Some animals, such as many small arboreal geckos, may never interact directly with leaf litter in the wild, but it is present below them.Many species of poison dart frog have evolved to hunt their prey on top of leaf litter.Box turtles burrow into leaf litter to hide from the winter and emerge in the spring.Many of our pets are dependent on leaf litter.There is a good chance that it plays a significant role in their natural habitat if it does not.
There are many ways in which leaf litter can be used.In the enclosure, leaf litter is often used for multiple purposes.
Housing for many different organisms is provided by leaf litter.A lot of air pockets and voids can be found in a thick layer of leaf litter.Due to their flat shape, leaf litter has a lot of surface area to grow on.Larger voids can be used to shelter larger animals, which may be able to burrow into the leaf litter.These larger animals are the stars of our enclosures.
Everyone wants to feel safe, and our pets are no exception.It is possible to block your view of the tank inhabitants with leaf litter.It can make an enclosure seem larger to two tank inhabitants who are forced to spend their time in close proximity to one another.There are places to hide from your pets in leaf litter.It can be both good and bad, as it will take longer for your pet to scarf up its dinner, and feeders may be able to avoid being eaten altogether.
The leaf litter will help keep the soil moist.The tank inhabitants can burrow into the lower reaches of the tank to get a humid refuge.Springtails and isopods need high humidity to thrive.mulch in a flower bed and a healthy layer of leaf litter can help keep your plants watered.
Valuable flora and fauna can be found in the vivarium with the help of leaf litter.It can play an important role in the diet of many different types of microfauna.As leaf litter degrades into rich, organic soil, it becomes plant food.
A great addition to the bioactive enclosure is using different types of leaves.More voids are present in the mix because leaves are different shapes and sizes.It also means leaves will break down at different rates, providing a long lasting source of nutrition.
Since there isn't a tree in your tank to drop more of it, you'll have to step in and lend mother nature a hand.Add a thin layer of new leaves on top as the top layer breaks down.This will be every 6 months or so.Try to keep a layer of leaves.
New tanks should be planted with springtails and isopods.The vivarium should be kept clean so that the bugs can reproduce and remain healthy.Many animals will eat them, and some species are better than others.Every 3-4 months, I add new isopods to my vivaria.This keeps my tanks clean.
A new tank can be used to speed up the cycling of beneficial fungi.Microfauna populations can be kept high if CUC Cuisine is offered.
The article titled Natural Vivarium Substrate Recipes can be found here.