Water effect on Rebudia Pinata decomposition and microarthropod population in Negev desert

The effects of supplemental water and natural rainfall on the density of microarthropods in soil and litter and on the rates of decomposition of Rebudia pinata were studied in three habitats (loess plain, hill slope, and hill top) of the Negev Desert. There were significant differences in decomposition rates in mass losses between the watered and control plots at loess plain and hill slope location during the treatment period. No significant differences in mass loss were obtained during the dry period. Microarthropods exhibited numerical response in density to supplemental rainfall. These results suggest that a linkage exists between rain events, decomposition, and microarthropod activity.