The following protocol for DECOTAB preparation and deployment has been adopted from Kampfraath et al. (2012).
The standard composition (described in section 3.1 standard DECOTAB preparation, step 3) can be altered by exchanging cellulose for natural organic matter (1) or plant litter (2), or by adding specific substances (3) to the DECOTABs. A number of example procedures for alternative DECOTAB types are described below, but other combinations or options are also possible.
Dry DECOTABs at 40 - 50 ºC for 2 days, and weigh on analytical balance to determine final DECOTAB dry mass.
Decomposition rates can be calculated as a function of time by the exponential decay model (k). Alternatively, microbial decomposition and invertebrate consumption can be estimated as a function of time by a linear mass loss model:
Microbial Decomposition (MD) = (Di - Df) / t
Invertebrate Consumption (IC) = ((Di - D) / t) - MD
In which microbial decomposition (MD) for each DECOTAB type (mg) is the difference between the weight of the initial DECOTAB (Di) and the weight of the corresponding DECOTAB deployed in fine mesh bags (Df) at the end of the exposure period. In the field, invertebrate consumption (IC) for each DECOTAB type (mg) is the difference between the weight of the initial DECOTAB (Di) and the weight of the corresponding DECOTAB deployed in coarse mesh bags (Dc) at the end of the exposure period, and subtract the mass loss of the DECOTAB in the fine mesh bags (MD). Results can be expressed as mg dry mass loss over the deployment time (t) (e.g. in days).
Hunting, E. R., Vonk, J. A., Musters, C. J. M., Kraak, M. H., & Vijver, M. G. (2016). Effects of agricultural practices on organic matter degradation in ditches. Scientific Reports, 6, 21474.
Kampfraath, A. A., Hunting, E. R., Mulder, C., Breure, A. M., Gessner, M. O., Kraak, M. H., & Admiraal, W. (2012). DECOTAB: a multipurpose standard substrate to assess effects of litter quality on microbial decomposition and invertebrate consumption. Freshwater Science, 31(4), 1156-1162.
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