본 연구에서는 열대우림인 브루나이 MDF와 PSF의 주요 수종 (D. aromatic, D. rappa, C. arborescens)을 대상으로 초기 분해 단계의 수종별 질량 감소율과 탄질율의 변화를 파악하였다. 2019년 5월에 총 48개의 고사목 시료 (15 cm×4.8 cm×5 cm)를 산림 지표면에 배치하고 16개월 후 수거하였다. 분해 전 수종별 고사목의 밀도 (g cm-3)는 0.64±0.01 (D. aromatic), 0.60±0.00 (D. rappa), 0.44±0.02 (C. arborescens) 등이었으며, 16개월 동안 수종별 연간 질량 감소율 (%)은 6.37 (D. aromatic), 8.17 (D. rappa), 18.53 (C. arborescens) 등으로 나타났다. 부후등급은 C. arborescens에 서 III등급이 약 25%로 높았으며 흰개미의 분해 흔적이 나타났다. 한편, 16개월 후 탄질율은 D. aromatic과 D. rappa에 서 통계적으로 유의하게 감소하였으나, C. arborescens에서는 감소하는 경향이 유의하지 않았다. 이러한 연구 결과는 열대우림 내 고사목의 초기 분해는 밀도와 같은 수종의 물리적 특성에 따라 차이가 나타날 수 있으며, 주요 분해자의 유형에 따라 탄질율의 변화에도 상대적으로 차이가 있을 수 있음을 시사하는 것이다.
This study was conducted to determine the mass-loss rates and the changes in carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio of dead woods, which were of following species: Dryobalanops aromatic, D. rappa, and Cratoxylum arborescens. These were dominant tree species in mixed Dipterocarp forests (MDF) and peat swamp forests (PSF) in Brunei Darussalam. In May, 2019, 48 dead wood samples (15 cm×4.8 cm×5 cm) were placed in MDF and PSF sites, and all the samples were collected after 16 months. The effects of species on mass loss were statistically significant (p<0.05); however, no difference was observed in the mass loss obtained from the two forest types (p>0.05). The initial density (g·cm-3) of the dead woods D. aromatic, D. rappa, and C. arborescens, was 0.64±0.02, 0.60±0.00, and 0.44±0.01, respectively. Also the annual mass loss rate (%) was estimated to be 6.37, 8.17, and 18.53 for D. aromatic, D. rappa, and C. arborescens, respectively. The proportion of dead woods in decay class III was only 25% of C. arborescens samples, which were attacked by wood-feeding invertebrates, such as termites. The C/N ratio decreased significantly in D. aromatic and D. rappa, but the decreasing trend of C/N ratio was not statistically significant in C. arborescens. The results indicate that physical traits of dead woods, such as density, could be one of the main factors causing the decomposition of dead woods initially, as invertebrates such as termites are one of the key decomposers of dead wood in tropical rainforests. In the samples of C. arborescens, which was attacked by invertebrates, nitrogen immobilization occurred to lesser extent as compared to that observed in D. aromatic and D. rappa.