Macroinvertebrate assemblages associated to break down the process of native and exotic plant leaves in a rain forest stream

The research investigates the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages involved in the decomposition of Ficus maxima and Bambusa vulgaris leaves in a rainforest stream. Over 24 days, meshed bags containing leaves were placed in the stream, with chemical variables measured at each recovery. The study employed Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) to analyze assemblage differences over time and between leaf types, revealing significant insights into the ecological interactions during leaf breakdown, despite a 17% stress level in the NMDS results.