As described in the previous SimU Text Decomposition lab, leaf decomposition is complex. Leaves from different species of trees contain different chemical components, and leaves of some species decompose more quickly than do leaves of other species. For instance, some leaves will contain more lignin, an important organic compound that resists decomposition, One question that we hope to address with our decomposition study is whether decomposition rates are different across the five plots. All plots have the same climate, but presumably the topographic gradient in which the plots were laid out created somewhat gradual changes in soil moisture and nutrients. Plot 1 had saturated, anaerobic soils, while the other plots had drier, aerobic soils. We would like to compare decomposition rates across all five plots, whereby differences measured in decomposition are caused strictly by differences inạthe plots. Leaf material inside all litter bags should be as identical as possible to reduce variability among samples. The ecology instructors gathered fresh fallen leaves from the forest floor for use in litter bags. All leaves were placed inside the same bucket and then mixed together. Approximately, an equal volume of fresh leaves was placed inside each litter bag and litter bags were placed on the mineral soil of each of the five plots along our transect at Sampson's Landing. An equal mass (weight) of leaves should be placed inside each litter bag to ensure that, under identical environmental conditions, all litter bags would decompose at the same rate. Litter bags can be made with either fresh or dry leaves. Water content of leaves can vary considerably, depending on plant species, leaf age, rainfall, and other factors, To determine the initial dry mass of leaf materials inside litter bags, the instructors used two "control samples! Each control sample was obtained by removing an equal volume of fresh leaves from the bucket. Control samples were taken to the ecology lab and weighed on an electronic balance. This weight is the wet mass for each sample. To remove all moisture, the control samples were placed overnight in a drying oven. This gives us the dry mass of the control. Once the litter bags were collected after 3 weeks, they were dried to determine the dry mass for each of the litter bags. 2 pts Question 1 If the average initial wet mass of leaves in the control samples was 9.51 grams and the average initial dry mass of leaves in the control samples was 4.54 grams, calculate the percentage moisture content of the fresh leaves using the following formula: DryMass - Wet Mass x 100 = Percent MoistureContent The percent moisture content of the fresh leaves is 209% 48% O 20.9% O 4.8%