Litter decomposition and soluble carbon, nitrogen, and. Indirectly, climate could affect litter decomposition by interacting with plant physiology and nutrient resorption thus modulating the chemical composition of plant litter at its formative stages suseela and tharayil, 2018. However, the processes of litter decomposition and som stabilization are often considered separate sollins et al. K och1 1northern arizona university, department of biological sciences and merriam powell center for environmental research, flagstaff, arizona 86011 usa. Thus, plant litter, consisting of dead roots, is a major source of soil organic matter, the largest terrestrial pool of c schmidt et al. Plant litter decomposition is a key process in terrestrial carbon cycling, yet the relative importance of various control factors remains ambiguous at a global scale. Leaf litter decomposition is the physical and chemical breakdown of dead plant material, a key ecosystem process that provides energy for microbial growth, releases nutrients for plant growth, influences ecosystem carbon c storage, and thus may have a longterm effect on the climate chapin et al.
Traditionally, studies of litter decomposition have. Wardle1 1department of forest ecology and management, swedish university of agricultural sciences, se90183 umea. Litter decomposition an overview sciencedirect topics. Pdf plant, fungal, bacterial, and nitrogen interactions.
Initial soil table 1 and litter materials table 2 were. Pdf a plant economics spectrum of litter decomposition. In addition to litter quality, other factors affect decomposition including moisture, temperature, soil nutrient availability, and particle size. The origin of litter chemical complexity during decomposition.
Sep 29, 2011 plant litter decomposition, a major driver of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, controls the provision of fundamental ecosystem services such as soil formation, nutrient availability and atmospheric composition, with feedback to vegetation composition. Pdf the role of plant litter in driving plantsoil feedbacks. T he quantity and quality of detrital inputs to soil regulate the rate at which microbial. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituent nutrients are added to the top layer of soil, commonly known as the litter layer or o horizon o for. Whether the effects of moisture and plant species traits are mutually reinforcing or counteracting during decomposi. Litter quality and decomposition variables for litter of forest understorey plant species reduced by browsing mammals. A new conceptual model on the fate and controls of fresh and. We demonstrated that our local pes has important afterlife effects on carbon turnover by driving coordinated decomposition rates of different organs across species. This legacy effect of predation on soil community function appears to be regulated by the amount of herbivore protein entering the soil. Klopatek,1,3 and carole coe klopatek2 1department of plant biology, arizona state university, tempe, arizona 852871601 usa 2usda forest service, 0 department of microbiology, arizona state university, tempe, arizona 85287. Plantmicrobial interactions in the litter layer represent one of the most relevant interactions for biogeochemical cycling as litter decomposition is a key first step in carbon and nitrogen turnover. Litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient release patterns in four native tree species raised on coal mine spoil at singrauli, india.
Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter. Jackson,3 and amilcare porporato 1,4 1civil and environmental engineering department, duke university, 121 hudson hall, box 90287, durham, north carolina 277080287 usa. Carbon cycling during litter decomposition includes c loss to the atmosphere as co 2 emissions and input to belowground organic pools 6. A plant economics spectrum of litter decomposition among coexisting fern species in a subtropical forest article pdf available in annals of botany 1251 october 2019 with 166 reads. Dec 04, 2014 leaf litter decomposition rates were a positive linear function of mat, causing the residence time of leaf litter on the forest floor to decline by. A new conceptual model on the fate and controls of fresh.
In contrast to n, litter legacies appeared to be much less important for c decomposition, suggesting that legacy effects might uncouple contemporary c and n dynamics. Litter decomposition plays a vital part in the nutrient budget of a forest ecosystem, where. To date, much of the research emphasis has been to understand the direct effect of climate on the rate of decomposition. Pdf litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient release. Thesis presented for the degree of doctor of philosophy. Plant litter decomposition and nutrient release in peatlands luca bragazza,1 alexandre buttler,2,3,4 andy siegenthaler,2 and edward a. The chemical complexity of decomposing plant litter is a central feature shaping the terrestrial carbon c cycle, but explanations of the origin of this complexity remain contentious. The influence of litter quality, fungi and invertebrate. California waste mgmt bulletin bananaorange peel 25 weeks cotton rag 15 months cigarette butt 15 years wool clothing 15 years plasticcoated paper 5 years plastic bag 1020 years painted wooden stake years. Plant chemical characteristics, including high concentrations of polyphenols and lignins, are known to slow litter decomposition melillo and.
The effects of plant secondary metabolites from coniferous. After collection, litter was placed in paper bags, air dried at room temperature and cut into pieces of 1 to 2cm square. Given the important role of litter decomposition to c storage and tree nutrition, it is important to quantify litter decomposition rates for accurate characterization of forest carbon dynamics. Plant litter decomposition and nutrient release in peatlands. Melanization of mycorrhizal fungal necromass structures. Leaf litter decomposition rates increase with rising mean. Stoichiometric controls on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in decomposing litter stefano manzoni, 1 john a. Environmental factors and traits that drive plant litter decomposition do not determine home. Fear of predation slows plant litter decomposition dror hawlena,1,2 michael s. Our estimate of the q 10 temperature coefficient for leaf litter decomposition was 2. Schmitz1 aboveground consumers are believed to affect ecosystem functioning by regulating the quantity and quality of plant litter entering the soil. Plant litter decomposition, humus formation, carbon. Investigating the effects of litter quality and precipitation on litter decomposition in a lowland tropical rain forest receiving 5000 mmyr precipitation.
Aboveground plant litter decomposition is a key component of carbon c and nutrients cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, generating products such as co 2 and microbially processed or partially decomposedorganicmatter om thatconnectsaboveground plant production to both the atmosphere and soils. This con ceptualization is consistent with our focus on relation ships between plant litter quality, plant litter input rate, and the amount of physicochemically stabilized soc in the mineral soil matrix. Nonnative plant litter enhances soil carbon dioxide. Litter decomposition is defined as a process resulting from the activity of decomposer microorganisms on plant litter and it is strongly influenced by environmental conditions cotrufo et al. The objectives of this study were to quantify the aboveground and belowground decomposition and nutrient release of two cover crops, hairy. Highly consistent effects of plant litter identity and. Linkages between plant litter decomposition, litter. Contrasting effects of plant species traits and moisture on. Since the publication of the 2 nd edition, there have been substantial developments in the field of litter decomposition. Leaching and freezethaw events contribute to litter.
Litter decomposition research has focused on the effects of litter quality on shortterm mineralization and nutrient release parton et al. Fear of predation slows plantlitter decomposition dror. This fully revised and updated 3 rd edition of plant litter reflects and discusses new findings and reevaluates earlier ones in light of recent research and with regard to current areas of investigation the availability of several longterm studies allows a more indepth. Mitchell2,5,6 decomposition of plant litter is a crucial process in controlling the carbon balance of peatlands. A plant economics spectrum of litter decomposability. In contrast, we predicted that n deposition 28 would stimulate decomposition by relieving n limitation of decomposers and improving plant 29 litter quality.
Litter decomposition in grasslands of central north america. To date, knowledge of the microbial communities involved in fungal necromass decomposition has been limited by a lack of appreci. Methods for estimating litter decomposition springerlink. Heterotrophic metabolism, facilitated through comminution by small insects and leaching during precipitation events, results in the release of plant litter carbon as co 2 into the atmosphere. The method involves placing a known mass of plant litter into fiberglass net bags 20 x 20 cm, collecting the bags at monthly intervals, and measuring weight loss over time. In the us great plains, aboveground litter quality is inversely related to rainfall murphy et al. P content important control over decomposition rates. Litter decomposition supplies nutrients to the soil solution, which renders them available for plant and soil microbial uptake. Abstract plant litter decomposition is a key process in terrestrial carbon cycling, yet the relative importance of various control factors remains ambiguous at a global scale. Vegetation effects on soil organic matter chemistry of.
The balance between litter inputs and heterotrophic litter decomposition influences the amount of carbon stored in the forest floor. How does litter chemistry change during decomposition, and what roles do decomposers play in these changes. If you wish to distribute this article to others, you can order highquality copies for your following the guidelines here. Sep 29, 2011 we measured all plant parts for the same green and litter plant economics traits and identified a whole. Chapter methods for estimating litter decomposition.
We uncovered a pathway whereby terrestrial predators. Longterm intersite experiments indicate that temperature and moisture influence early rates of litter decomposition primarily by determining the plants present, suggesting that climate change effects will be small unless they alter the plant forms present. Litterfall, plant litter, leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, or duff, is dead plant material such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes that have fallen to the ground. Leaf litter decomposition is one of the key factors affecting material cycling and energy flow in an ecosystem, and it also plays an important role in influencing the supply of nutrients and the composition of soil organic matter in forests. However, while higher litter decomposition rates may. New evidence suggests that 639 % of c loss during leaf litter decay enters the soil in the form of.
Test hypothesisprecipitation driven dissolved organic matter dom fluxes are a significant litter mass loss vector. The influence of litter quality, fungi and invertebrate decomposers on litter decomposition in a mediterraneanclimate ecosystem. Fine root decomposition rates do not mirror those of aboveground plant litter in temperate ecosystems bird. Weisser,4 and stefan scheu 2 1nerc centre for population biology, division of biology, imperial college, silwood park, ascot sl57py united kingdom. The microbial efficiencymatrix stabilization mems framework. Fear of predation slows plant litter decomposition this copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. Factors controlling decomposition rates of fine root litter. Litter decomposition processes involve c transfers between plant litter and the soil ecosystem at the litter soil interface 6,15. Indeed, as long as the rate of litter decomposition remains lower than.
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