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Marchand T, Pey B, Pautot C, Lecerf A. Mechanical traits as drivers of trophic interaction between macrodetritivores and leaf litter. Oecologia 2024; 204:641-651. [PMID: 38472472 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05515-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
In ecosystems, the rates of resource consumption by animals drive the flows of matter and energy. Consumption rates are known to vary according to consumer energy requirements, resource nutrient content and mechanical properties. The aim of our study is to determine how mechanical constraints, compared to energetic and nutritional constraints, explain the variation in leaf litter consumption rates by macrodetritivores. In particular, we focus on the impact of litter toughness. To this end, we propose a non-linear model describing leaf litter consumption rates of detritivore as a function of litter toughness. We also investigate a possible match between bite force and litter toughness, since consumer-resource co-occurrence is thought to be driven by the match between invertebrate mandibular traits and resource toughness. Our study was designed as follows: leaf litter from oak and hornbeam was exposed to field physical and microbial decomposition in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems for selected time periods before it was offered to eight macrodetritivore taxa (three forest stream taxa and five forest soil taxa) in no-choice laboratory feeding experiments. Our findings show that, compared to energetic and nutritional constraints, mechanical traits have a greater impact on litter consumption rate by detritivores. After subtracting the contribution of the detritivore body mass, we report that litter consumption rates depend primarily on litter toughness. A sigmoid function is best suited to characterize the relationship between mass-independent consumption rate and litter toughness. We note that the parameters of our sigmoid model are taxon-specific, suggesting biomechanical thresholds and biological differences among taxa. Interestingly, we found no correlation with detritivore bite force, suggesting that food processing by detritivores does not only depend on mandibles strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Marchand
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France.
| | - Benjamin Pey
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Corinne Pautot
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Antoine Lecerf
- Laboratoire Écologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
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2
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Njoroge DM, Dossa GGO, Ye L, Lin X, Schaefer D, Tomlinson K, Zuo J, Cornelissen JHC. Fauna access outweighs litter mixture effect during leaf litter decomposition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160190. [PMID: 36402317 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Decomposition rates of litter mixtures reflect the combined effects of litter species diversity, litter quality, decomposers, their interactions with each other and with the environment. The outcomes of those interactions remain ambiguous and past studies have reported conflicting results (e.g., litter mixture richness effects). To date, how litter diversity and soil fauna interactions shape litter mixture decomposition remains poorly understood. Through a sixteen month long common garden litter decomposition experiment, we tested these interaction effects using litterbags of three mesh sizes (micromesh, mesomesh, and macromesh) to disentangle the contributions of different fauna groups categorized by their size at Wuhan botanical garden (subtropical climate). We examined the decomposition of five single commonly available species litters and their full 26 mixtures combination spanning from 2 to 5 species. In total, 2325 litterbags were incubated at the setup of the experiment and partly harvested after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 16 months after exposure to evaluate the mass loss and the combined effects of soil fauna and litter diversity. We predicted that litter mixture effects should increase with increased litter quality dissimilarity, and soil fauna should enhance litter (both single species litter and litter mixtures) decomposition rate. Litter mass loss ranged from 26.9 % to 87.3 %. Soil fauna access to litterbags accelerated mass loss by 29.8 % on average. The contribution of soil mesofauna did not differ from that of soil meso- and macrofauna. Incubation duration and its interactions with litter quality dissimilarities together with soil fauna determined the litter mixture effect. Furthermore, the litter mixture effect weakened as the decomposition progresses. Faunal contribution was broadly additive to the positive mixture effect irrespective of litter species richness or litter dissimilarity. This implies that combining the dissimilarity of mixture species and contributions of different soil fauna provides a more comprehensive understanding of mixed litter decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Mburu Njoroge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Gbadamassi G O Dossa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, Menglun 666303, China.
| | - Luping Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; University of Chinese Academy of sciences (UCAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Douglas Schaefer
- Centre for Mountain Futures, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Kyle Tomlinson
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Yunnan 666303, China
| | - Juan Zuo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, Menglun 666303, China.
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, A-LIFE, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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3
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Liu J, Ding C, Zhang W, Wei Y, Zhou Y, Zhu W. Litter mixing promoted decomposition rate through increasing diversities of phyllosphere microbial communities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1009091. [PMID: 36425041 PMCID: PMC9678933 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1009091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Decomposition of forest litter is an essential process for returning nutrients to the soil, which is crucial for preserving soil fertility and fostering the regular biological cycle and nutrient balance of the forest ecosystem. About 70% of the land-based forest litter is made up primarily of leaf litter. However, research on the complex effects and key determinants of leaf litter decomposition is still lacking. In this study, we examined the characteristics of nutrient release and microbial diversity structure during the decomposition of three types of litter in arid and semi-arid regions using 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing technology as well as nutrient content determination. It was revealed that the nutrient content and rate of decomposition of mixed litters were significantly different from those of single species. Following litter mixing, the richness and diversity of the microbial community on leaves significantly increased. It was determined that there was a significant correlation between bacterial diversity and content (Total N, Total P, N/P, and C/P). This study provided a theoretical framework for investigating the decomposition mechanism of mixed litters by revealing the microbial mechanism of mixed decomposition of litters from the microbial community and nutrient levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Liu
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Tieling, China
| | - Changjun Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Changjun Ding,
| | - Weixi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Yawei Wei
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Tieling, China
| | - Yongbin Zhou
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China
- Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Tieling, China
| | - Wenxu Zhu
- College of Forestry, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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4
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Yue K, De Frenne P, Van Meerbeek K, Ferreira V, Fornara DA, Wu Q, Ni X, Peng Y, Wang D, Heděnec P, Yang Y, Wu F, Peñuelas J. Litter quality and stream physicochemical properties drive global invertebrate effects on instream litter decomposition. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:2023-2038. [PMID: 35811333 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Plant litter is the major source of energy and nutrients in stream ecosystems and its decomposition is vital for ecosystem nutrient cycling and functioning. Invertebrates are key contributors to instream litter decomposition, yet quantification of their effects and drivers at the global scale remains lacking. Here, we systematically synthesized data comprising 2707 observations from 141 studies of stream litter decomposition to assess the contribution and drivers of invertebrates to the decomposition process across the globe. We found that (1) the presence of invertebrates enhanced instream litter decomposition globally by an average of 74%; (2) initial litter quality and stream water physicochemical properties were equal drivers of invertebrate effects on litter decomposition, while invertebrate effects on litter decomposition were not affected by climatic region, mesh size of coarse-mesh bags or mycorrhizal association of plants providing leaf litter; and (3) the contribution of invertebrates to litter decomposition was greatest during the early stages of litter mass loss (0-20%). Our results, besides quantitatively synthesizing the global pattern of invertebrate contribution to instream litter decomposition, highlight the most significant effects of invertebrates on litter decomposition at early rather than middle or late decomposition stages, providing support for the inclusion of invertebrates in global dynamic models of litter decomposition in streams to explore mechanisms and impacts of terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric carbon fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Yue
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China.,Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Verónica Ferreira
- MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Dario A Fornara
- Davines Group-Rodale Institute European Regenerative Organic Center (EROC), Via Don Angelo Calzolari 55/a, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Qiqian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, 311300, China
| | - Xiangyin Ni
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Yan Peng
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China.,Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, 1958, Denmark
| | - Dingyi Wang
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Petr Heděnec
- Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030, Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.,Agritec Plant Research Ltd., Zemědělská 16, Šumperk, 78701, Czech Republic
| | - Yusheng Yang
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Fuzhong Wu
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-Geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CREAF, E08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain.,CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, E08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
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5
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Plant Litter from Rare Species Increases Functional Diversity and Decomposition of Species Mixtures. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00740-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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6
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Lebedev YM, Gongalsky KB, Gorbunova AY, Zaitsev AS. Rice Straw Decomposition by Woodlice (Isopoda, Oniscidea) and Millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) in the Soils of Kalmykia in a Laboratory Experiment. ARID ECOSYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079096120030026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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Patoine G, Bruelheide H, Haase J, Nock C, Ohlmann N, Schwarz B, Scherer‐Lorenzen M, Eisenhauer N. Tree litter functional diversity and nitrogen concentration enhance litter decomposition via changes in earthworm communities. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:6752-6768. [PMID: 32724548 PMCID: PMC7381558 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is a major driver of numerous ecosystem functions. However, consequences of changes in forest biodiversity remain difficult to predict because of limited knowledge about how tree diversity influences ecosystem functions. Litter decomposition is a key process affecting nutrient cycling, productivity, and carbon storage and can be influenced by plant biodiversity. Leaf litter species composition, environmental conditions, and the detritivore community are main components of the decomposition process, but their complex interactions are poorly understood. In this study, we tested the effect of tree functional diversity (FD) on litter decomposition in a field experiment manipulating tree diversity and partitioned the effects of litter physiochemical diversity and the detritivore community. We used litterbags with different mesh sizes to separate the effects of microorganisms and microfauna, mesofauna, and macrofauna and monitored soil fauna using pitfall traps and earthworm extractions. We hypothesized that higher tree litter FD accelerates litter decomposition due to the availability of complementary food components and higher activity of detritivores. Although we did not find direct effects of tree FD on litter decomposition, we identified key litter traits and macrodetritivores that explained part of the process. Litter mass loss was found to decrease with an increase in leaf litter carbon:nitrogen ratio. Moreover, litter mass loss increased with an increasing density of epigeic earthworms, with most pronounced effects in litterbags with a smaller mesh size, indicating indirect effects. Higher litter FD and litter nutrient content were found to increase the density of surface-dwelling macrofauna and epigeic earthworm biomass. Based on structural equation modeling, we conclude that tree FD has a weak positive effect on soil surface litter decomposition by increasing the density of epigeic earthworms and that litter nitrogen-related traits play a central role in tree composition effects on soil fauna and decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Patoine
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Helge Bruelheide
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical GardenMartin Luther University Halle‐WittenbergHalle (Saale)Germany
| | - Josephine Haase
- GeobotanyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Charles Nock
- GeobotanyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
- Department of Renewable ResourcesFaculty of Agriculture, Life and Environmental SciencesGeneral Services BuildingUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Niklas Ohlmann
- GeobotanyFaculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Benjamin Schwarz
- Biometry and Environmental System AnalysisFaculty of Environment and Natural ResourcesUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | | | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle‐Jena‐LeipzigLeipzigGermany
- Institute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
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8
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Huang W, González G, Zou X. A dataset for the effect of earthworm abundance and functional group diversity on plant litter decay and soil organic carbon level. Data Brief 2020; 29:105263. [PMID: 32149168 PMCID: PMC7033319 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper describes data of earthworm abundance and functional group diversity regulate plant litter decay and soil organic carbon (SOC) level in global terrestrial ecosystems. The data also describes the potential effect of vegetation types, litter quality, litterbag mesh size, soil C/N, soil aggregate size, experimental types and length of experimental time on earthworm induced plant litter and SOC decay. The data were collected from 69 studies published between 1985 and 2018, covering 340 observations. This data article is related to the paper "Earthworm Abundance and Functional Group Diversity Regulate Plant Litter Decay and Soil Organic Carbon Level: A Global Meta-analysis" [1].
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 00936-8377, USA
| | - Grizelle González
- International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Jardín Botánico Sur, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Río Piedras, PR 00926-1119, USA
| | - Xiaoming Zou
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR 00936-8377, USA
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9
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Bowe A, Dobson A, Blossey B. Impacts of invasive earthworms and deer on native ferns in forests of northeastern North America. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02195-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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10
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Yang C, Li J, Zhang Y. Soil aggregates indirectly influence litter carbon storage and release through soil pH in the highly alkaline soils of north China. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7949. [PMID: 31687276 PMCID: PMC6824446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Soil aggregate-size classes, structural units of soil, are the important factors regulating soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover. However, the processes of litter C mineralization and storage in different aggregates-size classes are poorly understood, especially in the highly alkaline soils of north China. Here, we ask how four different aggregate sizes influence rates of C release (Cr) and SOC storage (Cs) in response to three types of plant litter added to an un-grazed natural grassland. Methods Highly alkaline soil samples were separated into four dry aggregate classes of different sizes (2–4, 1–2, 0.25–1, and <0.25 mm). Three types of dry dead plant litter (leaf, stem, and all standing dead aboveground litter) of Leymus chinensis were added to each of the four aggregate class samples. Litter mass loss rate, Cr, and Cs were measured periodically during the 56-day incubation. Results The results showed that the mass loss in 1–2 mm aggregates was significantly greater than that in other size classes of soil aggregates on both day 28 and day 56. Macro-aggregates (1–2 mm) had the highest Cr of all treatments, whereas 0.25–1 mm aggregates had the lowest. In addition, a significant negative relationship was found between Cs/Cr and soil pH. After incubation for 28 and 56 days, the Cs was also highest in the 1–2 mm aggregates, which implied that the macro-aggregates had not only a higher CO2 release capacity, but also a greater litter C storage capacity than the micro-aggregates in the highly alkaline soils of north China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Yang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jingjing Li
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory of Grassland Management and Rational Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing, China
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11
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Rosenfield MF, Müller SC. Plant Traits Rather than Species Richness Explain Ecological Processes in Subtropical Forests. Ecosystems 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-019-00386-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Tresch S, Frey D, Le Bayon RC, Zanetta A, Rasche F, Fliessbach A, Moretti M. Litter decomposition driven by soil fauna, plant diversity and soil management in urban gardens. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 658:1614-1629. [PMID: 30678018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In the face of growing urban densification, green spaces in cities, such as gardens, are increasingly important for biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, the influences of urban green space management on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships is poorly understood. We investigated the relationship between soil fauna and litter decomposition in 170 urban garden sites along a gradient of urbanisation intensity in the city of Zurich, CH. We used litter bags of 1 and 4 mm mesh size to evaluate the contribution of soil meso- and macrofauna on litter decomposition. By using multilevel structural equation models (SEM), we investigated direct and indirect environmental effects and management practices on litter decomposition and litter residue quality. We evaluated the role of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of soil fauna species on litter decomposition, based on a sample of 120 species (81,007 individuals; 39 collembola, 18 earthworm, 16 isopod, 47 gastropod species). We found highest litter decomposition rates using 4 mm mesh size litter bags, highlighting the importance of soil macrofauna. Urban warming, a proxy for urbanisation intensity, covaried positively, whereas soil disturbances, such as intensive soil and crop management, were negatively correlated with decomposition rates. Interestingly, soil fauna species richness decreased, with the exception of gastropods, and soil fauna abundance increased with urban warming. Our data also show that plant species richness positively affected litter decomposition by increasing soil fauna species richness and microbial activity. A multivariate analysis of organic compounds in litter residues confirmed the importance of soil fauna species richness and garden management on litter decomposition processes. Overall, we showed, that also in intensively managed urban green spaces, such as gardens, biodiversity of plants and soil fauna drives key ecosystem processes. Urban planning strategies that integrate soil protecting management practices may help to maintain important ecosystem services in this heavily used urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Tresch
- University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Functional Ecology Laboratory, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland; Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of Soil Sciences, Ackerstrasse 113, Frick 5070, Switzerland; Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland.
| | - David Frey
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland; ETH, Department of Environmental System Science, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Universitaetstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Renée-Claire Le Bayon
- University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Functional Ecology Laboratory, Rue Emile-Argand 11, Neuchâtel 2000, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Zanetta
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland; University of Fribourg, Department of Biology, Chemin du musée 10, Fribourg 1700, Switzerland
| | - Frank Rasche
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 13, Stuttgart 70599, Germany
| | - Andreas Fliessbach
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Department of Soil Sciences, Ackerstrasse 113, Frick 5070, Switzerland
| | - Marco Moretti
- Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Zuercherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland
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Abstract
Global change alters the composition and functioning of ecosystems by creating novel environmental conditions and thereby selecting for specific traits of organisms. Thus, trait-based approaches are promising tools to more mechanistically understand compositional and functional shifts in ecological communities as well as the dependency of response and effect traits upon global change. Such approaches have been particularly successful for the study of plant communities in terrestrial ecosystems. However, given the intimate linkages between aboveground and belowground compartments as well as the significance of plants as integrating organisms across those compartments, the role of plant traits in affecting soils communities has been understudied. This special issue contains empirical studies and reviews of plant trait effects on soil organisms and functions. Based on those contributions, we discuss here plasticity in trait expression, the context-dependency of plant trait effects, time lags in soil biotic responses to trait expression, and limitations of measured plant traits. We conclude that plant trait-based approaches are an important tool to advance soil ecological research, but also identify critical limitations and next steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jeff R. Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia
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