Mass loss and nutrient release during litter decomposition drive biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the relationship between the litter decomposition process and the decomposition stage, precipitation, and litter quality has rarely been addressed, precluding our understanding of how litter decomposition regulates nutrient cycling in various ecosystems and their responses to climate change. In this study, we measured mass loss as well as carbon and nutrient releases during the decomposition of 16 types of leaf litter under three precipitation treatments over 12 months in a common garden experiment (i.e., using standardized soil and climatic conditions). Sixteen types of leaves were divided into three functional groups (evergreen, deciduous, and herbaceous). The objectives were to understand the effects of decomposition stages and precipitation regimes on litter decomposition and to examine the relationship between this effect and chemical properties. The mass loss and release of nitrogen and potassium were significantly higher in the 6‐ to 12‐month stage of decomposition (high temperature and humidity) than in the 0‐ to 6‐month stage. Phosphorus was relatively enriched in evergreen leaves after 6 months of decomposition. The rates of mass loss and nutrient release were significantly greater in herbaceous than in deciduous and evergreen leaves. Increasing precipitation from 400 to 800 mm accelerated mass loss and potassium release but decreased phosphorus release in the 0‐ to 6‐month stage of decomposition. These results highlighted the contribution to and complexity of litter chemical properties in litter decomposition.
Plant litter decomposition figures importantly in the cycling of C and N pools in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated how C and N fluxes changed during the decomposition of leguminous and non-leguminous leaf litters, and how these processes responded to different precipitation regimes. We used the dual-isotope tracing method to investigate differences in leaf and soil C and N, along with δ13C and δ15N, in the soil of the Loess Plateau in China. The δ15N and δ13C values were 3604‰ and 56‰ for Robinia pseudoacacia (Leguminosae) and 8115‰ and 452‰ for Populus tomentosa (Salicaceae) leaf litters. Through decomposition, δ13C decreased in all litters, and δ15N in the leguminous litter increased while it decreased in the non-leguminous litter. In the surface soil, the fraction of litter-derived N (14%) from the leguminous litter was significantly higher than that of the non-leguminous litter after 16 months. The C and N concentrations of both litters and soil always had a positive correlation during decomposition, and the responses of N to C changes in soil were reduced by the litter cover. Increased precipitation enhanced the litters’ C and N correlation. The 600 mm precipitation treatment most benefited litter C’s transformation to SOC, and drought conditions promoted the transformation of legume litter N to soil TN, but inhibited non-legume litter N. In the soil and both litters, C and N changes always had a positive correlation. After 16 months, the proportion of soil N from legumes was higher than that from non-legumes. Reduced precipitation could promote leguminous N in soil. Our results provide a scientific basis for accurately predicting the C and N cycles in terrestrial ecosystems.
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