Controls on Coarse Wood Decay in Temperate Tree Species: Birth of the LOGLIFE Experiment

Cornelissen, Johannes H. C.; Sass‐Klaassen, Ute; Poorter, Lourens; Geffen, Koert van; Logtestijn, Richard S. P. van; Hal, Jurgen van; Goudzwaard, L.; Sterck, Frank J.; Klaassen, René K.W.M.; Freschet, Grégoire T.; Wal, Annemieke van der; Eshuis, Henk; Zuo, Juan; Boer, Wietse de; Lamers, Teun; Weemstra, Monique; Cretin, Vincent; Martin, Rozan; Ouden, J. den; Berg, Matty P.; Aerts, Rien; Mohren, Frits; Hefting, Mariet M.

doi:10.1007/s13280-012-0304-3

Cited by 121 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Micro environmental conditions (temperature, water availability and gaseous regime) played a role, and likely influenced the composition of saproxylic fungi communities and respirational carbon loss [32]. Herrmann et al [7] also observed high variation in deadwood density within decay classes and hence only few significant differences between adjacent decay classes within a given species.…”

Section: Density Moisture and Tsd Charakteristics Of Decay Stagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deadwood Density and Moisture Variation in a Natural Temperate Spruce-Fir-Beech Forest

Přívětivý¹,

Baldrián²,

Šamonil³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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Deadwood represents a source of nutrients, carbon and water for metabolism within forest ecosystem. Nutrients are mobilized due to the decomposition of wood, which is a long-term process that can be best studied by analysing environmental data on a temporary scale. Our study provides physico-temporal data on the downed logs of three major tree species in European temperate forests: Abies alba Mill., Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. Time since death was obtained using tree censuses (repeated for 40 years) and dendrochronology for each single downed log, the oldest being 75 years old. Standard laboratory methods were used for the determination of wood density and moisture changes. F. sylvatica was decomposed rapidly in the initial phase -mass loss was 50% during the 5 years after death, while A. alba and P. abies lost 13% and 16%, respectively. Downed logs of F. sylvatica contained 391 kg of water per m 3 , while these of P. abies 279 kg. A logtransformed linear model was created that shows the dependence of time since death on mass loss. According to the model, F. sylvatica had the shortest total decomposition time (39 years), followed by A. alba (58 years) and P. abies (86 years).

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Section: Density Moisture and Tsd Charakteristics Of Decay Stagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deadwood Density and Moisture Variation in a Natural Temperate Spruce-Fir-Beech Forest

Přívětivý¹,

Baldrián²,

Šamonil³

et al. 2017

Preprint

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“…However, it is often difficult to differentiate between the factors controlling the decay mechanisms (Cornelissen et al 2012, Risch et al 2013, Harmon et al 2013). Furthermore, due to the highly heterogeneous spatial distribution and its long-term decay dynamics, CWD is less represented in decomposition studies.…”

Section: ) Maymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Decomposition of CWD is largely driven by microbial (mainly fungal) activity, which is influenced by substrate quality and environmental conditions (Harmon et al 1986). Disentangling the role of the different decomposition drivers is challenging because of their strong interactions (Cornelissen et al 2012). Lignin, cellulose and nitrogen (N) interactions seem to exert a major control on litter decomposition (Talbot & Treseder 2012).…”

Section: ) Maymentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition of Norway spruce and European larch coarse woody debris (CWD) in relation to different elevation and exposure in an Alpine setting

Petrillo¹,

Cherubini²,

Sartori³

et al. 2016

iForest

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To describe the decay stage of coarse woody debris (CWD) a five decay-class system has been introduced and it is currently the most commonly applied. This system is based on visual, geometric and tactile features of the wood in the field; however, a detailed chemical characterization is often missing. Furthermore, the driving mechanisms (particularly substrate quality vs. environmental conditions) of deadwood decay are controversially discussed. Consequently, we investigated how typical major and minor chemical parameters of wood were correlated with the decay stage. The decomposition patterns of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) CWD of an Alpine setting were analyzed, and how the chemical and physical parameters were affected by the substrate and environmental conditions was checked. Two altitudinal sequences, having a different exposure (northvs. south-facing sites), were sampled. We measured main biochemical compounds (lignin and cellulose), physical properties (density and water content), element concentrations (C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn), and the carbon isotopic signature (δ 13 C) of living trees and CWD at five decomposition stages (decay classes). Most investigated wood physico-chemical parameters such as wood density, water content, lignin and cellulose and even minor constituents (N, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Mn) correlated well to the five decay-class system. Some important components, such as the carbon concentration and δ 13 C, did not vary with increasing decomposition. Our hypothesis that the different substrate should be traceable during CWD decay had to be rejected, although some statistically significant chemical differences between larch and spruce were measured in the living trees. The chosen tree species were probably not different enough to be chemically traceable in the CWD. Already in decay class 1, these differences were zeroed. The site conditions (expressed by the different altitudes and exposure) influenced only some of the investigated parameters, namely lignin, the δ 13 C isotopic ratio and nutrients such as P, Ca and K.

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“…Local-scale processes do affect wood decomposition where, for example, rates of mass loss depend on the species of wood-rot fungi and hyphal grazing by soil invertebrates 22,23 . The influence of these local-scale variables on wood decomposition at regional scales, relative to climate, is uncertain given the paucity of regional-scale wood decomposition studies 24 . Here we investigate whether climate or other factors primarily control wood decomposition rates across a regional gradient in temperate forest.…”

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confidence: 99%

Climate fails to predict wood decomposition at regional scales

et al. 2014

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Decomposition of organic matter strongly influences ecosystem carbon storage 1 . In Earth-system models, climate is a predominant control on the decomposition rates of organic matter [2][3][4][5] . This assumption is based on the mean response of decomposition to climate, yet there is a growing appreciation in other areas of global change science that projections based on mean responses can be irrelevant and misleading 6,7 . We test whether climate controls on the decomposition rate of dead wood-a carbon stock estimated to represent 73 ± 6 Pg carbon globally 8 -are sensitive to the spatial scale from which they are inferred. We show that the common assumption that climate is a predominant control on decomposition is supported only when local-scale variation is aggregated into mean values. Disaggregated data instead reveal that local-scale factors explain 73% of the variation in wood decomposition, and climate only 28%. Further, the temperature sensitivity of decomposition estimated from local versus mean analyses is 1.3-times greater. Fundamental issues with mean correlations were highlighted decades ago 9,10 , yet mean climate-decomposition relationships are used to generate simulations that inform management and adaptation under environmental change. Our results suggest that to predict accurately how decomposition will respond to climate change, models must account for local-scale factors that control regional dynamics.Climate is traditionally thought to be the predominant control on decomposition rates at global and regional scales, with biotic factors controlling only local rates 2,4 . Biotic factors are divided into decomposer organisms, such as soil microbes, and the quality (for example, chemical composition) of the plant litter they decompose. Recent work suggests that litter quality may be more important than climate in controlling decomposition rates across biomes worldwide 3,11 , but the influence of decomposer organisms is still assumed limited across broad climate gradients 12 . A core reason for this assumption is that climate is considered a primary control on the activity of decomposers. As such, across climate gradients, mean temperature and moisture availability are assumed to explain much of the variation in the activity of decomposer organisms and hence decomposition rates of organic matter. These climate-decomposition relationships are used to parameterize and evaluate Earth-system models 13 . It is therefore important to test the assumption that climate drives decomposer activities because proper understanding of these activities is needed to inform model projections such as carbon cycle-climate feedbacks 1,14 .Climate-decomposition relationships are typically developed from regional to global studies that use the mean response of decomposition to climate and litter quality drivers [2][3][4][5] . There is growing awareness in other areas of global change science that using mean responses masks the fine-scale variation required to understand effects of environmental change 6,7 , although the...

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Controls on Coarse Wood Decay in Temperate Tree Species: Birth of the LOGLIFE Experiment

Cited by 121 publications

References 73 publications

Deadwood Density and Moisture Variation in a Natural Temperate Spruce-Fir-Beech Forest

Deadwood Density and Moisture Variation in a Natural Temperate Spruce-Fir-Beech Forest

Decomposition of Norway spruce and European larch coarse woody debris (CWD) in relation to different elevation and exposure in an Alpine setting

Climate fails to predict wood decomposition at regional scales

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