Decomposition of Coniferous Leaf Litter

Millar, C. S.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-215001-2.50010-6

Cited by 97 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Low N concentrations in soil give rise to larger increases in N during the initial stages of decomposition. It is possible, however, that the abundance of polyphenolic substances, could exert an inhibitory action on fungal growth, leading to slow hyphal growth in decomposing leaves and hence low immobilization by the fungal biomass [54].…”

Section: Nitrogen Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic matter and nitrogen dynamics in a mature forest of common beech in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain

Regina¹,

Tarazona²

2001

Ann. For. Sci.

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-Aboveground biomass, litterfall, leaf weight loss due to decomposition, N return and seasonal leaf N dynamics were studied in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain, a Mediterranean climatic zone. The forest ecosystem considered was a climax beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest. Aboveground biomass was estimated by cutting and weighing seven trees from a beech stand according to diameter classes, recording the categories of trunk, branches and leaves. The results indicate a total biomass of 132.7 Mg ha -1 . The litterfall was 4 682 kg ha -1 yr -1 , although variations from year to year were observed, mostly due to water stress in summer. Greater K (Jenny's constant) and K o (Olson's constant) values were obtained for total litter than for leaves alone. It is possible that the mean soil humidity might not be a limiting factor in the decomposition process and that this effect would be due to the distribution of rainfall rather than to the total amount of precipitation together with elevated temperature and airing of the holorganic soil horizon. The leaf N contents of beeches growing in the Sierra de la Demanda were studied, relating the contents to other structural stand characteristics. For this, N was analysed in shed leaves, in leaf biomass and in leaves decomposing on a test plot in the "Tres Aguas" beech forest. Leaf nitrogen contents were measured over a vegetative cycle in the above beech forest. Finally, leaf nitrogen contents were studied in thirty beech stands in the Sierra de la Demanda located at different altitudes. Annual nitrogen accumulation in leaf biomass was 79.4 kg ha -1 yr -1 , of which 22.9 kg ha -1 yr -1 were returned to the soil substrate through shedding and 2.1 kg ha -1 yr -1 were actually incorporated into the soil. Nitrogen cannot be a limiting factor for the development of the beech stands studied because all of them surpassed the leaf deficiency threshold. Only other factors such as soil texture and structure or silvicultural treatment have a decisive effect on the production of the stand studied. The correlations for leaf nitrogen contents and the structural stand characteristics explored revealed that leaf nitrogen was only slightly correlated with the mean height of the trees at the plot. aboveground biomass / litterfall / weight loss / nitrogen / forest ecosystem Résumé -Dynamique de la matière organique et de l'azote dans une hêtraie de la Sierra de la Demanda (Espagne). La biomasse aérienne, la retombée de litière, la perte de poids de feuilles en décomposition, le retour et la dynamique saisonnière de l'azote des feuilles, ont été estimés dans une hêtraie (Fagus sylvatica L.) de la Sierra de la Demanda, (Espagne). La biomasse a été estimée par coupe et pesée de sept arbres selon la distribution des diamètres. Les poids des troncs, branches et feuilles ont été mesurés. Les résultats indiquent une biomasse totale de 132,27 Mg ha -1 . La chute de litière est de 4 682 kg ha -1 an -1 , cependant on a observé des variations inter-annuelles, principalement dues au stress hydrique esti...

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Section: Nitrogen Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic matter and nitrogen dynamics in a mature forest of common beech in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain

Regina¹,

Tarazona²

2001

Ann. For. Sci.

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“…Notre étude a été réalisée sur la commune de Bazouges-la-Pérouse (Ille-et-Vilaine) (J ENSEN , 1974 ;M ILLAR , 1974 ;WILLIAMS & GRAY, 1974 The C/N evolution has been followed in the tree leaves, during the litter decomposition (in square mesh nylon net bags), and in the H and A, humus for the beech, Fagus sylvatica, and some conifers : Pseudotsllga menziesii, Picea abies, Picea sitchen.sis, Tsuga heterophylla, Pinus sylvestris, Pinu.s murrayana and Pinuv nigra larico.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution du rapport C/N dans les feuilles et au cours de la décomposition des litières sous climat atlantique. Le hêtre et quelques conifères

Gloaguen¹,

Touffet²

1982

Ann. For. Sci.

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“…The litters decomposed faster in the summer with high temperatures and precipitation. Millar (1974) and Swift et al (1979) suggested that the litter was actively decomposed in the summer because the concentration of precipitation facilitates the leaching of water-soluble materials and high temperature facilitate the activity of decomposers. The water-soluble materials are used as energy sources for microorganisms in the early stage of decomposition , Hobbie 1996, and the litter contains large amounts of water-soluble materials that are affected by decomposers more readily in the early stage of litter decomposition.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decomposition of leaf litter of some evergreen broadleaf trees in Korea

Lee¹,

Cha²,

Lee³

et al. 2015

J. Ecol. Environ.

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Litter decomposition is an important process in terrestrial ecosystem. However, studies on decomposition are rare, especially in evergreen broadleaf trees. We collected the leaf litter of five evergreen broadleaf trees (Daphniphyllum macropodum, Dendropanax morbifera, Castanopsis cuspidata var. thunbergii, Machilus thunbergii and Quercus acuta), and carried out a decomposition experiment using the litterbag method in Ju-do, Wando-gun, Korea for 731 days from December 25, 2011 to December 25, 2013 ). The decomposition of litter was positively influenced by thermal climate such as accumulated mean daily air temperature (year day index) and precipitation, as well as by physical characteristics such as thickness (R 2 =0.939, P = 0.007) and specific leaf area (SLA) (R 2 = 0.964, P = 0.003). The characteristics of chemical composition such as lignin (R 2 = 0.939, P = 0.007) and water-soluble materials (R 2 = 0.898, P = 0.014) showed significant correlations with litter decomposition. However, the nutrients in litter showed complicated species-specific trends. The litter of D. macropodum and D. morbifera had fast decomposition despite their low nitrogen concentration and high C/N ratio. This means that the litter decomposition was more strongly affected by physical characteristics than chemical composition and nutrient content. On the other hand, the litter of Q. acuta which had the slowest decay rate had a high amount of N and low C/N ratio. Thus, the decomposition of Q. acuta litter was more affected by the P content of the litter than the N content, although all litter had similar physical characteristics.

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Decomposition of Coniferous Leaf Litter

Cited by 97 publications

References 62 publications

Organic matter and nitrogen dynamics in a mature forest of common beech in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain

Organic matter and nitrogen dynamics in a mature forest of common beech in the Sierra de la Demanda, Spain

Evolution du rapport C/N dans les feuilles et au cours de la décomposition des litières sous climat atlantique. Le hêtre et quelques conifères

Decomposition of leaf litter of some evergreen broadleaf trees in Korea

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