Dynamics of microbial communities during decomposition of litter from pioneering plants in initial soil ecosystems

Abstract

In initial ecosystems, concentrations of all macro- and micronutrients can be considered as extremely low. Plant litter therefore strongly influences the development of a degrader's food web and is an important source for C and N input into soil in such ecosystems. In the present study, a ¹³C litter decomposition field experiment was performed for 30 weeks in initial soils from a post-mining area near the city of Cottbus (Germany). Two of this region's dominant but contrasting pioneering plant species (<i>Lotus corniculatus</i> L. and <i>Calamagrostis epigejos</i> L.) were chosen to investigate the effects of litter quality on the litter decomposing microbial food web in initially nutrient-poor substrates. The results clearly indicate the importance of litter quality, as indicated by its N content, its bioavailability for the degradation process and the development of microbial communities in the detritusphere and soil. The degradation of the <i>L. corniculatus</i> litter, which had a low C / N ratio, was fast and showed pronounced changes in the microbial community structure 1–4 weeks after litter addition. The degradation of the <i>C. epigejos</i> litter material was slow and microbial community changes mainly occurred between 4 and 30 weeks after litter addition to the soil. However, for both litter materials a clear indication of the importance of fungi for the degradation process was observed both in terms of fungal abundance and activity (¹³C incorporation activity

Decomposition of Leaves and Fine Roots in Three Subtropical Plantations in China Affected by Litter Substrate Quality and Soil Microbial Community

“…As a good indicator of nutritional balance, litter C/N ratio has also been found to regulate soil and litter microbial communities, influencing litter nutrient dynamics [44]. In general, litter with low initial C/N ratio encourages rapid decomposition [20,45]. However, in our study, the decay rate of fine roots seemed less related to its C/N ratio (Table 1 and Figure 2).…”

Effects of light intensity on litter decomposition in a subtropical region

“…) and the activities of decomposer organisms (Esperschütz et al. ) also facilitated more rapid litter decomposition in the rainy periods. Moreover, at the early dry periods, mass loss rates for shaded foliar litter were higher than those for foliar litter exposed to ambient sunlight (Fig.…”

Litter decomposition in forest ecosystems: a review

“…The structure of lignin differs with the plant species. For example, deciduous species are comprised of fluctuating proportions of syringyl and guaiacyl forms of lignin, while conifers have generally guaiacyl lignin (Esperschutz et al 2013).…”