Effects of litter mixing on litter decomposition and soil properties along simulated invasion gradients of non-native trees

Castro‐Díez, Pilar; Alonso, Álvaro; Romero-Blanco, Alberto

doi:10.1007/s11104-019-04160-4

Cited by 21 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 73 publications

(154 reference statements)

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“…Our results suggest that evenness effects are time dependent, and our study is 365 days long, thus unable to predict evenness effect in the advanced humus near stage. Our findings about litter mixing effects on final mass and nutrient contents are consistent with published results (Ball et al, 2008;Wu et al, 2013;Castro-Díez et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Species Diversity Induces Idiosyncratic Effects on Litter Decomposition in a Degraded Meadow Steppe

Naeem

Asif

et al. 2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Litter decomposition is a fundamental path for nutrient cycling in a natural ecosystem. However, it remains unclear how species diversity, including richness and evenness, affects the decomposition dynamics in the context of grassland degradation. Using a litter bag technique, we investigated the litter-mixing effects of two coexisting dominant species (Leymus chinensis Lc and Phragmites australis Pa), as monocultures and mixtures with evenness (Lc:Pa) from M1 (30:70%), M2 (50:50%), and M3 (70:30%), on decomposition processes over time (60 and 365 days). The litter bags were placed on the soil surface along a degradation gradient [near pristine (NP), lightly degraded (LD), and highly degraded (HD)]. We found that 1) mass loss in mixture compositions was significantly and positively correlated with initial nitrogen (N) and cellulose contents; 2) litter mixing (richness and evenness) influenced decomposition dynamics individually and in interaction with the incubation days and the degradation gradients; 3) in a general linear model (GLM), nonadditive antagonistic effects were more prominent than additive or neutral effects in final litter and nutrients except for carbon (C); and 4) in nutrients (C, N, lignin) and C/N ratio, additive effects shifted to nonadditive with incubation time. We speculated that the occurrence of nonadditive positive or negative effects varied with litter and nutrients mass remaining in each degraded gradient under the mechanism of initial litter quality of monoculture species, soil properties of experimental sites, and incubation time. Our study has important implications for grassland improvement and protection by considering species biodiversity richness, as well as species evenness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Species Diversity Induces Idiosyncratic Effects on Litter Decomposition in a Degraded Meadow Steppe

Naeem

Asif

et al. 2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…Previous studies exploring the effects of residue mixtures have focused on leaf litter decomposition and associated C cycling and nutrient release (e.g., nitrogen mineralization and immobilisation) in forest ecosystems (Castro‐Díez et al, 2019; Gartner & Cardon, 2004; Mao et al, 2017). However, the mechanisms responsible for non‐additive effects are not fully understood and might depend strongly on the context within which the study was conducted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying cover crop residues as diverse mixtures increases initial microbial assimilation of crop residue‐derived carbon

Shu

Zou

Shaw

et al. 2022

European J Soil Science

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Increasing the diversity of crops grown in arable soils delivers multiple ecological functions. Whether mixtures of residues from different crops grown in polyculture contribute to microbial assimilation of carbon (C) to a greater extent than would be expected from applying individual residues is currently unknown. In this study, we used 13 C isotope labelled cover crop residues (buckwheat, clover, radish, and sunflower) to track microbial assimilation of

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“…A majority of the previous studies have explored the effects of mixtures on litter decomposition and associated C cycling and nutrient release (e.g. nitrogen mineralization and immobilization) by focusing on leaf litter decomposition in forest ecosystems (Castro-Díez et al, 2019; Gartner and Cardon, 2004; Mao et al, 2017). Even the most recent meta-analysis on litter mixtures only focused on litter mass loss due to decomposition (Porre et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixing crop residues induces a synergistic effect on microbial biomass and an additive effect on soil organic matter priming

Shu

Zou

Shaw

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Applying crop residues is a widely used strategy to increase soil organic matter (SOM) in arable soils because of its recorded effects on increasing microbial biomass and consequently necromass. However, fresh residue inputs could also prime the decomposition of native SOM, resulting in accelerated SOM depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Increasing the botanical diversity of the crops grown in arable systems has been promoted to increase the delivery of multiple ecological functions, including increasing soil microbial biomass and SOM. Whether mixtures of fresh residues from different crops grown in polyculture contribute to soil carbon (C) pools to a greater extent than would be expected from applying individual residues (i.e., the mixture produces a non-additive synergistic effect) has not been systematically tested and is currently unknown. In this study, we used 13C isotope labelled cover crop residues (i.e., buckwheat, clover, radish, and sunflower) to track the fate of plant residue-derived C and C derived from the priming of SOM in treatments comprising a quaternary mixture of the residues and the average effect of the four individual residues one day after residue incorporation in a laboratory microcosm experiment. Our results indicate that, despite all treatments receiving the same amount of plant residue-derived C (1 mg C g-1 soil), the total microbial biomass in the treatment receiving the residue mixture was significantly greater, by 26% (3.69 μg C g-1), than the average microbial biomass observed in treatments receiving the four individual components of the mixture one day after applying crop residues. The greater microbial biomass C in the quaternary mixture, compared to average of the individual residue treatments, that can be attributed directly to the plant residue applied was also significantly greater, by 132% (3.61 μg C g-1). However, there was no evidence that the mixture resulted in any more priming of native SOM than average priming observed in the individual residue treatments. The soil microbial community structure, assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, was significantly (P < 0.001) different in the soil receiving the residue mixture, compared to the average structures of the communities in soil receiving four individual residues. Differences in the biomass of fungi, general bacteria, and Gram-positive bacteria were responsible for the observed synergistic effect of crop residue mixtures on total microbial biomass and residue-derived microbial biomass, especially biomarkers 16:0, 18:2ω6 and 18:3ω3. Our study demonstrates that applying a mixture of crop residues increases soil microbial biomass to a greater extent than would be expected from applying individual residues and that this occurs either due to faster decomposition of the crop residues or greater carbon use efficiency (CUE), rather than priming the decomposition of native SOM. Therefore, growing crop polycultures (e.g., cover crop mixtures) and incorporating mixtures of the resulting crop residues into the soil could be an effective method to increase microbial biomass and ultimately C stocks in arable soils.

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Effects of litter mixing on litter decomposition and soil properties along simulated invasion gradients of non-native trees

Abstract: Effects of litter mixing on litter decomposition and soil properties along simulated invasion gradients of non-native trees. Plant and Soil, 442(1-2), pp.79-96.

Cited by 21 publications

References 73 publications

Species Diversity Induces Idiosyncratic Effects on Litter Decomposition in a Degraded Meadow Steppe

Species Diversity Induces Idiosyncratic Effects on Litter Decomposition in a Degraded Meadow Steppe

Applying cover crop residues as diverse mixtures increases initial microbial assimilation of crop residue‐derived carbon

Mixing crop residues induces a synergistic effect on microbial biomass and an additive effect on soil organic matter priming

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