Leaf litterfall patterns of perennial plant species in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina

Campanella, María Victoria; Bertiller, Mónica B.

doi:10.1007/s11258-010-9736-7

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In this study, litterfall production presented inter-and intra-annual variation and was correlated with precipitation and evapotranspiration rates. The average annual rainfall is responsible, at least in part, for the variability in primary net productivity between years and consequently, for the variation in litterfall production in both forests (Münster-Swendsen, 1987;Bo Pedersen and Bille-Hansen, 1999) and deserts (Strojan et al, 1979;Lauenroth and Sala, 1992;Alvarez et al, 2009;Campanella and Bertiller, 2010). In the present study, a decrease in litterfall production occurred during the dry season, approximately four months after the highest monthly precipitation rates were recorded.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 43%

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Spatial-temporal variation in litterfall in seasonally dry tropical forests in Northeastern Brazil

et al. 2020

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Abstract The production of litterfall is essential for nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. From November 2009 to October 2011, analyzed the monthly litterfall production in two areas of Caatinga, a type of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest located in the Cariri Paraibano, in the semiarid region of the Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. One of the areas, Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN) Fazenda Almas, is legally protected, and the other, Fazenda Moreiras, does not. The aims were to evaluate the effects of precipitation, evapotranspiration and vegetation structure on the temporal and spatial dynamics of litterfall production. Eight sampling points were randomly chosen at each site, and two 1 m2 collectors were installed 50 m apart from each other. The collected material was sorted, dried and weighed. Additionally, the characteristics (density, species richness, height and mean basal area) of the tree-shrub stratum in plots with a 10 m radius surrounding each collector. Total litterfall production was 4,500 kg ha-1 yr-1 for Fazenda Almas and 3,300 kg ha-1 yr-1 for Fazenda Moreiras; these values were within the expected range for Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests. The inter- and intra-annual variation in litterfall production was positively correlated with precipitation and evapotranspiration rates, and four months after the highest precipitation rates, there was a marked decrease in litterfall occurred during the dry season. Furthermore, the contributions of the material fractions were distinct with the leaf fraction representing for more than 60% of the litterfall, and the vegetation structure explained 75% of the variation in litterfall production. Therefore, climatic factors and vegetation structure affect the temporal and spatial dynamics of litterfall production and consequently influence nutrient dynamics in the semiarid region of Brazil.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 43%

“…Litterfall production is considered one of the main routes of nutrient transfer from the vegetation to the soil (Vitousek, 1984;Búrquez et al, 1999;Vital et al, 2004). Therefore, quantifying litterfall pools is essential to properly understand the structure and function of tropical forests (Bray and Gorham, 1964;Vital et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial-temporal variation in litterfall in seasonally dry tropical forests in Northeastern Brazil

et al. 2020

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“…It is necessary to examine how felled litters vary with climate inasmuch as previous litterfall studies have indicated that climate can significantly affect the forest litterfall. Typhoons (Lin et al, 2003), floods (Haase, 1999), temperature (Kouki and Hokkanen, 1992), precipitation (Hennessey et al, 1992;Pedersen and BilleHansen, 1999;Campanella and Bertiller, 2010), and a combination of temperature and precipitation (Saarsalmi et al, 2007) were proved to be significant factors regulating forest litterfall. But despite the increasing amount of research relative to litterfall dynamics in cool-temperate forests (Tripathi et al, 2006;Xu and Shibata, 2007;Watanabe et al, 2012), the influence of changing climate on the litterfall production has been largely ignored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhanced annual litterfall production due to spring solar radiation in cool-temperate mixed forests of northern Hokkaido, Japan

Aguilos

Takagi

Takahashi

et al. 2012

J. Agric. Meteorol.

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We determined the interannual variation of annual litterfall rate in cool-temperate forests [three mixed-forests (Mx1-Mx3), an evergreen coniferous forest (Ec), and a deciduous conifer plantation (Dc)] of northern Hokkaido over a 16-year observation period (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011) and evaluated the effect of meteorological and phenological variables on the annual litterfall production. Total solar radiation during spring (from March to May) positively correlated with the annual litterfall rate in the current year at three mixed forests with statistical significance. A warm spring advanced the day of snow melt and the day of leaf expansion, however, the early leaf expansion did not enhance the annual litter production at any of the studied forests. In conclusion, spring solar radiation was the best explanatory factor among the studied factors that determines the interannual variation of the annual litterfall rate at cool-temperate mixed forests, although the mechanisms behind this relationship remain unknown. The early snowmelt and leaf expansion caused by a warm spring did not directly link to the enhancement of the litterfall rate. This implies that global warming or changing rainfall patterns do not necessarily affect the annual litterfall amount in these forests, at least within the range observed during the 16 years.

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“…Particulate organic matter represents the youngest and most active organic material in the soil and its decomposition is heavily dependent on residue input and weather conditions (Martínez et al, 2017). Campanella and Bertiller (2010) studied leaf litterfall patterns of perennial plant species (shrubs and grasses) in arid Patagonia and demonstrated that in most shrub species, and Poa ligularis (present in the soil sampling sites) increased precipitation was related to increased litter production. Moreover, Chuquiraga erinacea , one of the shrubs species with the greatest coverage and abundance in the studied transects (19.8% and 0.6 plants m −2 ; unpublished data), has the main peak of leaf litter production in winter‐early spring (Campanella & Bertiller, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of shrubs on soil quality in the native Monte rangelands of Southwestern Buenos Aires, Argentina

et al. 2023

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Shrub cover in semiarid rangelands may induce changes in soil resources and ecosystem functioning. However, it is unknown the real influence that shrub vegetation has on soil quality in rangelands used for livestock purposes. We evaluated the shrub cover effect on 12 chemical and biochemical parameters of soil quality. In a semiarid Monte rangeland of Argentina, 6 paddocks were selected and 10 m transects were placed in a patch with (Sh) and without shrubs (WSh). Then, sites with grasses (Sh-G and WSh-G), bare ground-litter (Sh-BL and WSh-BL), and under shrub cover (Sh-S) were selected. In spring 2017 and 2018, a composite soil sample (0-10 cm in depth) was taken at each site (n = 6). Sh-G and Sh-S sites presented high values of soil organic matter, soil organic nitrogen, particulate organic matter (POM), and cellulase activity (CA); WSh-BL and Sh-BL sites were associated with the lowest contents of these variables. For the rest of the soil quality parameters, the soil sampling sites showed similar values. These results show that woody presence should not be directly linked to soil quality loss. Although we did not detect a shrub effect in all parameters studied, in the context of appropriate grazing management, the presence of plant species of different functional groups has a positive effect on organic matter and N content of soil close to them. Moreover, in these sites, high POM values represent an important reservoir of potentially available nutrients, and promote CA necessary for fresh litter decomposition improving the soil quality of semiarid rangelands.

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Leaf litterfall patterns of perennial plant species in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina

Cited by 14 publications

References 45 publications

Spatial-temporal variation in litterfall in seasonally dry tropical forests in Northeastern Brazil

Spatial-temporal variation in litterfall in seasonally dry tropical forests in Northeastern Brazil

Enhanced annual litterfall production due to spring solar radiation in cool-temperate mixed forests of northern Hokkaido, Japan

Impacts of shrubs on soil quality in the native Monte rangelands of Southwestern Buenos Aires, Argentina

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