Litterfall, Decomposition and Nutrient Release in an Age Sequence of Alnus Nepalensis Plantation Stands in the Eastern Himalaya

Sharma, Eklabya; Ambasht, R. S.

doi:10.2307/2260309

Cited by 55 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…K and Na showed the most rapid release during early decomposition. This pattern is characteristic of K and Na, because they are non-structural components of plant litter, and are subjected to physical removal through leaching without microbial activity [54,55]. Mg was also highly mobile, but declined more slowly than K and Na in all decomposing litter (Figure 4m,n).…”

Section: Nutrient Dynamics During Decompositionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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

Luo

Cheng

Shi

et al. 2017

Forests

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Leaf and root litter decomposition has been a major research focus. However, the possible effects of belowground microbial community structure and diversity on this process are poorly understood. Understanding the biochemical mechanisms controlling aboveground decomposition processes is important to predict the changes of soil carbon and nutrient cycling in response to changes of forest management regimes. Here, we explore the biochemical controls of leaf and fine root decomposition in three subtropical plantations (Ford Erythrophleum (Erythrophleum fordii Oliver), Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.)), and a mixed plantation containing both species) using the litterbag method, and soil microbial communities were determined using phospholipid fatty acid profiles. Overall, leaves decomposed more rapidly than fine roots, potentially due to the faster degradation of their cellulose component, but not lignin. In addition, leaf and fine root decomposition rates varied among plantations, being higher in E. fordii and lower in P. massoniana. Substrate quality such as N, Ca, lignin concentration, and C/N ratio were responsible for the decomposition rate changes among plantation types. Moreover, we used redundancy analysis to examine the relationships between litter decomposition and soil microbial community composition and diversity. Results revealed that actinobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community were the key determinants affecting leaf and fine root litter decomposition, respectively. Our work demonstrates that litter decomposition was linked to substrate quality and to the structure of soil microbial communities, and evidences the probable role of E. fordii in increasing soil nutrient availability, especially N, P and Ca. Additional data on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) or DNA marker groups within the litterbags over time may provide insights into litter decomposition dynamics, which represents potential objectives for future long-term decomposition studies.

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Section: Nutrient Dynamics During Decompositionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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

Luo

Cheng

Shi

et al. 2017

Forests

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“…Temperature, precipitation, soil, light, and other environmental factors can also have an impact (Barbour et al 1999). Litterfall generally increases during succession and has been shown to peak at various times depending upon the region and forest type: 14 years in eastern Guatemala (Ewel 1976), 46 years in Alnus plantation in the eastern Himalaya (Sharma and Ambasht 1987), and the period of crown closure in Douglas-fir stands as the time of maximum wood productivity (Turner and Long 1975).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accumulated organic matter, litterfall production, and decomposition tell us the status of litter dynamics in forests

Kim¹

2012

J. Ecol. Environ.

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Litterfall dynamics in forests are assessed by estimating biomass production and decomposition. However, there have been few studies on how litter dynamics impact the health and management of ecosystems. Here, a new approach to measure and assess ecosystem function is presented based on conventional methods using littertraps, litterbags, and the mass on the forest floor. To assess the status of litter dynamics, the decay rate (k) was estimated from a litterbag experiment, and removal rates (k i ) were determined from mass balance on the forest floor at 21 sites on three mountains in South Korea. The k 3 (organic mass ratio of O i and O e + O a + A horizons in November) values in an equilibrium state in South Korea were within the range of k ± 0.174 when considering the annual variation of litterfall production. This study also suggests that sampling sites for these types of studies should be in the middle, not at the ends, of steady slopes on the forest floor.

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“…Noticeably, the amount of litter input in January matched 50% of the total forest floor, whereas in an A. nepalensis ecosystem, this ratio was around 20% [42]. The sharp decrease of forest floor leaf litter from January to July matched the decomposition speed in the litterbags, whereas the increase in October is consistent with the new leaf litter input, which ends in December.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…[41], but generally inferior compared to non-European species such as Alnus nepalensis D.Don [42]. Compared to European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), which is the most important forest species in Italy and the one with the highest C stocks in its soil [11], Italian alder litter input was intermediate between beech forests with a mean annual temperature of 6.0 • C (2.50 ± 0.18 Mg/ha) and 8.6 • C (4.31 ± 0.43 Mg/ha) [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the forest floor in January and October being identical, there was a strong shift in composition, with woody materials predominant in October. Although most of the litter fall happens from late summer to the beginning of winter, in alder ecosystems there are minor litter inputs throughout the rest of the year [42], whereas woody litter is deposited sporadically through time and space, especially in managed ecosystems [43]. The strong increase in woody materials from July to October could be due to strong wind or heavy rain [43], which are common in autumn in southern Italy.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dynamics of Organic Matter in Leaf Litter and Topsoil within an Italian Alder (Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Desf.) Ecosystem

Innangi

Danise

d’Alessandro

et al. 2017

Forests

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Abstract:Forests are the most important land ecosystems that can mitigate the earth's ongoing climate change through their ability to sequester CO 2 as C stock in forest biomass and soil. Short-rotation deciduous hardwoods or N 2 -fixing species are ideal candidates for afforestation and reforestation, given that most of the carbon accumulates in the first 30 years. Alders match both of the above-mentioned features, and Italian alder, which is less dependent on riparian habitats and more drought tolerant, is an ideal candidate. Despite this, few studies exist of this tree species and its effect on soil organic matter. In this study, we focused on litter input and leaf litter decomposition dynamics, forest floor leaf litter and topsoil (0-5 cm) organic matter, and patterns of covariation from litter to topsoil. The leaf litter was rich in nitrogen and decomposed quickly (k = 0.002 day −1 ). There was a large organic carbon stock, which varied in the leaf litter (from 1.7 ± 0.3 Mg/ha in January to 0.4 ± 0.1 Mg/ha in July) and was stable in the topsoil (on average 28.6 ± 1.5 Mg/ha). Stocks for total nitrogen, cellulose, lignin, water and ethanol extractables, and total phenols were also evaluated. In order to investigate patterns of covariation in these stocks from litter to soil, we used two-block partial least squares. The first axis showed that from January to July there was a reduction of total nitrogen, lignin and cellulose in the forest floor leaf litter, while in the topsoil there was a decrease in water extractables and total organic carbon. The second axis showed minor phenomena involving phenols, water and ethanol extractables, and total N. The fast turnover of dissolved organic matter fractions (water and ethanol extractables), linked with cellulose and lignin dynamics, might suggest that within the Italian alder ecosystem there is a reasonably fast formation of stable C compounds in the soil. Thus, Italian alder is an ideal species for afforestation and reforestation, which could be particularly interesting for land-use policies.

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Litterfall, Decomposition and Nutrient Release in an Age Sequence of Alnus Nepalensis Plantation Stands in the Eastern Himalaya

Cited by 55 publications

References 31 publications

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

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

Accumulated organic matter, litterfall production, and decomposition tell us the status of litter dynamics in forests

Dynamics of Organic Matter in Leaf Litter and Topsoil within an Italian Alder (Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Desf.) Ecosystem

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