Variability of above-ground litter inputs alters soil physicochemical and biological processes: a meta-analysis of litterfall-manipulation experiments

Abstract

Abstract. Global change has been shown to alter the amount of above-ground litter inputs to soil greatly, which could cause substantial cascading effects on below-ground biogeochemical cycling. Despite extensive study, there is uncertainty about how changes in above-ground litter inputs affect soil carbon and nutrient turnover and transformation. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis on 70 litter-manipulation experiments in order to assess how changes in above-ground litter inputs alter soil physicochemical properties, carbon dynamics and nutrient cycles. Our results demonstrated that litter removal decreased soil respiration by 34 %, microbial biomass carbon in the mineral soil by 39 % and total carbon in the mineral soil by 10 %, whereas litter addition increased them by 31, 26 and 10 %, respectively. This suggests that greater litter inputs increase the soil carbon sink despite higher rates of carbon release and transformation. Total nitrogen and extractable inorganic nitrogen in the mineral soil decreased by 17 and 30 %, respectively, under litter removal, but were not altered by litter addition. Overall, litter manipulation had a significant impact upon soil temperature and moisture, but not soil pH; litter inputs were more crucial in buffering soil temperature and moisture fluctuations in grassland than in forest. Compared to other ecosystems, tropical and subtropical forests were more sensitive to variation in litter inputs, as altered litter inputs affected the turnover and accumulation of soil carbon and nutrients more substantially over a shorter time period. Our study demonstrates that although the magnitude of responses differed greatly among ecosystems, the direction of the responses was very similar across different ecosystems. Interactions between plant productivity and below-ground biogeochemical cycling need to be taken into account to predict ecosystem responses to environmental change.

Contribution of litter layer to soil greenhouse gas emissions in a temperate beech forest

“…Surprisingly, we found no changes in NO 3 − , NH 4 + , PO 4 3− or WSS at any other sampling date. Similar results were reported by Xu et al (2013), who conducted a meta-analysis on 70 in situ litter manipulation experiments across various ecosystems and climatic regions. They discovered that litter removal had no influence on concentrations of DOC, extractable inorganic N (EIN) and extractable P in mineral soils of temperate forests.…”

Adapting Bioretention Construction Details to Local Practices in Finland

“…Performance is dependent on the construction including vegetation [12][13][14][15], ponding depth [16][17][18], the soil media composition [19][20][21], use of geotextiles [22], and media depth [16,21]. The main layers in bioretention provide filtration, retention, infiltration, and growing conditions for vegetation.…”

Impact of litterfall addition and exclusion on soil respiration in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation and secondary Castanopsis carlesii forest in mid-subtropical China

“…Pg C (Luo & Zhou, 2006), 其中约50 Pg C来自凋落 物和土壤有机质分解 (Raich & Schlesinger, 1992)。 凋 落物的去除和添加可以改变土壤有机质的供应, 并 影响地表微环境条件(温度、 湿度等因子), 进而降低 或增加土壤呼吸速率 (Kuzyakov, 2011;Xu et al, 2013) ·a -1 )计算公式为:…”