Climatic controls on leaf litter decomposition across European forests and grasslands revealed by reciprocal litter transplantation experiments
Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling under future climate change is associated with large uncertainties in litter decomposition and the turnover of soil C and N. In addition, future conditions (especially altered precipitation regimes and warming) are expected to result in changes in vegetation compo...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-03-01
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Series: | Biogeosciences |
Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/13/1621/2016/bg-13-1621-2016.pdf |
Summary: | Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling under future climate change is
associated with large uncertainties in litter decomposition and the turnover
of soil C and N. In addition, future conditions (especially altered
precipitation regimes and warming) are expected to result in changes in
vegetation composition, and accordingly in litter species and chemical
composition, but it is unclear how such changes could potentially alter
litter decomposition. Litter transplantation experiments were carried out
across six European sites (four forests and two grasslands) spanning a large
geographical and climatic gradient (5.6–11.4 °C in annual
temperature 511–878 mm in precipitation) to gain insight into the
climatic controls on litter decomposition as well as the effect of litter
origin and species.
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The decomposition <i>k</i> rates were overall higher in warmer and wetter sites
than in colder and drier sites, and positively correlated with the litter
total specific leaf area. Also, litter N content increased as less litter
mass remained and decay went further.
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Surprisingly, this study demonstrates that climatic controls on litter
decomposition are quantitatively more important than species or site of
origin. Cumulative climatic variables, precipitation, soil water content and
air temperature (ignoring days with air temperatures below zero degrees
Celsius), were appropriate to predict the litter remaining mass during
decomposition (<i>M</i><sub>r</sub>). <i>M</i><sub>r</sub> and cumulative air temperature were found to
be the best predictors for litter carbon and nitrogen remaining during the
decomposition. Using mean annual air temperature, precipitation, soil water
content and litter total specific leaf area as parameters we were able to
predict the annual decomposition rate (<i>k</i>) accurately. |
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ISSN: | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |