Effects of litter mixing on litter decomposition and soil

effects of litter-consuming soil fauna on decomposition (Heemsbergen et al. 2004). This approach involves mixing leaf species differing in litter chemistry to create chemical trait dissimilarity gradients. We used this approach to investigate not only effects on litter mass loss, but also on two related processes, nutrient

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low and high functional diversity in 40 streams on

Litter bags with varying mesh sizes are often used to exclude different kinds of soil fauna. When fine mesh (<1 mm) litterbags were applied to exclude soil fauna in litter decomposition studies, an antagonistic effect of litter mixing on decomposition was detected (Figs 3a, 4b). Conversely, synergistic effects were detected when middle- (1–5

Litter decomposition has been widely studied in mineral soil sites and under controlled laboratory conditions. Most of the variation in decomposition rates can be explained by litter quality, temperature and soil moisture (Berg el a]., 1993; Walse et al., 1998). In pristine (undrained) peatlands,

systems: in effect they 'short circuit' generally slow nutrient cycles, with potential impacts on resource patchiness and local scale biodiversity. Key-words: ecosystem processes, functional groups, hemiparasitic plants, litter mixtures, nutrient cycling, plant-soil interactions, seasonal decomposition, sub-arctic, winter processes

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

Soil-litter mixing was an important driver of decomposition, and varied among vegetation patch types and soil types. •Soil-litter aggregation accompanying soil-litter mixing appears to be a result of fungal hyphae connectingsoil particles and litter, although bacterial exudates presumably play an important, but less readily visible role

Some studies suggested that monitoring soil enzymes could also be a useful approach for estimating microbial activities related to litter decomposition (e.g. DeForest 2009; Sinsabaugh et al. 2005). Thus, changes in soil enzyme activities under high temperature could explain their effects on litter decomposition.

Soil redox conditions exert substantial influence on biogeochemical processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Humid tropical forests are often characterized by fluctuating redox dynamics, yet how redox fluctuations affect patterns in soil versus litter decomposition and associated CO2 fluxes are not well understood in these ecosystems.

We quantified the effects of soil-litter mixing on leaf litter decomposition by placing litterbags in areas where grass cover was reduced 0, 50, 75, and 100%, and in un-manipulated response plots immediately downwind of our treatment plots. Previous work has documented an increase in soil flux when cover by grasses is reduced 50, 75 and 100%.

This study examined, first, the response of litter decomposition and soil CO 2 efflux (R S) to different soil moisture conditions and, second, the application of various litter decomposition functions in a wetland and upland forest dominated by Japanese alder.One upland site (US) and three wetland sites - a drained site (DS), poorly drained site (PDS), and surface saturated site (SSS) - were

Our quantitative synthesis of litter mixture effects on decomposition, encompassing most of the Earth’s forest biomes, suggests that mixing litter from different plant species generally accelerated litter mass loss and N release compared to what is predicted based on single species decomposition (Figures 2 and 3).

addition, high quality litter may support a larger soil organism community which 'spills over' onto the lower quality litter. Where decomposition has been shown to be either insensitive to litter-mixing or to respond in a negative, non-additive manner, the factors that negate positive effects or retard decomposition, respectively,

Additionally, synergistic effects turn into antagonistic effects when soil fauna are absent or litter is in very late stages of decomposition (near-humus). In 

Introduction. Litter decomposition is one of the key processes in terrestrial ecosystems, affecting nutrient availability and the carbon (C) cycle , .Generally, litter decomposition rates and nutrient dynamics are influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, such as climate, litter quality, and the composition of the decomposer community , .Most previous studies, however, have only focused on

The positive effects of improved litter quality slightly out-performed the negative effects of increased soil N. Our further analysis revealed that the negative effect of increasing soil N on litter decomposition could be partially explained by reduced soil microbial biomass and activity.

positive, non-additive effects of litter-mixing on decomposition have been explained addition, high quality litter may support a larger soil.

the entire litter mixtures were analyzed, i.e. mixing species resulted in pure additive effects and observed decomposition rates were not different from expected rates. However, the individual species changed their decomposition pattern depending on the diversity of the litter mixture, i.e. there were species-specific responses to mixing litter.

For both litter types (i.e. alone or in mixture), we calculated litter decay constants (k, month −1) to examine litter mixing effects on litter decomposition rates.

Although there has been much recent interest in the effect of mixed-species litter on decomposition processes, much remains unknown about how mixed-species litter influences litter decomposition, especially little is known how soil microbial communities are affecting. We carried out a litter mixing experiment in subtropical plantation forest to reveal the effects of litter mixtures on leaf

the effect of litter quality on the mixture of litter and the environment of the forest floor [25-26]. Wu et al. found that litter quality on the basis of species composition af-fects litter-mixing effects on decomposition rates in tem-perate forests in China, which only took litter quality and litter mixtures into consideration [27].

of the litter/soil matrix is a key but overlooked component of dryland decomposition. It is hypothesized this matrix is controlled by wind/water transport of soil which, in turn, is controlled by vegetation structure. Furthermore as the litter/soil matrix develops, biotic and abiotic drivers, including UV photodegradation, are strongly mediated.

grazing intensity on litter decomposition and soil N dynamics. This study was designed to address the effect that grazing intensity has on: (1) litter and root decomposition and N release; and (2) soil N miner- alization and immobilization. Methods Study Site The study was conducted at

Interactions between the litter of different species in mixtures may affect decomposition rates and nutrient dynamics during litter decomposition, resulting in non-additive effects, i.e

LITTER DECOMPOSITION CONCEPT. Litter decomposition is defined as the process through which dead organic material is broken down into particles of progressively smaller size, until the structure can no longer be recognized, and organic molecules are mineralized to their prime constituents: H 2 O, CO 2 and mineral components. During the process, recalcitrant organic compounds are formed and

When the litter of a given species decomposes, it will often break down in the proximity of litters from other species. We investigated the effects of litters of 10 different species in a boreal forest of northern Sweden on each others' decomposition and N release rates; this was done through the use of litterbags containing two compartments separated by single mesh partition.