Abstract
Aims
Plant litter decomposition in drylands is not well understood, and even less is known about decay of the abundant standing dead residues. Here, we followed decomposition of standing and surface litter, and assessed the underlying drivers and mechanisms.
Methods
In a field experiment during contrasting seasons, litterbags were suspended at 0.05 and 1 m above ground (standing litter) and were placed on the ground (surface litter). We also quantified the moisture content of free-standing litter.
Results
During nighttime in the dry, rainless season, minimum temperature was 2–3 °C lower in standing litter, leading to higher litter moisture and a doubling of microbially-driven CO2 emissions from standing compared with surface litter. Free-standing litter moisture increased linearly with height to almost 2 m above ground. Ultimately, mass loss was higher in standing than in surface litter during the dry season (11–12% vs. 7%) and over both the dry and the wet seasons (27–34% vs. 23%), and was positively related to potentially active microbial biomass.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that standing litter decomposed faster than surface litter because of enhanced microbial degradation, and possibly photodegradation, all-year-round. Therefore, carbon turnover in drylands and beyond may be underestimated by only considering surface litter decay.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- RH:
-
relative humidity
- SIR:
-
substrate induced respiration
- T:
-
temperature
References
Adair EC, Parton WJ, Del Grosso SJ et al (2008) Simple three-pool model accurately describes patterns of long-term litter decomposition in diverse climates. Glob Chang Biol 14:2636–2660. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01674.x
Ahlström A, Raupach MR, Schurgers G et al (2015) The dominant role of semi-arid ecosystems in the trend and variability of the land CO2 sink. Science 348:895–899. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaa1668
Allen CD, Macalady AK, Chenchouni H, Bachelet D, McDowell N, Vennetier M, Kitzberger T, Rigling A, Breshears DD, Hogg EH(T), Gonzalez P, Fensham R, Zhang Z, Castro J, Demidova N, Lim JH, Allard G, Running SW, Semerci A, Cobb N (2010) A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. For Ecol Manag 259:660–684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.001
Almagro M, Maestre FT, Martínez-López J, Valencia E, Rey A (2015) Climate change may reduce litter decomposition while enhancing the contribution of photodegradation in dry perennial Mediterranean grasslands. Soil Biol Biochem 90:214–223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.08.006
Almagro M, Martínez-López J, Maestre FT, Rey A (2017) The contribution of photodegradation to litter decomposition in semiarid Mediterranean grasslands depends on its interaction with local humidity conditions, litter quality and position. Ecosystems 20:527–542. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-016-0036-5
Amatangelo KL, Dukes JS, Field CB (2008) Responses of a California annual grassland to litter manipulation. J Veg Sci 19:605–612. https://doi.org/10.3170/2008-8-18415
Austin AT, Ballaré CL (2010) Dual role of lignin in plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:4618–4622. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0909396107
Austin AT, Vivanco L (2006) Plant litter decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem controlled by photodegradation. Nature 442:555–558. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05038
Austin AT, Méndez MS, Ballaré CL (2016) Photodegradation alleviates the lignin bottleneck for carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci 113:4392–4397. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516157113
Baier W (1966) Studies on dew formation under semi-arid conditions. Agric Meteorol 3:103–112. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.146.3651.1601
Barnes PW, Throop HL, Hewins DB, Abbene ML, Archer SR (2012) Soil coverage reduces photodegradation and promotes the development of soil-microbial films on dryland leaf litter. Ecosystems 15:311–321. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9511-1
Barnes PW, Throop HL, Archer SR et al (2015) Sunlight and soil–litter mixing: drivers of litter decomposition in drylands. Prog Bot 76:273–302. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08807-5
Bartholomew WV, Norman AG (1947) The threshold moisture content for active decomposition of some mature plant materials. Soil Sci Soc Proc 11:270–279
Beare MH, Neely CL, Coleman DC, Hargrove WL (1990) A substrate-induced respiration (SIR) method for measurement of fungal and bacterial biomass on plant residues. Soil Biol Biochem 22:585–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(90)90002-H
Berg B, McClaugherty C (2008) Plant litter: decomposition, humus formation, carbon sequestration, 2nd edn. Springer Verlag, Berlin
Bonan GB, Hartman MD, Parton WJ, Wieder WR (2013) Evaluating litter decomposition in earth system models with long-term litterbag experiments: an example using the community land model version 4 (CLM4). Glob Chang Biol 19:957–974. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12031
Brandt LA, Bohnet C, King JY (2009) Photochemically induced carbon dioxide production as a mechanism for carbon loss from plant litter in arid ecosystems. J Geophys Res 114:G02004. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JG000772
Carroll JJ, Slupsky JD, Mather AE (1991) The solubility of carbon dioxide in water at low pressure. J Phys Chem Ref Data 20:1201–1209. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.555900
Davidson EA, de Araújo AC, Artaxo P, Balch JK, Brown IF, C. Bustamante MM, Coe MT, DeFries RS, Keller M, Longo M, Munger JW, Schroeder W, Soares-Filho BS, Souza CM, Wofsy SC (2012) The Amazon basin in transition. Nature 481:321–328. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10717
Dirks I, Navon Y, Kanas D et al (2010) Atmospheric water vapor as driver of litter decomposition in Mediterranean shrubland and grassland during rainless seasons. Glob Chang Biol 16:2799–2812. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02172.x
Douglas CLJ, Allmaras RR, Rasmussen PE et al (1980) Wheat straw composition and placement effects on decomposition in dryland agriculture of the Pacific northwest. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:833–837. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1980.03615995004400040035x
Dukes JS, Field CB (2000) Diverse mechanisms for CO2 effects on grassland litter decomposition. Glob Chang Biol 6:145–154. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2486.2000.00292.x
Gallo ME, Porras-Alfaro A, Odenbach KJ, Sinsabaugh RL (2009) Photoacceleration of plant litter decomposition in an arid environment. Soil Biol Biochem 41:1433–1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.03.025
Gliksman D, Haenel S, Grünzweig JM (2017a) Biotic and abiotic modifications of leaf litter during dry periods affect litter mass loss and nitrogen loss during wet periods. Funct Ecol 32:831–839. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13018
Gliksman D, Rey A, Seligmann R, Dumbur R, Sperling O, Navon Y, Haenel S, de Angelis P, Arnone JA III, Grünzweig JM (2017b) Biotic degradation at night, abiotic degradation at day: positive feedbacks on litter decomposition in drylands. Glob Chang Biol 23:1564–1574. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13465
Harpole DN, Haas CA (1999) Effects of seven silvicultural treatments on terrestrial salamanders. For Ecol Manag 114:349–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00365-X
Henry HAL, Brizgys K, Field CB (2008) Litter decomposition in a California annual grassland: interactions between photodegradation and litter layer thickness. Ecosystems 11:545–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9141-4
Hewins DB, Archer SR, Okin GS, McCulley RL, Throop HL (2013) Soil–litter mixing accelerates decomposition in a Chihuahuan desert grassland. Ecosystems 16:183–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-012-9604-5
Jacobs AFG, Van Pul WAJ, Van Dijken A (1990) Similarity moisture dew profiles within a corn canopy. J Appl Meteorol 29:1300–1306. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1990)029<1300:SMDPWA>2.0.CO;2
Jacobson K, Van Diepeningen A, Evans S et al (2015) Non-rainfall moisture activates fungal decomposition of surface litter in the Namib Sand Sea. PLoS One 10:e0126977. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0126977
Jasoni RL, Smith SD, Arnone JA (2005) Net ecosystem CO2 exchange in Mojave Desert shrublands during the eighth year of exposure to elevated CO2. Glob Chang Biol 11:749–756. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.00948.x
King JY, Brandt LA, Adair EC (2012) Shedding light on plant litter decomposition: advances, implications and new directions in understanding the role of photodegradation. Biogeochemistry 111:57–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9737-9
Lee H, Rahn T, Throop H (2012) An accounting of C-based trace gas release during abiotic plant litter degradation. Glob Chang Biol 18:1185–1195. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02579.x
Lee H, Fitzgerald J, Hewins DB, McCulley RL, Archer SR, Rahn T, Throop HL (2014) Soil moisture and soil-litter mixing effects on surface litter decomposition: a controlled environment assessment. Soil Biol Biochem 72:123–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.01.027
Lin Y, King JY (2014) Effects of UV exposure and litter position on decomposition in a California grassland. Ecosystems 17:158–168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-013-9712-x
Liu G, Cornwell WK, Pan X, Ye D, Liu F, Huang Z, Dong M, Cornelissen JHC (2015) Decomposition of 51 semidesert species from wide-ranging phylogeny is faster in standing and sand-buried than in surface leaf litters: implications for carbon and nutrient dynamics. Plant Soil 396:175–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2595-1
Luo H, Oechel WC, Hastings SJ et al (2007) Mature semiarid chaparral ecosystems can be a significant sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Glob Chang Biol 13:386–396. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01299.x
McCown RL, Wall BH (1981) The influence of weather on the quality of tropical legume pasture during the dry season in northern Australia. II. Moulding of standing hay in relation to rain and dew. Aust J Agric Res 32:589–598. https://doi.org/10.2307/1936687
McHugh TA, Morrissey EM, Reed SC et al (2015) Water from air: an overlooked source of moisture in arid and semiarid regions. Sci Rep 5:13767. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13767
Moorhead DL, Callaghan T (1994) Effects of increasing ultraviolet B radiation on decomposition and soil organic matter dynamics: a synthesis and modelling study. Biol Fertil Soils 18:19–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336439
Nagy LA, Macauley BJ (1982) Eucalyptus leaf-litter decomposition: effects of relative humidity and substrate moisture content. Soil Biol Biochem 14:233–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/0038-0717(82)90031-1
Pan X, Song Y-B, Liu G-F, Hu YK, Ye XH, Cornwell WK, Prinzing A, Dong M, Cornelissen JHC (2015) Functional traits drive the contribution of solar radiation to leaf litter decomposition among multiple arid-zone species. Sci Rep 5:13217. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep13217
Parton WJ, Scurlock JMO, Ojima DS et al (1995) Impact of climate change on grassland production and soil carbon worldwide. Glob Chang Biol 1:13–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.1995.tb00002.x
Parton W, Silver WL, Burke IC, Grassens L, Harmon ME, Currie WS, King JY, Adair EC, Brandt LA, Hart SC, Fasth B (2007) Global-scale similarities in nitrogen release patterns during long-term decomposition. Science 315:361–364. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1134853
Raison RJ, Woods PV, Khanna PK (1986) Decomposition and accumulation of litter after fire in sub-alpine eucalypt forests. Aust J Ecol 11:9–19. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.1986.tb00913.x
Rutledge S, Campbell DI, Baldocchi D, Schipper LA (2010) Photodegradation leads to increased carbon dioxide losses from terrestrial organic matter. Glob Chang Biol 16:3065–3074. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02149.x
Schade GW, Crutzen PJ (1999) CO emissions from degrading plant matter. (II). Estimate of a global source strength. Tellus 51B:889–908. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0889.1999.t01-4-00003.x
Throop HL, Archer SR (2007) Interrelationships among shrub encroachment, land management, and litter decomposition in a semidesert grassland. Ecol Appl 17:1809–1823. https://doi.org/10.1890/06-0889.1
Thurow TL (1989) Decomposition of grasses and forbs in coastal savanna of southern Somalia. Afr J Ecol 27:201–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.1989.tb01013.x
Wang J, Liu L, Wang X, Yang S, Zhang B, Li P, Qiao C, Deng M, Liu W (2017) High night-time humidity and dissolved organic carbon content support rapid decomposition of standing litter in a semi-arid landscape. Funct Ecol 31:1659:1668–1659:1668. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12854
Webb AR, Weihs P, Blumthaler M (1999) Spectral UV irradiance on vertical surfaces: a case study. Photochem Photobiol 69:464–470. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-1097.1999.tb03313.x
Whitford WG, Meentemeyer V, Seastedt TR, Cromack K Jr, Crossley DA Jr, Santos P, Todd RL, Waide JB (1981) Exceptions to the AET model: deserts and clear-cut forest. Ecology 62:275–277. https://doi.org/10.2307/1936687
Wohlfahrt G, Fenstermaker LF, Arnone JA III (2008) Large annual net ecosystem CO2 uptake of a Mojave Desert ecosystem. Glob Chang Biol 14:1475–1487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01593.x
Xiao H, Meissner R, Seeger J, Rupp H, Borg H (2009) Effect of vegetation type and growth stage on dewfall, determined with high precision weighing lysimeters at a site in northern Germany. J Hydrol 377:43–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.08.006
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Ramat Hanadiv team for the administrative expertise and technical assistance, the Yitzhak Hadar lab for their assistance with gas-chromatography measurement, Shabtai Cohen and Israel Oren for support with climate monitoring, Avner Zinger, Hen Karo, Meron Berniker, Mor Ashkenazi and Nili Bruckenthal for field and lab assistance. This research project was financially supported by the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF), the Jewish National Fund (KKL) and the Ring Family Foundation. The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Cindy Prescott.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 823 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gliksman, D., Navon, Y., Dumbur, R. et al. Higher rates of decomposition in standing vs. surface litter in a Mediterranean ecosystem during the dry and the wet seasons. Plant Soil 428, 427–439 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3696-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3696-4