Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions
This study investigated the leaf litter decomposition dynamics of Hayat-ul-Mir subtropical scrub forest in Pakistan. Litter bags were incubated for 360 days in the forest to elucidate the effect of elevation and incubation time and for 90 days in microcosms to investigate the effect of projected war...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-12-01
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| Series: | All Life |
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2022.2147222 |
| _version_ | 1797236936942813184 |
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| author | Gul Zareen Ghafoor Faiza Sharif Muhammad Umar Hayyat Memuna Ghafoor Shahid Laila Shahzad |
| author_facet | Gul Zareen Ghafoor Faiza Sharif Muhammad Umar Hayyat Memuna Ghafoor Shahid Laila Shahzad |
| author_sort | Gul Zareen Ghafoor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study investigated the leaf litter decomposition dynamics of Hayat-ul-Mir subtropical scrub forest in Pakistan. Litter bags were incubated for 360 days in the forest to elucidate the effect of elevation and incubation time and for 90 days in microcosms to investigate the effect of projected warming (+2.3°C and +4.5°C) and soil moisture (M15% and M20%) on litter decomposition. Site elevation significantly affected k and T50% while time affected mass loss, residual weight, remaining C and N at p < .01 in field. After 360 days of decomposition, ∼48% residual weight with 11.7 ± 0.4% of C and 1.07 ± 0.06% of N was observed in the litter bags. Higher elevations (850–1020 m) were recorded with low C and N mineralization compared to 600–850 m elevations indicating their potential for long term carbon storage. Warming (+4.5°C) significantly accelerated the pace of decomposition in microcosms with comparatively higher mass loss (+26%), k (+34%), and soil CO2 efflux (+50%) reducing T50% by 77 days than observed under ambient conditions (To). The effect of moisture was insignificant but comparatively, decomposition was high at M20%. The study concludes that future warming will significantly accelerate the pace of nutrient cycling reducing the carbon storage potential of this ecosystem. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:58:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fb15cff9e7946b3bdb4aa05e15c2335 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2689-5307 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:11:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | All Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fb15cff9e7946b3bdb4aa05e15c23352024-03-28T09:48:51ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAll Life2689-53072022-12-011511175118710.1080/26895293.2022.21472222147222Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditionsGul Zareen Ghafoor0Faiza Sharif1Muhammad Umar Hayyat2Memuna Ghafoor Shahid3Laila Shahzad4Government College UniversityGovernment College UniversityGovernment College UniversityGovernment College UniversityGovernment College UniversityThis study investigated the leaf litter decomposition dynamics of Hayat-ul-Mir subtropical scrub forest in Pakistan. Litter bags were incubated for 360 days in the forest to elucidate the effect of elevation and incubation time and for 90 days in microcosms to investigate the effect of projected warming (+2.3°C and +4.5°C) and soil moisture (M15% and M20%) on litter decomposition. Site elevation significantly affected k and T50% while time affected mass loss, residual weight, remaining C and N at p < .01 in field. After 360 days of decomposition, ∼48% residual weight with 11.7 ± 0.4% of C and 1.07 ± 0.06% of N was observed in the litter bags. Higher elevations (850–1020 m) were recorded with low C and N mineralization compared to 600–850 m elevations indicating their potential for long term carbon storage. Warming (+4.5°C) significantly accelerated the pace of decomposition in microcosms with comparatively higher mass loss (+26%), k (+34%), and soil CO2 efflux (+50%) reducing T50% by 77 days than observed under ambient conditions (To). The effect of moisture was insignificant but comparatively, decomposition was high at M20%. The study concludes that future warming will significantly accelerate the pace of nutrient cycling reducing the carbon storage potential of this ecosystem.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2022.2147222carbon storageclimate changeelevationmoisturemineralizationwarming |
| spellingShingle | Gul Zareen Ghafoor Faiza Sharif Muhammad Umar Hayyat Memuna Ghafoor Shahid Laila Shahzad Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions All Life carbon storage climate change elevation moisture mineralization warming |
| title | Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| title_full | Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| title_fullStr | Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| title_short | Effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| title_sort | effect of climatic factors on leaf litter decomposition dynamics of a subtropical scrub forest under field and microcosm conditions |
| topic | carbon storage climate change elevation moisture mineralization warming |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26895293.2022.2147222 |
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