Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations
Litter decomposition is a crucial ecological process that regulates nutrient cycling. However, the effects of understory plants and overstory trees on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics are still poorly understood. We conducted understory plants removal and/or overstory trees removal to exam...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419302161 |
| _version_ | 1828487912479522816 |
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| author | Yuanqi Chen Yanju Zhang Jianbo Cao Shenglei Fu Shuijin Hu Jianping Wu Jie Zhao Zhanfeng Liu |
| author_facet | Yuanqi Chen Yanju Zhang Jianbo Cao Shenglei Fu Shuijin Hu Jianping Wu Jie Zhao Zhanfeng Liu |
| author_sort | Yuanqi Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Litter decomposition is a crucial ecological process that regulates nutrient cycling. However, the effects of understory plants and overstory trees on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics are still poorly understood. We conducted understory plants removal and/or overstory trees removal to examine the resulting effects on litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization in two Eucalyptus plantations with contrasting ages (8-yr-old, 29-yr-old) in subtropical China. Litter bags containing naturally senesced leaves of either overstory Eucalyptus urophylla or understory Dicranopteris dichotoma were placed in field and periodically collected for analyses of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and calculation of mass loss. Our results showed that understory plants removal significantly reduced litter decomposition of E. urophylla in both plantations, but N and P mineralization were reduced only in the 8-yr-old plantation. In contrast, it reduced litter decomposition of D. dichotoma only in the 29-yr-old plantation, but had no effects on N and P mineralization in either plantation. In comparison, overstory tree removal did not have any effects on decomposition or mineralization of N and P of E. urophylla and D. dichotoma litters. These results indicate that the role of understory plants in mediating litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization is more important than overstory trees, and it can be altered by stand age and plant species. Our findings could facilitate the understanding of ecological processes of litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization in subtropical forest ecosystems. Keywords: Leaf litter, Understory plant, Nutrient mineralization, Subtropical forest, Stand age, Plant identity |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:00:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac70824f44af4ccbad6d6c74b67c5feb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T10:00:50Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac70824f44af4ccbad6d6c74b67c5feb2022-12-22T01:12:08ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942019-10-0120Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantationsYuanqi Chen0Yanju Zhang1Jianbo Cao2Shenglei Fu3Shuijin Hu4Jianping Wu5Jie Zhao6Zhanfeng Liu7Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Coal Resources Clean-utilization and Mine Environment Protection, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan, 411201, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United StatesKey Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, ChinaCollege of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, ChinaDepartment of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, United StatesSchool of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, ChinaKey Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, 410125, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, China; Corresponding author. Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 723, Xingke Road, Guangzhou, 510650, China.Litter decomposition is a crucial ecological process that regulates nutrient cycling. However, the effects of understory plants and overstory trees on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics are still poorly understood. We conducted understory plants removal and/or overstory trees removal to examine the resulting effects on litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization in two Eucalyptus plantations with contrasting ages (8-yr-old, 29-yr-old) in subtropical China. Litter bags containing naturally senesced leaves of either overstory Eucalyptus urophylla or understory Dicranopteris dichotoma were placed in field and periodically collected for analyses of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and calculation of mass loss. Our results showed that understory plants removal significantly reduced litter decomposition of E. urophylla in both plantations, but N and P mineralization were reduced only in the 8-yr-old plantation. In contrast, it reduced litter decomposition of D. dichotoma only in the 29-yr-old plantation, but had no effects on N and P mineralization in either plantation. In comparison, overstory tree removal did not have any effects on decomposition or mineralization of N and P of E. urophylla and D. dichotoma litters. These results indicate that the role of understory plants in mediating litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization is more important than overstory trees, and it can be altered by stand age and plant species. Our findings could facilitate the understanding of ecological processes of litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization in subtropical forest ecosystems. Keywords: Leaf litter, Understory plant, Nutrient mineralization, Subtropical forest, Stand age, Plant identityhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419302161 |
| spellingShingle | Yuanqi Chen Yanju Zhang Jianbo Cao Shenglei Fu Shuijin Hu Jianping Wu Jie Zhao Zhanfeng Liu Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations Global Ecology and Conservation |
| title | Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations |
| title_full | Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations |
| title_fullStr | Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations |
| title_short | Stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical Eucalyptus plantations |
| title_sort | stand age and species traits alter the effects of understory removal on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in subtropical eucalyptus plantations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989419302161 |
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