The Responses of Leaf Litter Calcium, Magnesium, and Manganese Dynamics to Simulated Nitrogen Deposition and Reduced Precipitation Vary with Different Decomposition Stages

Shixing Zhou; Gang Yan; Junxi Hu; Xiong Liu; Xingcheng Zou; Liehua Tie; Rongze Yuan; Yudie Yang; Lin Xiao; Xinglei Cui; Lihua Tu; Jiaming Lai; Anjiu Zhao; Congde Huang

doi:10.3390/f12111473

Forests (Oct 2021)

The Responses of Leaf Litter Calcium, Magnesium, and Manganese Dynamics to Simulated Nitrogen Deposition and Reduced Precipitation Vary with Different Decomposition Stages

Shixing Zhou,
Gang Yan,
Junxi Hu,
Xiong Liu,
Xingcheng Zou,
Liehua Tie,
Rongze Yuan,
Yudie Yang,
Lin Xiao,
Xinglei Cui,
Lihua Tu,
Jiaming Lai,
Anjiu Zhao,
Congde Huang

Affiliations

Shixing Zhou: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Gang Yan: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Junxi Hu: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xiong Liu: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xingcheng Zou: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Liehua Tie: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Rongze Yuan: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Yudie Yang: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Lin Xiao: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Xinglei Cui: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Lihua Tu: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Jiaming Lai: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Anjiu Zhao: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Congde Huang: Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f12111473
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 11
p. 1473

Abstract

Read online

Litter decomposition is a vital link between material circulation and energy flow in forest ecosystems and is intensely affected by global change factors, such as increased nitrogen (N) deposition and altered precipitation regimes. As essential nutrients, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) play crucial roles in plant energy metabolism, photosynthesis, and membrane transport of plants, and the major source of these nutrients is litter decomposition. However, the dynamics of Ca, Mg, and Mn during decomposition have been largely ignored. Thus, to better understand Ca, Mg, and Mn dynamics during leaf litter decomposition in the scenario of increasing N deposition and decreasing precipitation, we carried out a two-year field litterbag experiment in a natural evergreen broad-leaved forest in the central area of the rainy area of Western China. Two levels of N deposition (ambient N deposition and 150 kg·N·ha−1·y−1) and precipitation reduction (no throughfall reduction and 10% throughfall reduction) were set, i.e., control (Ctr: without nitrogen deposition or throughfall reduction), N deposition (N, 150 kg·N·ha−1·y−1), throughfall reduction (T, 10% throughfall reduction), and N deposition and throughfall reduction (NT, 150 kg·N·ha−1·y−1 and 10% throughfall reduction). We found that leaf litter Ca concentration increased in the early decomposition stage and then decreased, while Mg and Mn concentrations generally decreased during the whole period of decomposition. The amount of Ca showed an accumulation pattern, while Mg and Mn generally showed a release pattern. N deposition and throughfall reduction affected the Ca, Mg, and Mn dynamics, varying with different decomposition stages; i.e., N deposition significantly affected the concentration and amount of Ca, regardless of the decomposition stages, while throughfall reduction significantly affected the Ca concentration in the whole and early decomposition stages. N deposition significantly affected the concentration and amount of Mg in the whole and early decomposition stages, while throughfall reduction had no significant effects. Throughfall reduction significantly affected the concentration and amount of Mn in the whole and late decomposition stages, while N deposition had no significant effects. Ca concentration generally showed a significant positive linear relationship with mass loss in the early decomposition stage; Mg concentration showed a significant positive linear relationship with mass loss in the Ctr and N treatments in the early and late decomposition stages; Mn generally showed a significant negative linear relationship with mass loss, regardless of the decomposition stage. Overall, the results suggest that Ca accumulation is more likely affected by N deposition, while Mg and Mn releases are more likely affected by N deposition combined with throughfall reduction, particularly in the early decomposition stage.

Published in Forests

ISSN: 1999-4907 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Botany: Plant ecology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords