Xiao Chen, Deborah Page-Dumroese, Ruiheng Lv, Weiwei Wang, Guolei Li, Yong Liu. (2014). Interaction of initial litter quality and thinning intensity on litter decomposition rate, nitrogen accumulation and release in a pine plantation. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 4 article id 1211. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.1211

Keywords: litter quality; litter decomposition; nitrogen cycling; thinning intensity; Pinus tabulaeformis

Highlights: Litter quality and thinning showed an interaction on one year litter decomposition rates, N accumulation, and net N release; N accumulated until the underlying critical acid-unhydrolyzable residue to nitrogen ratio (approximately 57–69) was met; Increased N concentration in litter and thinning intensity induced rapid litter decomposition and N cycling in coniferous plantation with a slow decomposition rate.

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Thinning alters litter quality and microclimate under forests. Both of these two changes after thinning induce alterations of litter decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. However, a possible interaction between these two changes remains unclear. We placed two types of litter (LN, low N concentration litter; HN, high N concentration litter) in a Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carrière) plantation under four thinning treatments to test the impacts of litter quality, thinning or their combination on decomposition rate and N cycling. In our study, N was accumulated to approach an underlying critical acid-unhydrolyzable residue to nitrogen ratio (approximately 57–69) in litter. Moreover, an interaction between litter quality and thinning on decomposition rates, N accumulation and net release did exist. On one hand, one year decomposition rate of LN was elevated after thinning while that of HN remained the same or even lower (under light thinning); N accumulation of LN declined with light thinning and was restored with the increase of thinning intensity whereas that of HN did not decline with thinning and increased under heavy thinning; Net N release from LN was only found in light and heavy thinning while that from HN was found in all treatments, moreover net N release from LN and HN were both elevated under heavy thinning. On the other hand, HN decomposed faster, accumulated less and released more N than LN did under all treatments. Generally, high N concentration in litter and high-intensity thinning can lead to rapid litter decomposition and N cycling in coniferous plantations.

Chen, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China E-mail: chenxiao_0123@126.com
Page-Dumroese, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 1221 South Main Street, Moscow, ID 83843, USA E-mail: ddumroese@fs.fed.us
Lv, College of Plant Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar Xinjiang, 843300, China E-mail: lvrh514723@126.com
Wang, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China E-mail: fuyuerdejia@126.com
Li, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China E-mail: glli226@163.com
Liu, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China E-mail: lyong@bjfu.edu.cn

article id 180, category Research article

Hongzhang Kang, Björn Berg, Chunjiang Liu, Carl J. Westman. (2009). Variation in mass-loss rate of foliar litter in relation to climate and litter quality in Eurasian forests: differences among functional groups of litter. Silva Fennica vol. 43 no. 4 article id 180. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.180

Keywords: carbon sequestration; climate; Eurasian forests; leaf litter; mass-loss; litter quality

Abstract | View details | Full text in PDF | Author Info

With a data set of litter decomposition collected by means of literature survey, our objectives are 1) to determine the differences in the variation in the first-year mass loss (%) of leaf litter with regard to climate and litter quality among different functional groups of tree species in Eurasian forests, and 2) to determine the difference in effect of mean annual temperature (°C), annual precipitation (dm), as well as concentration of nitrogen (%), and lignin (%) on first-year mass loss over a wide range in climate and litter quality. The main results are as follows. 1) The significant differences between litter types in the relationships between first-year mass loss and climatic factors plus litter quality revealed clearly different decomposition patterns over the continent. Thus, differences were found between coniferous and broadleaf litter, between deciduous broadleaf and evergreen broadleaf as well as between genera and even within a genus, viz. between deciduous and evergreen Quercus. 2) With a change in a relative unit of climate and litter quality variables, there were clear differences in effects of mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, and nitrogen on first-year mass loss for different functional groups of trees. 3) We identified some broadleaf litter species that decomposed to 100% in one year and thus did not contribute to carbon sequestration in a humus layer. Thus, the variation in pattern of foliar litter decomposition with climate and litter quality across functional groups in Eurasian forests showed different decomposition strategies for litter of different groups and genera.

Kang, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Rd. 800, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China E-mail: hk@nn.cn
Berg, Department of Forest Ecology, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 7, FIN-00014 Finland; Dipartimento Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale. Complesso Universitario, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, IT-80126 Napoli, Italy E-mail: bb@nn.fi
Liu, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Rd. 800, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture (South), Ministry of Agriculture, P. R. China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Rd., Shanghai 200240, P. R. China E-mail: chjliu@sjtu.edu.cn
Westman, Dipartimento Biologia Strutturale e Funzionale. Complesso Universitario, Monte S. Angelo, Via Cinthia, IT-80126 Napoli, Italy E-mail: cjw@nn.it

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