scholarly journals Deer slow down litter decomposition by reducing litter quality in a temperate forest

Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chollet ◽  
Morgane Maillard ◽  
Juliane Schörghuber ◽  
Sue J. Grayston ◽  
Jean‐Louis Martin
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Litter Quality

scholarly journals Deer slow down litter decomposition by reducing litter quality in a temperate forest

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chollet Simon ◽  
Maillard Morgane ◽  
Schörghuber Juliane ◽  
Grayston Sue ◽  
Martin Jean-Louis
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Experimental Situation ◽  
Nitrogen Loss ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Decomposition Process ◽  
Carbon Loss ◽  
One Year

ABSTRACTIn temperate forest ecosystems, the role of deer in litter decomposition, a key nutrient cycling process, remains debated. Deer may modify the decomposition process by affecting plant cover and thus modifying litter abundance. They can also alter litter quality through differential browsing and affect decomposer ability by changing soil abiotic properties and the nature of decomposer communities. We used two litterbag experiments in a quasi-experimental situation resulting from the introduction of Sitka black-tailed deer Odocoileus odocoileus sitkensis on forested islands of Haida Gwaii (Canada). We investigated the effects of deer on decomposition through their impacts on litter quality and on decomposer ability. After one year, the effect of deer on litter quality resulted in a lower rate of mass loss in litter from litterbags. This mass loss mainly reflected a 21 and 38 % lower rate of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) loss, respectively. Presence of deer resulted in lower decomposer ability for the rate of carbon loss, but not for nitrogen loss. The level of C loss after one year was 5% higher for litter decomposing on an island without deer. But the change in the rate of carbon loss explained by the effect of deer on decomposer ability was outweighed by the effect deer had on litter quality. Additional effects of deer on the decomposition process through feces deposition were significant but minor. These results question the role the large increase in deer populations observed in temperate forests at continental scales may play in broad scale patterns of C and N cycling.

scholarly journals Effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition in Chinese forests: a meta-analysis

PeerJ ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. e12747
Author(s):  
Peng Zan ◽  
Zijun Mao ◽  
Tao Sun
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Decomposition Rate ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
The Impact

Litter quality and climate have been presumed to be the dominant factors regulating litter decomposition rates on broad spatial scales. However, the role of soil fauna on litter decomposition is poorly understood, despite the fact that it could strongly influence decomposition by fragmentation and subsequent modification of the activities of microorganisms.In this study, we carried out a meta-analysis on the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates in Chinese forests, ranging from boreal to tropical forests, based on data from 20 studies. The effects of climatic factors on decomposition rate were assessed by comparing the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition from studies carried out at different latitudes.The degree of influence of the soil fauna was in the order tropical (200%) > subtropical (47%) > temperate forest (28%). Comparing the effect size of soil fauna, it was found that when soil fauna was excluded, the decomposition rate, calculated using Olson’s equation, was most affected in tropical forest (−0.77), while the litter decomposition rate both subtropical (−0.36) and temperate forest (−0.19) were also suppressed to varying degrees (P < 0.001). These results highlight that soil fauna could promote litter decomposition to different extents. Using stepwise multiple linear regression, the effect size of the soil fauna was negatively correlated with the cellulose and nitrogen concentrations of the initial litter material. In Chinese forests, litter decomposition rates were reduced, on average, by 65% when soil fauna was excluded. The impact of soil fauna on decomposition was shown to be closely related to climate and litter quality.

Ungulates decelerate litter decomposition by altering litter quality above and below ground

2016 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 849-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiru Kasahara ◽  
Saori Fujii ◽  
Toko Tanikawa ◽  
Akira S. Mori
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Below Ground

scholarly journals Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1045-1053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo García-Palacios ◽  
Fernando T. Maestre ◽  
Jens Kattge ◽  
Diana H. Wall
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Soil Fauna

scholarly journals Invasive N-fixer Impacts on Litter Decomposition Driven by Changes to Soil Properties Not Litter Quality

Ecosystems ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1151-1163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur A. D. Broadbent ◽  
Kate H. Orwin ◽  
Duane A. Peltzer ◽  
Ian A. Dickie ◽  
Norman W. H. Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Litter Quality

Long-term responses of leaf litter decomposition to temperature, litter quality and litter mixing in plateau wetlands

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guodong Liu ◽  
Jinfang Sun ◽  
Kun Tian ◽  
Derong Xiao ◽  
Xingzhong Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Litter Quality ◽  
Leaf Litter Decomposition ◽  
Litter Mixing ◽  
Plateau Wetlands

Driving Factors Behind Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release at Temperate Forest Edges

Ecosystems ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyn Remy ◽  
Karen Wuyts ◽  
Lotte Van Nevel ◽  
Pallieter De Smedt ◽  
Pascal Boeckx ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Forest Edges
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