Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiangshi Kong, Can Wu, Bei Yao, Zaihua He, Hong Lin, Xingbing He, Yonghui Lin, Tingting Cao, Yanyan Jia, Yongfei Li, Kai Tian, Xingjun Tian
Summary: The study reveals the important role of algae in ecological processes of aquatic ecosystems and their significance in predicting the effects of global change. Algae are found to shorten microbial conditioning time, increase litter quality, and enhance decomposition processes. Shrimp feeding behavior affects the interactions of algae and fecal pellets in litter decomposition.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingru Liu, Chengming You, Zhenfeng Xu, Yang Liu, Li Zhang, Han Li, Lixia Wang, Sining Liu, Shuqin He, Ziteng Luo, Bo Tan
Summary: Soil arthropods play a crucial role in mediating microbial activity during litter decomposition. In a field experiment, the presence of soil arthropods significantly increased the activity of C-, N- and P-degrading enzymes in litter. The presence of soil arthropods indirectly regulated the enzyme activity by influencing the litter C content and stoichiometry during decomposition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Toko Tanikawa, Nagamitsu Maie, Saori Fujii, Lijuan Sun, Yasuhiro Hirano, Takeo Mizoguchi, Yosuke Matsuda
Summary: Leachate from decaying root and leaf litter plays crucial roles in soil biogeochemical processes in forest ecosystems. The chemical composition and microbial community of root litter leachate differ from leaf litter leachate. Understanding organ-specific litter N dynamics is essential for forest ecosystem management.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jose Trabulo, Arunava Pradhan, Claudia Pascoal, Fernanda Cassio
Summary: Microplastics, an emerging contaminant in aquatic environments, have been found to negatively affect freshwater microbial decomposers and the process of leaf litter decomposition. This study highlights the potential harmful effects of microplastics, alone or in mixtures with silver nanoparticles, on aquatic fungi and a key ecosystem process.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Yuanqi Chen, Shengfu Chen, Bohan Zhang, Xiaotong Ma, Xiaotong Liu, Ying Huang, Yu Zhang
Summary: This study examines the decomposition and nutrient dynamics of leaf litter and fine roots in an urban forest in subtropical China. The results show that the leaf litter decomposition rate and nutrient mineralization rate are faster for Elaeocarpus decipiens compared to Cinnamomum officinarum. Soil microbial biomass has different effects on leaf litter decomposition and fine root decomposition. Elaeocarpus decipiens has higher leaf litter production and nutrient storage, suggesting faster decomposition rate and nutrient return.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ashley K. Lang, Fiona V. Jevon, Corinne R. Vietorisz, Matthew P. Ayres, Jaclyn Hatala Matthes
Summary: Fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi can either stimulate or slow down leaf litter decomposition; both AM- and ECM-associated fine roots were found to enhance litter decay in this system, indicating the outcome may depend on interactions between mycorrhizal roots and saprotrophic fungi.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hui Liu, Jiazhen Zhang, Luying Zhang, Xi Zhang, Rui Yang
Summary: Recent studies have found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can accelerate the decomposition of leaf litters and alter the associated bacterial and fungal communities. This effect of AMF on decomposition is not influenced by the level of soil saline-alkali. AMF significantly increased the richness and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Novia Arinda Pradisty, A. Aldrie Amir, Martin Zimmer
Summary: The study investigates the impact of different plant species and ontogenetic stage on the microbial decay of mangrove leaf litter, revealing variations in decay rates among different plant species and differences in chemical composition of leaf litter between immature and mature plants.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Wei Wang, Kai Hu, Ke Huang, Jianping Tao
Summary: The study found that fine roots penetrating the litter layer significantly promote the intensity of mechanical fragmentation by changing the morphology, structure, and physical properties of leaf litter, thereby improving the efficiency of nutrient release in the early decomposition process.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Aogui Li, Yuexin Fan, Silu Chen, Haowei Song, Chengfang Lin, Yusheng Yang
Summary: Climate warming is expected to increase leaf litter decomposition rates, but the effect may not be uniform. This study found that soil warming had different effects on litter decomposition in a native forest and a plantation and that the impact varied over time.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Sara Fareed Mohamed Wahdan, Li Ji, Martin Schadler, Yu-Ting Wu, Chakriya Sansupa, Benjawan Tanunchai, Francois Buscot, Witoon Purahong
Summary: This study investigates the decomposition of wheat straw under future climate conditions and reveals that future climate will accelerate the decay rate of straw only in the early phases of decomposition. It also shows that the projected climate change will increase the abundance of saprotrophic fungi in decomposing wheat straw, and that the impact of future climate on microbial community assembly and interaction networks will depend on the decomposition phase. The study concludes that the impact of future climate on straw decay and microbial traits is limited to the early phases of decomposition.
Article
Agronomy
Shaqian Liu, Rui Yang, Chunlan Hou
Summary: In the management of eco-tea gardens, recycling weathered leaves of configured tree species is important for nutrient cycling. The decomposition rate, elemental release, and enzymatic activity of different combinations of leaf litter in tea garden soil were analyzed using an in situ decomposition method. The results showed that mixed decomposition accelerated the turnover period and nutrient effectiveness of Jiu'an ecological tea garden. Differences were observed in enzyme activities and their relationship with decomposition rate and nutrient release rate during leaf litter decomposition. Overall, changes in nutrient content of leaf litter during decomposition promoted enzyme activity, which facilitated the release of leaf litter elements and accelerated element recycling in the ecological tea garden.
Article
Plant Sciences
Bing Mao, Tingting Cui, Tongqing Su, Qiangsheng Xu, Feng Lu, Hongxin Su, Jianbing Zhang, Shuangshuang Xiao
Summary: Litter decomposition is a crucial process for nutrient cycling and carbon budgets in mixed forests. However, there is limited knowledge about the response of soil microbial processes to the mixed-litter decomposition of fresh leaf, semi-decomposed leaf, and fine root. In this study, a laboratory microcosm experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of mixed-litter decomposition on soil enzyme activity and microbial community in a karst forest in Southwest China. The results showed that the presence of fresh leaf litter had a significant influence on mixed-litter decomposition and soil enzyme activity. Furthermore, litter N concentration and the initial quality of litter played important roles in the decomposition process.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lorena Carrasco-Barea, Laura Llorens, Anna M. Romani, Maria Gispert, Dolors Verdaguer
Summary: This study analyzes the litter decomposition process of two Chenopodiaceae species and one Poaceae species in a Mediterranean salt marsh. The decomposition rates are affected by litter quality, microbial activity, and spatial differences within habitats.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Alan M. Tonin, Lais S. Lima, Paulino Bambi, Monique L. Figueiredo, Renan S. Rezende, Jose F. Goncalves
Summary: Studies have shown that the chemistry of seasonal litterfall is influenced by dominant plant species, with different chemical properties observed between wet and dry seasons. These findings suggest that shifts in dominant plant species and seasonality may alter litterfall chemistry, leading to changes in carbon and nutrient fluxes in tropical riparian ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2021)