Article
Plant Sciences
Yang Zhang, Qing Zhang, Wenjun Yang, Yan Zhang, Ning Wang, Peixian Fan, Chao You, Linqian Yu, Qun Gao, Hui Wang, Peiming Zheng, Renqing Wang
Summary: The increase in nitrogen deposition and its diversity has significant impacts on the structure and function of temperate meadow steppe, affecting plant nutrient uptake, resorption, and litter decomposition, thereby altering the biogeochemical cycle. This study explored the effects of nitrogen deposition on nutrient cycling by closely examining plant nutrient uptake, resorption, and litter decomposition. The results showed that nitrogen deposition greatly influences the nutrient cycle of nitrogen and phosphorus, impacting the structure and function of grassland ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Lulu Guo, Meifeng Deng, Xuefei Li, Bernhard Schmid, Junsheng Huang, Yuntao Wu, Ziyang Peng, Lu Yang, Lingli Liu
Summary: This study reveals the evolutionary and ecological forces that drive nutrient acquisition strategies of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (EcM) woody plants. Over divergence time, AM woody plants evolved faster nitrogen mineralization rates without changes in nitrogen resorption, while EcM woody plants exhibited an increase in nitrogen mineralization but a decrease in nitrogen resorption, indicating a shift towards a more inorganic nutrient economy. These findings suggest that the interplay between phylogeny and climate shapes the global pattern of nutrient acquisition strategies in mycorrhizal plants.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Renshan Li, Qingpeng Yang, Xin Guan, Longchi Chen, Qingkui Wang, Silong Wang, Weidong Zhang
Summary: The influence of litter quality and soil mesofauna on litter decomposition was studied in a subtropical forest ecosystem. It was found that higher quality litter decomposed faster in the early stage and had a larger fraction of stable residue remaining in the late stage. Soil mesofauna exclusion had no effect on the early decomposition rate but significantly increased the stable residue remaining.
Article
Forestry
Ying Lu, Liudong Zhang, Kun Li, Ruiqiang Ni, Rongchu Han, Chuanrong Li, Caihong Zhang, Weixing Shen, Zhongjun Zhang
Summary: Microorganisms play a crucial role in litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. The diversity and composition of bacterial communities are influenced by litter species and tissues, which are correlated with the initial chemical properties of the litter.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peter G. Kennedy, Francois Maillard
Summary: Dead microbial cells, known as necromass, are important sources of carbon and nutrients in soils. Recent studies have focused on the microbial communities associated with decomposing fungal necromass in different terrestrial ecosystems. This article highlights the ecological patterns and research frontiers of the fungal necrobiome, and suggests that combining laboratory assays with field-based surveys and experiments will enhance our understanding of its composition and role in soil biogeochemical cycling.
TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Zhaolin Sun, Peng Tian, Xuechao Zhao, Yanping Wang, Shunzhong Wang, Xiangmin Fang, Qingkui Wang, Shengen Liu
Summary: This study reveals the variation of litter traits and their dependence on plant functional type during litter decomposition. The results show that litter traits play different roles in different stages of decomposition, with physical traits being more important in the early stages and nutrient-related traits being more important in the later stages. Furthermore, litter decomposition rates of deciduous and evergreen species are controlled by different types of litter traits.
Article
Agronomy
Magnolia del Carmen Tzec-Gamboa, Oscar Omar Alvarez-Rivera, Luis Ramirez y Aviles, Francisco Javier Solorio-Sanchez
Summary: The decomposition and N release patterns of three shrub species' leaves were studied in field conditions. The leaves of Leucaena leucocephala, Guazuma ulmifolia, and Moringa oleifera, as well as the mixtures of Leucaena + Moringa and Leucaena + Guazuma, were examined during the dry and wet seasons. The results showed that Moringa had the fastest decomposition and N release, while Guazuma had the slowest decomposition. During the wet season, Moringa and Leucaena + Moringa released the highest amount of N in the first two weeks. In the dry season, most of the N was released by the leaves in the initial 8 to 16 weeks.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lei Jiang, Huimin Wang, Shenggong Li, Xiaoqin Dai, Shengwang Meng, Xiaoli Fu, Han Yan, Jiajia Zheng, Ning Ma, Liang Kou
Summary: Plants allocate nutrients to new leaves by balancing the absorption in the roots with resorption in the leaves. This trade-off may also affect leaf litter decomposition. The study provides empirical evidence for a continuum of nutrient-associated processes, which is linked to the leaf economics spectrum and mycorrhizal association.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Chuanyu Gao, Guoping Wang, Jinxin Cong, Dongxue Han, Hongmei Zhao
Summary: Wetlands store a significant amount of carbon, but are threatened by fires. This study found that autumn burning promotes the decomposition of plant litter, while spring burning decreases the decomposition rates. Carbon is released from plant litter to the environment during decomposition, while nutrient elements accumulate in the residual litter. Nitrogen acts as the limiting factor for plant litter decomposition, and its limitation increases with decomposition time. Autumn burning may result in more carbon loss and nutrient accumulation in wetlands compared to spring burning.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yunxing Bai, Yunchao Zhou, Zhengfeng An, Jiaojiao Du, Xunyuan Zhang, Scott X. Chang
Summary: Mixing different types of tree litter can alter the release and enrichment of metallic elements, thus affecting the cycling of metallic elements in plantations.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jiexiu Zhai, James T. Anderson, Guoxin Yan, Ling Cong, Yanan Wu, Liyi Dai, Jiakai Liu, Zhenming Zhang
Summary: The decomposition rate of plant litter is mainly controlled by litter quality and environmental factors. In this study, it was found that higher salinity under inundation conditions can lead to faster decomposition rates, while the ratio of nitrogen to phosphorous showed an upward trend during the process. Additionally, both water chemical oxygen demand and NH3-N concentration were inversely correlated with salinity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Javier Palomino, Pablo Garcia-Palacios, Gerlinde B. B. De Deyn, Laura Beatriz Martinez-Garcia, Sara Sanchez-Moreno, Ruben Milla
Summary: Plant domestication has led to changes in leaf litter quality, affecting decomposition and soil decomposer communities. Domesticated litters decompose faster and have different impacts on soil bacteria, fungi, and nematodes.
Article
Soil Science
Raphael Mueller, Apoline Zahorka, Franz Holawe, Erich Inselsbacher, Stephan Glatzel
Summary: Peat accumulation results from an imbalance between biomass production and reduced organic matter decomposition. Sphagnum-dominated peatlands are highly threatened due to anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Vegetation changes in peatlands alter litter interactions and decomposition patterns. This study aimed to identify decomposition patterns for different bog litter types and mixtures over time.
Article
Forestry
Andres Baietto, Andres Hirigoyen, Jorge Hernandez, Amabelia del Pino
Summary: The study evaluated and compared the nutrient release from forest litter decomposition of Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus taeda stands, with the latter showing a higher release rate of nutrients. These findings could potentially impact the development of sustainable management models.
Article
Plant Sciences
Dan Song, Shuting Liu, Lide Fan, Jinyan Yang, Haifang Li, Yujie Xia, Yuwu Li
Summary: This study investigated whether the nutrient resorption process of plant petals is similar to that of leaves and other vegetative organs, as well as the nutrient restriction status of the whole flowering process of plants in urban ecosystems. The results showed interspecific differences in nutrient contents, stoichiometric ratios, and nutrient resorption efficiency of the petals. The nutrient contents of petals were higher than that of leaves at the global level, but the stoichiometric ratio and nutrient resorption efficiency of petals were lower.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)