Article
Ecology
Hai-Chao Zhou, Hui-Xing Kang, Jian Wei, Chang-Jun Gao, Muzammil Hussain, Yi-Jian Fu, Ming-Dang Li, Feng-Lan Li, Steven Jing-Liang Xu, Fred Wang-Fat Lee, Ming-Guo Jiang, Yi-Bing Wang, Xiao-Xia Chen, Nora Fung-Yee Tam, Tao Lang
Summary: This study examined the changes in tannin compounds during leaf litter leaching in four common mangrove species. The results showed that the fate of tannins varied among different plant species, but the dynamics were similar.
ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Bill Shipley, Antoine Tardif
Summary: The study measured decomposition rates in different mixtures of tree leaf litters and rejected three alternative causal hypotheses. Instead, a new hypothesis was proposed, suggesting that rapid decomposition of the labile fraction stimulates the decomposition of lignin and hemicellulose, leading to the decomposition of cellulose. This new hypothesis is consistent with known biology and the data and is proposed as the most viable current hypothesis.
Article
Forestry
Adrian Lukowski, Marian J. Giertych, Michal Zmuda, Ewa Maderek, Dawid Adamczyk, Piotr Karolewski
Summary: This study found that leaves of insect-resistant plants decomposed faster than susceptible species and damaged leaves decayed quicker than undamaged ones. This is due to the lower content of defensive compounds and higher levels of beneficial substances in faster-decaying litter. Additionally, oak stands had a greater decrease in leaf mass compared to pine stands, showing that microorganisms in deciduous forests are more effective at decomposing litter.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandro Gallardo, David Morcuende, Manuela Rodriguez-Romero, Maria Isabel Igeno, Fernando Pulido, Alberto Quesada
Summary: The research investigates the relationship between the chemical defenses of Quercus ilex leaves and their susceptibility to herbivory, with a focus on the QiMYB-like-1 D165H polymorphism. The study finds that tree clustering based on ecological and genetic factors affects the herbivory index and accumulation of condensed tannins, and demonstrates that condensed tannins may protect Q. ilex from defoliation in Mediterranean ecosystems.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Tao Lang, Pingping Wei, Xiaoxia Chen, Yijian Fu, Nora Fung-yee Tam, Zhangli Hu, Zhiteng Chen, Fenglan Li, Haichao Zhou
Summary: This study found that leaf litter from Kandelia obovata has allelopathic effects on the germination and growth of Aegiceras corniculatum, with their purified condensed tannins exerting a stronger inhibitory effect, and the inhibitory effects were concentration dependent. This suggests that condensed tannins from leaf litter could regulate the natural regeneration of a mangrove forest.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tao Lang, Xinran Ke, Jian Wei, Muzammil Hussain, Mingdang Li, Changjun Gao, Mingguo Jiang, Yibing Wang, Yijian Fu, Kunhua Wu, Wenyan Zhang, Nora Fung-yee Tam, Haichao Zhou
Summary: Tannins released during leaf litter decomposition in mangrove forests play a crucial role in regulating ecological processes. This study found that different mangrove plant species release different types and amounts of tannins, leading to variations in their effects on nitrogen cycling and microbial metabolism. The changes in tannins during decomposition reduced seawater nitrogen concentrations and increased microbial metabolic activities and diversities. The types of carbon sources utilized by sediment microorganisms also differed among plant species.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tao Lang, Nora Fung-yee Tam, Muzammil Hussain, Xinran Ke, Jian Wei, Yijian Fu, Mingdang Li, Xiazi Huang, Shuyan Huang, Zhangjing Xiong, Kunhua Wu, Fenglan Li, Zhiteng Chen, Zhangli Hu, Changjun Gao, Qiong Yang, Haichao Zhou
Summary: This study investigated the dynamics of heavy metals in mangrove leaves during development and decomposition, and found that heavy metal concentrations changed during leaf development and increased during decomposition, indicating that metals were recycled back to sediment.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Valeria Ricco, Martin Leon Bari, Alejandra Vanina Catalano, Paula Lopez, Cecilia Beatriz Dobrecky, Sergio Adrian Teves, Ariana Posadaz, Melina Laguia Becher, Rafael Alejandro Ricco, Marcelo Luis Wagner, Maria Alejandra Alvarez
Summary: The polyphenolic content of Ligaria cuneifolia varies during different developmental stages, and there are differences between in vitro cultures and organs of wild plants. Various cultivation conditions have significant effects on the growth and polyphenolic accumulation of calli. Antioxidant activity was detected in all samples, but in vitro cultures exhibited lower activity levels.
Article
Agronomy
Han Jiang, Yinghui Yang, Jiawen Liang, Meiqi Lv, Xingjun Tian
Summary: This study investigated the standing decomposition of dead leaves in a subtropical forest during winter, and conducted a decomposition experiment of pre-standing and post-standing litter in the soil during the following summer. The results showed that after 159 days of standing decomposition, up to 43% of leaf mass was lost, with lignin and cellulose degradation of 30% and 35%, respectively. After 163 days of decomposition in the soil, the mass losses of pre-standing and post-standing litter were 31% and 52%, respectively, with the decomposition rate of post-standing litter being twice that of pre-standing litter. The standing decomposition process is mainly influenced by photodegradation, resulting in carbon loss and accelerated litter decomposition in the soil, profoundly impacting the carbon process of subtropical forest ecosystems.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Cyrill U. Zosso, Nicholas O. E. Ofiti, Margaret S. Torn, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg, Michael W. I. Schmidt
Summary: Structurally complex polymeric compounds, such as pyrogenic carbon, can be rapidly lost due to decomposition at warmer temperatures, which challenges our understanding of the stability of soil carbon under global warming. In particular, the fate of complex molecular structures (polymers) remains debated.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Karla K. Beltrame, Thays R. Goncalves, Sandra T. M. Gomes, Makoto Matsushita, Douglas N. Rutledge, Paulo H. Marco, Patricia Valderrama
Summary: Analytical methods based on digital images and Independent Components Analysis (ICA) can provide applicable pseudo-univariate calibration models to determine bioactive compounds in foods, achieving correlation coefficients higher than 0.9. The device used to obtain images is cheaper compared to most analytical instruments, suggesting that digital images may have a promising future in developing analytical methodologies for complex samples from a pseudo-univariate calibration perspective.
LWT-FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Xin Wang, Weiwei Dai, Timothy R. Filley, Chao Wang, Edith Bai
Summary: This study found significant changes in biopolymers (lignin, substituted fatty acids, amino sugars) in soil after five years of aboveground litter addition or removal treatments in a temperate forest, suggesting potential impacts on soil organic carbon composition and stability. Although soil nitrogen and carbon contents were not affected, the presence or absence of aboveground litter had a selective effect on the chemical composition of soil organic carbon in different soil depths.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ashley D. Keiser, Robert Warren, Timothy Filley, Mark A. Bradford
Summary: Photodegradation contributes to similar leaf litter mass loss rates in mesic environments and drylands, despite water limitations in the latter. Our study in the Southern Appalachian Mountains showed that during the non-growing season, exposure to maximum solar radiation led to decreased proportions of oxidized lignin relative to other carbon compounds in leaf litter. This phenomenon was particularly strong on south-facing slopes with higher solar radiation levels.
Article
Soil Science
Yong Peng, Yun-jie Li, Si-yi Song, Yu-qin Chen, Guan-tao Chen, Li-hua Tu
Summary: Litter decomposition is a crucial process for carbon and nutrient cycling in ecosystems, and it is influenced by nitrogen deposition. A five-year field experiment in a high nitrogen deposition area in China's West China Rain Zone revealed that nitrogen addition inhibited the late-stage mass loss and degradation rate of litter decomposition, particularly affecting cellulose and lignin degradation. Nitrogen addition also influenced the concentration and release of nutrients during decomposition, with significant acceleration of manganese release. The slowed decomposition in this forest is expected to reduce soil CO2 emissions and increase soil carbon content.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bo Yi, Chaoqun Lu, Wenjuan Huang, Wenjuan Yu, Jihoon Yang, Adina Howe, Samantha R. Weintraub-Leff, Steven J. Hall
Summary: Confidence in model estimates of soil CO2 flux relies on assumptions about fundamental mechanisms controlling litter and soil organic carbon decomposition. We used data-model fusion with modified versions of the CN-SIM model and a 571-day laboratory incubation dataset to test competing mechanisms for lignin decomposition. Our findings indicate that the role of lignin and its decomposition can be accurately estimated by considering soil biogeochemical factors, substrate availability, soil pH, extractable Mn, and fungal community composition.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Carolyn Smyth, Werner A. Kurz, Greg Rampley, Tony C. Lempriere, Olaf Schwab
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2017)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jean-Charles Nault
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jean-Charles Nault, Gabrielle Couchy, Charles Balabaud, Guillaume Morcrette, Stefano Caruso, Jean-Frederic Blanc, Yannick Bacq, Julien Calderaro, Valerie Paradis, Jeanne Ramos, Jean-Yves Scoazec, Viviane Gnemmi, Nathalie Sturm, Catherine Guettier, Monique Fabre, Eric Savier, Laurence Chiche, Philippe Labrune, Janick Selves, Dominique Wendum, Camilla Pilati, Alexis Laurent, Anne De Muret, Brigitte Le Bail, Sandra Rebouissou, Sandrine Imbeaud, Paulette Bioulac-Sage, Eric Letouze, Jessica Zucman-Rossi
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhen Xu, Carolyn E. Smyth, Tony C. Lempriere, Greg J. Rampley, Werner A. Kurz
MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marcela Olguin, Craig Wayson, Max Fellows, Richard Birdsey, Carolyn E. Smyth, Michael Magnan, Alexa J. Dugan, Vanessa S. Mascorro, Armando Alanis, Enrique Serrano, Andwerner A. Kurz
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2018)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Richard Birdsey, Philip Duffy, Carolyn Smyth, Werner Akurz, Alexa J. Dugan, Richard Houghton
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2018)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Jean-Charles Nault, Olivier Sutter, Pierre Nahon, Nathalie Ganne-Carrie, Olivier Seror
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. E. Smyth, Z. Xu, T. C. Lempriere, W. A. Kurz
CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT
(2020)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Elias Hurmekoski, Carolyn E. Smyth, Tobias Stern, Pieter Johannes Verkerk, Raphael Asada
Summary: Wood-based products typically have lower fossil-based emissions over their lifecycle compared to functionally equivalent products made from other materials. However, quantifying the potential impact of large-scale material substitution at the market level remains challenging. Studies show that using wood as a substitute for other materials can reduce emissions, but the specific values are influenced by assumptions and system boundaries, limiting their generalizability.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
J. M. Metsaranta, B. Hudson, C. Smyth, M. Fellows, W. A. Kurz
Summary: Increased forest fires in the future present opportunities for salvage logging and replanting, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to doing nothing and relying on natural regeneration. Salvage logging can produce useful products for society, while replanting can establish seedlings with genetic gain and increased climate resilience. However, the net greenhouse gas reduction benefits are not realized for several decades due to emissions from harvesting wood products. Mitigation efforts should focus on reducing wildfire risks and emissions in the first place, rather than rehabilitating post-fire outcomes.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Smyth, S. H. Xie, T. Zaborniak, M. Fellows, C. Phillips, W. A. Kurz
Summary: After experiencing devastating wildfires in recent years, it is crucial to develop reliable models for wildfire and forest management in British Columbia. This study contributes by creating an integrated carbon modeling framework that includes future wildfires and evaluates various management scenarios. However, improvements in data quality are needed to accurately assess greenhouse gas emissions and identify trade-offs and uncertainties.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
C. E. Smyth, B. Hudson, J. Metsaranta, C. Howard, M. Fellows, W. A. Kurz
Summary: We examined the supply chains for post-fire salvage harvest in British Columbia, Canada and evaluated the net change in greenhouse gas emissions for community bioenergy and biofuel production. The lowest-cost supply chains resulted in larger biomass deliveries to mills in the southern interior of the province, with close proximity between mills leading to lower transportation costs. We also analyzed supply chains for salvage biomass transported to communities, selecting between liquid transportation fuels and community bioenergy based on greenhouse gas optimization.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexa J. Dugan, Richard Birdsey, Vanessa S. Mascorro, Michael Magnan, Carolyn E. Smyth, Marcela Olguin, Werner A. Kurz
CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT
(2018)
Article
Environmental Sciences
C. E. Smyth, B. P. Smiley, M. Magnan, R. Birdsey, A. J. Dugan, M. Olguin, V. S. Mascorro, W. A. Kurz
CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT
(2018)
Review
Oncology
Manon Allaire, Jean-Charles Nault
CURRENT OPINION IN ONCOLOGY
(2017)