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N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis

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N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis. / Dias, Teresa; Oakley, Simon; Alarcón-Gutiérrez, Enrique et al.
In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 58, 01.03.2013, p. 163-171.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Dias, T, Oakley, S, Alarcón-Gutiérrez, E, Ziarelli, F, Trindade, H, Martins-Loução, MA, Sheppard, L, Ostle, N & Cruz, C 2013, 'N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis', Soil Biology and Biochemistry, vol. 58, pp. 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027

APA

Dias, T., Oakley, S., Alarcón-Gutiérrez, E., Ziarelli, F., Trindade, H., Martins-Loução, M. A., Sheppard, L., Ostle, N., & Cruz, C. (2013). N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 58, 163-171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027

Vancouver

Dias T, Oakley S, Alarcón-Gutiérrez E, Ziarelli F, Trindade H, Martins-Loução MA et al. N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2013 Mar 1;58:163-171. Epub 2012 Dec 13. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027

Author

Dias, Teresa ; Oakley, Simon ; Alarcón-Gutiérrez, Enrique et al. / N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis. In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2013 ; Vol. 58. pp. 163-171.

Bibtex

@article{ca67e19cb29243f0818b24f9912028cd,
title = "N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis",
abstract = "Organic matter (OM) decomposition is typically controlled by climate, soil properties, litter quality and soil microorganisms. Availability of nitrogen (N) also influences decomposition, but its effects on decomposition are controversial and most studies have only addressed decomposition of individual plant species grown under high N availability. We experimentally manipulated the dose of available N in a Mediterranean Basin maquis in south-western Europe, with low ambient N deposition (5.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and low soil N content (0.1%). N availability was modified by the addition of 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as NH4NO3. Control plots were not fertilized. After 2.5 years of N additions, we accounted for the integrated effects of N enrichment on litter decomposability taking into consideration the N-driven changes in the whole plant community (changes in plant species composition and litter quality). We collected soil from the no N addition treatment (control) and three types of leaf-litter (from three N addition treatments - 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1) from the N-manipulation field experiment and performed a microcosms controlled decomposition study. Distinct leaf-litter traits were quantified (N and lignin concentration and C/N and lignin/N ratios) and related with decomposition and soil microbial biomass and activity. The leaf-litter consisted mostly of leaves from summer semi-deciduous shrubs, but relative to the control (no N addition), the treatment receiving 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 had twice the amount of evergreen sclerophyll leaf-litter and higher lignin and N concentrations giving lower C/N and lignin/N ratios. As a result, OM decomposition in the microcosms containing 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter was slower (with concomitant reduction in soil microbial biomass and activity) than in those containing 40 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter. At the ecosystem level, N-driven changes in plant community altered leaf-litter traits (e.g. increased litter lignin and N content and decreased lignin/N ratio), which were powerful determinants of litter decomposition rates under controlled conditions. The results suggest that increasing N availability in this nutrient poor Mediterranean maquis may select species with litter traits that could delay decomposition and increase soil OM accumulation.",
keywords = "Evergreen sclerophylls, Lignin, Lignin/N ratio, Microbial activity, Microbial biomass, Microcosm, Nitrogen, Summer semi-deciduous",
author = "Teresa Dias and Simon Oakley and Enrique Alarc{\'o}n-Guti{\'e}rrez and Fabio Ziarelli and Henrique Trindade and Martins-Lou{\c c}{\~a}o, {Maria Am{\'e}lia} and Lucy Sheppard and Nick Ostle and Cristina Cruz",
year = "2013",
month = mar,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027",
language = "English",
volume = "58",
pages = "163--171",
journal = "Soil Biology and Biochemistry",
issn = "0038-0717",
publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - N-driven changes in a plant community affect leaf-litter traits and may delay organic matter decomposition in a Mediterranean maquis

AU - Dias, Teresa

AU - Oakley, Simon

AU - Alarcón-Gutiérrez, Enrique

AU - Ziarelli, Fabio

AU - Trindade, Henrique

AU - Martins-Loução, Maria Amélia

AU - Sheppard, Lucy

AU - Ostle, Nick

AU - Cruz, Cristina

PY - 2013/3/1

Y1 - 2013/3/1

N2 - Organic matter (OM) decomposition is typically controlled by climate, soil properties, litter quality and soil microorganisms. Availability of nitrogen (N) also influences decomposition, but its effects on decomposition are controversial and most studies have only addressed decomposition of individual plant species grown under high N availability. We experimentally manipulated the dose of available N in a Mediterranean Basin maquis in south-western Europe, with low ambient N deposition (5.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and low soil N content (0.1%). N availability was modified by the addition of 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as NH4NO3. Control plots were not fertilized. After 2.5 years of N additions, we accounted for the integrated effects of N enrichment on litter decomposability taking into consideration the N-driven changes in the whole plant community (changes in plant species composition and litter quality). We collected soil from the no N addition treatment (control) and three types of leaf-litter (from three N addition treatments - 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1) from the N-manipulation field experiment and performed a microcosms controlled decomposition study. Distinct leaf-litter traits were quantified (N and lignin concentration and C/N and lignin/N ratios) and related with decomposition and soil microbial biomass and activity. The leaf-litter consisted mostly of leaves from summer semi-deciduous shrubs, but relative to the control (no N addition), the treatment receiving 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 had twice the amount of evergreen sclerophyll leaf-litter and higher lignin and N concentrations giving lower C/N and lignin/N ratios. As a result, OM decomposition in the microcosms containing 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter was slower (with concomitant reduction in soil microbial biomass and activity) than in those containing 40 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter. At the ecosystem level, N-driven changes in plant community altered leaf-litter traits (e.g. increased litter lignin and N content and decreased lignin/N ratio), which were powerful determinants of litter decomposition rates under controlled conditions. The results suggest that increasing N availability in this nutrient poor Mediterranean maquis may select species with litter traits that could delay decomposition and increase soil OM accumulation.

AB - Organic matter (OM) decomposition is typically controlled by climate, soil properties, litter quality and soil microorganisms. Availability of nitrogen (N) also influences decomposition, but its effects on decomposition are controversial and most studies have only addressed decomposition of individual plant species grown under high N availability. We experimentally manipulated the dose of available N in a Mediterranean Basin maquis in south-western Europe, with low ambient N deposition (5.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and low soil N content (0.1%). N availability was modified by the addition of 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as NH4NO3. Control plots were not fertilized. After 2.5 years of N additions, we accounted for the integrated effects of N enrichment on litter decomposability taking into consideration the N-driven changes in the whole plant community (changes in plant species composition and litter quality). We collected soil from the no N addition treatment (control) and three types of leaf-litter (from three N addition treatments - 0, 40 and 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1) from the N-manipulation field experiment and performed a microcosms controlled decomposition study. Distinct leaf-litter traits were quantified (N and lignin concentration and C/N and lignin/N ratios) and related with decomposition and soil microbial biomass and activity. The leaf-litter consisted mostly of leaves from summer semi-deciduous shrubs, but relative to the control (no N addition), the treatment receiving 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 had twice the amount of evergreen sclerophyll leaf-litter and higher lignin and N concentrations giving lower C/N and lignin/N ratios. As a result, OM decomposition in the microcosms containing 80 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter was slower (with concomitant reduction in soil microbial biomass and activity) than in those containing 40 kg N ha-1 yr-1 litter. At the ecosystem level, N-driven changes in plant community altered leaf-litter traits (e.g. increased litter lignin and N content and decreased lignin/N ratio), which were powerful determinants of litter decomposition rates under controlled conditions. The results suggest that increasing N availability in this nutrient poor Mediterranean maquis may select species with litter traits that could delay decomposition and increase soil OM accumulation.

KW - Evergreen sclerophylls

KW - Lignin

KW - Lignin/N ratio

KW - Microbial activity

KW - Microbial biomass

KW - Microcosm

KW - Nitrogen

KW - Summer semi-deciduous

U2 - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027

DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.10.027

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84871659198

VL - 58

SP - 163

EP - 171

JO - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology and Biochemistry

SN - 0038-0717

ER -