Decomposition of tree leaf litters grown under elevated CO₂: Effect of litter quality

Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), sycamore (Acerpseudoplatanus L.) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) leaf litters were monitored for decomposition rates and nutrient release in a laboratory microcosm experiment. Litters were derived from solar domes where p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant and soil 1994-06, Vol.163 (1), p.121-130
Main Authors: Cotrufo, M.F., Ineson, P., Rowland, A.P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Atmospherics
Biological and medical sciences
Carbon dioxide
Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Lignin
Litter weight
Microcosms
Nitrogen
Organic matter
Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils
Plant litter
Plants
Respiration
Soil air
Soil science
Synecology
Terrestrial ecosystems
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Summary:Ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), sycamore (Acerpseudoplatanus L.) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) leaf litters were monitored for decomposition rates and nutrient release in a laboratory microcosm experiment. Litters were derived from solar domes where plants had been exposed to two different CO₂ regimes: ambient (350 μL L⁻¹ CO₂) and enriched (600 μL L⁻¹ CO₂). Elevated CO₂ significantly affected some of the major litter quality parameters, with lower N, higher lignin concentrations and higher ratios of C/N and lignin/N for litters derived from enriched CO₂. Respiration rates of the deciduous species were significantly decreased for litters grown under elevated CO₂, and reductions in mass loss at the end of the experiment were generally observed in litters derived from the 600 ppm CO₂ treatment. Nutrient mineralization, dissolved organic carbon, and pH in microcosm leachates did not differ significantly between the two CO₂ treatments for any of the species studied. Litter quality parameters were examined for correlations with cumulative respiration and decomposition rates: N concentration, C/N and lignin/N ratios showed the highest correlations, with differences between litter types. The results indicate that higher C storage will occur in soil as a consequence of litter quality changes resulting from higher atmospheric concentrations of CO₂.
ISSN:0032-079X
1573-5036
DOI:10.1007/bf00033948