Abstract
Aims
This study investigated the impact of canopy cover and seasonality on litter decay in Mediterranean pine forests to enhance climate predictions.
Methods
We conducted litterbag experiments in plots of different tree densities in two Mediterranean pine forests differing in precipitation amounts. In each plot, local litter was placed in forest gaps and under tree canopies for 613 days, starting in the dry season.
Results
Litter mass loss was greater in forest gaps than under tree canopies across forests and tree densities. Similarly, a reduction in tree density tended to increase mass loss. Additionally, while the decay rate slowed down from the first to the second wet season, the decay rate remained constant during the first and the second dry season, and the dry seasons contributed 30% to the overall mass loss.
Conclusions
Reduction in canopy cover enhances litter decay, and the stability and magnitude of the dry season contribution to annual mass loss have the potential to control litter mass loss when accounting also for the dry periods in the wet season. Combined, the ongoing tree mortality and the predicted prolongation of dry periods due to climate change may enhance litter decay, possibly reducing ecosystem carbon stocks in drylands.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- C:
-
Carbon
- DBH:
-
Stem diameter at breast height
- LAI:
-
Leaf area index
- MAP:
-
Mean annual precipitation
- N:
-
Nitrogen
- RH:
-
Relative humidity
References
Adair EC, Parton WJ, Del Grosso SJ et al (2008) Simple three-pool model accurately describes patterns of long-term litter decomposition in diverse climates. Glob Chang Biol 14:2636–2660. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01674.x
Ahlström A, Raupach MR, Schurgers G et al (2015) The dominant role of semi-arid ecosystems in the trend and variability of the land CO2 sink. Science 348:895–899. doi:10.1126/science.aaa1668
Allen CD, Breshears DD, McDowell NG (2015) On underestimation of global vulnerability to tree mortality and forest die-off from hotter drought in the Anthropocene. Ecosphere 6:1–55. doi:10.1890/ES15-00203.1
Allen CD, Macalady AK, Chenchouni H et al (2010) A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. For Ecol Manag 259:660–684. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.001
Araujo PI, Austin AT (2015) A shady business: pine afforestation alters the primary controls on litter decomposition along a precipitation gradient in Patagonia, Argentina. J Ecol 103:1408–1420. doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12433
Austin AT, Ballaré CL (2010) Dual role of lignin in plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:4618–4622. doi:10.1073/pnas.0909396107
Austin AT, Méndez MS, Ballaré CL (2016) Photodegradation alleviates the lignin bottleneck for carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci 113:4392–4397. doi:10.1073/pnas.1516157113
Austin AT, Vivanco L (2006) Plant litter decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem controlled by photodegradation. Nature 442:555–558. doi:10.1038/nature05038
Baier W (1966) Studies on dew formation under semi-arid conditions. Agric Meteorol 3:103–112. doi:10.1126/science.146.3651.1601
Baker NR, Allison SD (2015) Ultraviolet photodegradation facilitates microbial litter decomposition in a Mediterranean climate. Ecology 96:1994–2003. doi:10.1890/14-1482.1
Barnes PW, Throop HL, Archer SR et al (2015) Sunlight and soil–litter mixing: drivers of litter decomposition in drylands. Prog Bot 76:273–302. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08807-5
Bates JD, Miller RF, Svejcar TJ (2000) Understory dynamics in cut and uncut western juniper woodlands. J Range Manag 53:119–126. doi:10.2307/4003402
Bates JD, Svejcar TS, Miller RF (2007) Litter decomposition in cut and uncut western juniper woodlands. J Arid Environ 70:222–236. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.12.015
Berg B, McClaugherty C (2008) Plant litter: decomposition, humus formation, carbon sequestration, 2nd edn. Springer Verlag, Berlin
Bernaschini ML, Moreno ML, Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Valladares G (2016) Is litter decomposition influenced by forest size and invertebrate detritivores during the dry season in semiarid Chaco Serrano? J Arid Environ 127:154–159. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.11.009
Blanco JA, Imbert JB, Castillo FJ (2011) Thinning affects Pinus sylvestris needle decomposition rates and chemistry differently depending on site conditions. Biogeochemistry 106:397–414. doi:10.1007/s10533-010-9518-2
Bonan GB, Hartman MD, Parton WJ, Wieder WR (2013) Evaluating litter decomposition in earth system models with long-term litterbag experiments: an example using the community land model version 4 (CLM4). Glob Chang Biol 19:957–974. doi:10.1111/gcb.12031
Caldentey J, Ibarra M, Hernández J (2001) Litter fluxes and decomposition in Nothofagus pumilio stands in the region of Magallanes, Chile. For Ecol Manag 148:145–157. doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00532-6
Calev A, Zoref C, Tzukerman M et al (2016) High-intensity thinning treatments in mature Pinus halepensis plantations experiencing prolonged drought. Eur J For Res 135:551–563. doi:10.1007/s10342-016-0954-y
Carvalhais N, Forkel M, Khomik M et al (2014) Global covariation of carbon turnover times with climate in terrestrial ecosystems. Nature 514:213–217. doi:10.1038/nature13731
Chen M, Parton WJ, Adair EC et al (2016) Simulation of the effects of photodecay on long-term litter decay using DayCent. Ecosphere 7:e01631. doi:10.1002/ecs2.1631
Cornwell WK, Weedon JT (2014) Decomposition trajectories of diverse litter types: a model selection analysis. Methods Ecol Evol 5:173–182. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.12138
Cortina J, Vallejo VR (1994) Effects of clearfelling on forest floor accumulation and litter decomposition in a radiata pine plantation. For Ecol Manag 70:299–310. doi:10.1016/0378-1127(94)90095-7
D’Odorico P, Bhattachan A, Davis KF et al (2013) Global desertification: drivers and feedbacks. Adv Water Resour 51:326–344. doi:10.1016/j.advwatres.2012.01.013
Davidson EA, de Araújo AC, Artaxo P et al (2012) The Amazon basin in transition. Nature 481:321–328. doi:10.1038/nature10717
Day TA, Guénon R, Ruhland CT (2015) Photodegradation of plant litter in the Sonoran Desert varies by litter type and age. Soil Biol Biochem 89:109–122. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2015.06.029
Diffenbaugh NS, Pal JS, Giorgi F, Gao X (2007) Heat stress intensification in the Mediterranean climate change hotspot. Geophys Res Lett 34:L11706. doi:10.1029/2007GL030000
Dirks I, Navon Y, Kanas D et al (2010) Atmospheric water vapor as driver of litter decomposition in Mediterranean shrubland and grassland during rainless seasons. Glob Chang Biol 16:2799–2812. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02172.x
Donohue RJ, Roderick ML, McVicar TR, Farquhar GD (2013) Impact of CO2 fertilization on maximum foliage cover across the globe’s warm, arid environments. Geophys Res Lett 40:3031–3035. doi:10.1002/grl.50563
Fischer EM, Schär C (2010) Consistent geographical patterns of changes in high-impact European heatwaves. Nat Geosci 3:398–403. doi:10.1038/ngeo866
Foereid B, Rivero MJ, Primo O, Ortiz I (2011) Modelling photodegradation in the global carbon cycle. Soil Biol Biochem 43:1383–1386. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.03.004
Gallo ME, Porras-Alfaro A, Odenbach KJ, Sinsabaugh RL (2009) Photoacceleration of plant litter decomposition in an arid environment. Soil Biol Biochem 41:1433–1441. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.03.025
Giannakopoulos C, Le Sager P, Bindi M et al (2009) Climatic changes and associated impacts in the Mediterranean resulting from a 2°C global warming. Glob Planet Change 68:209–224. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2009.06.001
Giorgi F, Lionello P (2008) Climate change projections for the Mediterranean region. Glob Planet Change 63:90–104. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2007.09.005
Gliksman D, Rey A, Seligmann R et al (2017) Biotic degradation at night, abiotic degradation at day: positive feedbacks on litter decomposition in drylands. Glob Chang Biol 23:1564–1574. doi:10.1111/gcb.13465
Harpole DN, Haas CA (1999) Effects of seven silvicultural treatments on terrestrial salamanders. For Ecol Manag 114:349–356. doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00365-X
Henry HAL, Brizgys K, Field CB (2008) Litter decomposition in a California annual grassland: interactions between photodegradation and litter layer thickness. Ecosystems 11:545–554. doi:10.1007/s10021-008-9141-4
Hickler T, Vohland K, Feehan J et al (2012) Projecting the future distribution of European potential natural vegetation zones with a generalized, tree species-based dynamic vegetation model. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 21:50–63. doi:10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00613.x
IPCC (2013) Climate change 2013: the physical science basis. In: Stocker TF, Qin D, Plattner G-K, Tignor M, Allen SK, Boschung J, Nauels A, Xia Y, Bex V, Midgley PM (eds) Contribution of WGI to the 5th assessment report of the IPCC. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Jacobs AFG, Van Pul WAJ, Van Dijken A (1990) Similarity moisture dew profiles within a corn canopy. J Appl Meteorol 29:1300–1306. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(1990)029<1300:SMDPWA>2.0.CO;2
Jacobson K, Van Diepeningen A, Evans S et al (2015) Non-rainfall moisture activates fungal decomposition of surface litter in the Namib Sand Sea. PLoS One 10:e0126977. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0126977
King JY, Brandt LA, Adair EC (2012) Shedding light on plant litter decomposition: advances, implications and new directions in understanding the role of photodegradation. Biogeochemistry 111:57–81. doi:10.1007/s10533-012-9737-9
Klein T, Rotenberg E, Cohen-Hilaleh E et al (2014) Quantifying transpirable soil water and its relations to tree water use dynamics in a water-limited pine forest. Ecohydrology 7:409–419. doi:10.1002/eco.1360
Lado-Monserrat L, Lidón A, Bautista I (2015) Erratum to: Litterfall, litter decomposition and associated nutrient fluxes in Pinus halepensis: influence of tree removal intensity in a Mediterranean forest. Eur J For Res 134:833–844. doi:10.1007/s10342-015-0923-x
Lee H, Rahn T, Throop H (2012) An accounting of C-based trace gas release during abiotic plant litter degradation. Glob Chang Biol 18:1185–1195. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02579.x
Llorens P, Domingo F (2007) Rainfall partitioning by vegetation under Mediterranean conditions. A review of studies in Europe J Hydrol 335:37–54. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2006.10.032
Luo H, Oechel WC, Hastings SJ et al (2007) Mature semiarid chaparral ecosystems can be a significant sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. Glob Chang Biol 13:386–396. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01299.x
Malkisnon D, Wittenberg L, Beeri O, Barzilai R (2011) Effects of repeated fires on the structure, composition, and dynamics of Mediterranean maquis: short- and long-term perspectives. Ecosystems 14:478–488. doi:10.1007/s10021-011-9424-z
Mlambo D, Mwenje E (2010) Influence of Colophospermum mopane canopy cover on litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics in a semi-arid African savannah. Afr J Ecol 48:1021–1029. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2010.01208.x
Moorhead DL, Callaghan T (1994) Effects of increasing ultraviolet B radiation on decomposition and soil organic matter dynamics: a synthesis and modelling study. Biol Fertil Soils 18:19–26. doi:10.1007/BF00336439
Pan Y, Wang X, Zhang Y (2010) Dew formation characteristics in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem in Shapotou area, northern China. J Hydrol 387:265–272. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.04.016
Pancotto VA, Sala OE, Cabello M et al (2003) Solar UV-B decreases decomposition in herbaceous plant litter in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina: potential role of an altered decomposer community. Glob Chang Biol 9:1465–1474. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2486.2003.00667.x
Parton W, Silver WL, Burke IC et al (2007) Global-scale similarities in nitrogen release patterns during long-term decomposition. Science 315:361–364. doi:10.1126/science.1134853
Poulter B, Frank D, Ciais P et al (2014) Contribution of semi-arid ecosystems to interannual variability of the global carbon cycle. Nature 509:600–603. doi:10.1038/nature13376
Raison RJ, Woods PV, Khanna PK (1986) Decomposition and accumulation of litter after fire in sub-alpine eucalypt forests. Aust J Ecol 11:9–19. doi:10.1111/j.1442-9993.1986.tb00913.x
Rice WR (1989) Analyzing tables of statistical tests. Evolution 43:223–225. doi:10.2307/2409177
Rutledge S, Campbell DI, Baldocchi D, Schipper LA (2010) Photodegradation leads to increased carbon dioxide losses from terrestrial organic matter. Glob Chang Biol 16:3065–3074. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02149.x
Safriel U, Adeel Z, Niemeijer D, Puigdefabres J, White R, Lal R et al (2005) Dryland systems. In: Hassan R, Scholes R, Ash N (eds) Ecosystems and human well-being: current state and trends, Vol. 1. Island Press, Washington, DC, pp 623–662
Smith WK, Gao W, Steltzer H et al (2010) Moisture availability influences the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on leaf litter decomposition. Glob Chang Biol 16:484–495. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01973.x
Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. University of California Press, Berkeley
Tatarinov F, Rotenberg E, Maseyk K et al (2016) Resilience to seasonal heat wave episodes in a Mediterranean pine forest. New Phytol 210:485–496. doi:10.1111/nph.13791
Throop HL, Archer SR (2009) Resolving the dryland decomposition conundrum: some new perspectives on potential drivers. Prog Bot 70:171–194. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-68421-3_8
Van Asperen H, Warneke T, Sabbatini S et al (2015) The role of photo- and thermal degradation for CO2 and CO fluxes in an arid ecosystem. Biogeosci Discuss 12:2429–2457. doi:10.5194/bgd-12-2429-2015
Wohlfahrt G, Fenstermaker LF, Arnone JA III (2008) Large annual net ecosystem CO2 uptake of a Mojave Desert ecosystem. Glob Chang Biol 14:1475–1487. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01593.x
Xiao H, Meissner R, Seeger J et al (2009) Effect of vegetation type and growth stage on dewfall, determined with high precision weighing lysimeters at a site in northern Germany. J Hydrol 377:43–49. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.08.006
Zhu Z, Piao S, Myneni RB et al (2016) Greening of the earth and its drivers. Nat Clim Chang 6:791–795. doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3004
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support of Rita Dumbur, Avner Zinger, Ken Karu, Meron Berniker, Mor Ashkenazi, Ohad Abramovich, Nili Brukental, Nitsan Amiti, Sivan Ben Ari, Yuki Nahmias and Yossi Haddad for field and lab assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Funding
This research project was financially supported by Keren Kayemet Leyisrael - Jewish National Fund (KKL).
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Fernando T. Maestre.
Electronic supplementary material
ESM 1
(DOCX 722 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gliksman, D., Haenel, S., Osem, Y. et al. Litter decomposition in Mediterranean pine forests is enhanced by reduced canopy cover. Plant Soil 422, 317–329 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3366-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3366-y