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Nutrient and Carbon Limitation on Decomposition in an Amazonian Moist Forest

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Abstract

Tropical forests determine global biogeochemical cycles to a large extent, but control factors for key ecosystem processes such as decomposition remain poorly understood. With a full-factorial C (cellulose), N (urea), and P (phosphate) fertilization experiment, we tested the relative importance of C and nutrient limitation on litter decomposition in a mature lowland moist forest of French Guiana. Despite the previously demonstrated litter C quality control over decomposition and the very low soil P content (0.1 mg g−1 of soil) at our study site, fertilization with C or P alone did not increase the decomposition of a wide range of litter types (N:P ratios between 20 and 80). Nitrogen fertilization alone also had no effect on decomposition. However, the combined fertilization with N and P resulted in up to 33.5% more initial litter mass lost, with an increasing effect with wider litter N:P ratios. Soil fauna strongly stimulated litter mass loss and enhanced nutrient fertilization effects. Moreover, nutrient effects on decomposition increased with additional C fertilization in the presence of fauna. Our results suggest that increased N availability is required for a positive P effect on decomposition in the studied P-poor tropical forest. Further stimulation of decomposition by C amendment through priming indicates energy limitation of decomposers that is co-determined by nutrient availability. The demonstrated intricate control of the key resources C, N, and P on decomposition calls for an intensified research effort on multiple resource limitation on key processes in tropical forests and how they change under multiple human impacts.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the field and laboratory assistance by Audin Patient. We thank Elianne Louisiana, Lindon Yansen and Frits Kwasie for field assistance, Elisabeth Hättenschwiler for the help with litter bag confection, Margaret Amui-Vedel, Nicolas Fanin, Patrick Schevin and Flavien Branchereau for their assistance during final harvest, and Sylvain Coq for providing chemical data of the litter types used. This research was funded through a CNRS “PIR Amazonie II” grant to S·H.

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  1. Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, Montpellier, France

    Sandra Barantal, Nathalie Fromin & Stephan Hättenschwiler

  2. UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane (ECOFOG), INRA, Kourou, French Guiana

    Sandra Barantal & Heidy Schimann

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  1. Sandra Barantal
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Correspondence to Heidy Schimann.

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SH, NF, HS, and SB conceived the study, SB, HS, NF, and SH performed research, SB analyzed data, SB and SH wrote the paper. All authors discussed the results and the structure of the paper, commented and revised the manuscript text.

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Barantal, S., Schimann, H., Fromin, N. et al. Nutrient and Carbon Limitation on Decomposition in an Amazonian Moist Forest. Ecosystems 15, 1039–1052 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-012-9564-9

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