Grouping nitrogen fixing trees into discrete functional groups based on litter decomposition rate does not make sense

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Environmental researches centre, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Natural Resources Department, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Functional grouping of nitrogen fixing trees into discrete groups is a good approach to understanding their influence on ecosystem functioning in their new environment. Most of previous studies have reported faster leaf litter decomposition rates of nitrogen fixing than non-nitrogen fixing species. Meta-analysis using published data is the best way for functionally grouping of nitrogen fixing trees from non-nitrogen fixing trees based on litter decomposition rate. Meta-analysis was used for analyzing litter decomposition rate from published data. The data extracted from 5 papers and 16 species that used laboratory method and 27 papers and 41 species that used litterbag method. Leaf litter decay constant (k year-1) of the nitrogen fixing trees was not different from non-nitrogen fixing trees. Initial leaf litter quality (N or C/N, lignin/N, Tannin and Phenolics) of nitrogen fixing trees in all studies was higher than non-nitrogen fixing trees. Totally, it could be highlighted that leaf litter decomposition is species dependent and functional grouping of the tree species based on nitrogen fixing ability is not reasonable, although it is apparent that the litter quality of the two groups is different.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Aerts, R., and Chapin, F.S. 2000. The mineral nutrition of wild plants revisited: a re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research. 30, 1–67.
Bachega, L.R., Bouillet, J.P., de Cássia Piccolo, M., Saint-André, L., Bouvet, J.M., Nouvellon, Y., de Moraes Gonçalves, J.L., Robin, A., and Laclau, J.P. 2016. Decomposition of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium leaves and fine roots in tropical conditions did not meet the Home Field Advantage hypothesis. Forest Ecology and Management. 359, 33–43.
Bargali, S.S. 1995. Litter fall, nutrient return and litter decomposition in an age series of Eucalyptus plantations in Central Himalaya. Oecologia Montana. 4, 31-38.
Barlow, J., Gardner, T.A., Ferreira, L.V., and Peres, C.A. 2007. Litter fall and decomposition in primary, secondary and plantation forests in the Brazilian Amazon. Forest Ecology and Management. 247, 91–97.
Bernhard-Reversat, F. 1999. The leaching of Eucalyptus hybrids and Acacia auriculiformis leaf litter: laboratory experiments on early decomposition and ecological implications in congolese tree plantations. Applied Soil Ecology. 12, 251-261.
Bernhard-Reversat, F., and Schwartz, D. 1997. Change in lignin content during litter decomposition in tropical forests soils (Congo): Comparison of exotic plantations and native stands, C.R AcadSciences de la terre et des planets.  325, 427-432.
Binkley, D., and Giardina, C. 1998. Why do trees species affect soils? The warp and woof of tree-soil interactions. Biogeochemistry. 42, 89–106.
Buettel, J.C., Ringwaldt, E.M., Hovenden, M.J., and Brook, B.W. 2019. Importance of the Local Environment on Nutrient Cycling and Litter Decomposition in a Tall Eucalypt Forest. Forests. 10 (4), 340.
Cizungu, L., Staelens, J., Huygens, D., Walangululu, J., Muhindo, D., Van Cleemput, O., and Boeckx, P. 2014. Litterfall and leaf litter decomposition in a central African tropical mountain forest and Eucalyptus plantation. Forest Ecology and Management. 326, 109–116.
Cornwell, W.K., Cornelissen, J.H.C, Amatangelo, K et al. 2008. Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide. Ecology Letter. 11, 1065–1071.
Das, D.K., and Chaturvedi, O.P. 2003. Litter quality effects on decomposition rates of forestry plantations. Tropical Ecology. 44(2), 261-264.
Demessie, A., Singh, B.R., Lal, R., and Strand, L.T. 2012. Leaf litter fall and litter decomposition under Eucalyptus and coniferous plantations in Gambo District, southern Ethiopia, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B; Soil Plant Science. 62(5), 467-476.
Daldoum, D.M.A., Mubarak, A.R., and Elbashir, A.A. 2010. Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release pattern of three tree species under semi-arid conditions. Jonares. 5, 75-88.
Dutta, R.K., and Agrawal, M. 2001. Litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient release in five exotic plant species planted on coal mine spoils. Pedobiologia. 45, 298–312.
Forrester, D.I., Bauhus, J., Cowie, A.L., and Vanclay, J.K. 2006. Mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus with nitrogen fixing trees: a review. Forest Ecology and Management. 233, 211-230.
Forrester, D.I., Pares, A., O’Hara, C., Khanna, P.K., and Bauhus, J. 2013. Soil organic carbon is increased in mixed-species plantations of eucalyptus and nitrogen-fixing acacia. Ecosystems. 16, 123-132.
Guo, L.B., and Sims, R.E.H. 1999. Litter decomposition and nutrient release via litter decomposition in New Zealand Eucalypt short rotation forests. Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment. 75, 133–140.
Guo, L.B., and Sims, R.E.H. 2001. Eucalypt litter decomposition and nutrient release under a short rotation forest regime and effluent irrigation treatments in New Zealand I. External effects. Soil Biological Biochemistry. 33, 1381-1388.
Guo, L.B., and Sims, R.E.H. 2002. Eucalypt litter decomposition and nutrient release under a short rotation forest regime and effluent irrigation treatments in New Zealand I. internal effects. Soil Biology Biochemistry. 34, 913-922.
Hasanuzzaman, M.D., and Hossain, M. 2014. Nutrient Return through Leaf litter Decomposition of Common Cropland Agroforest Tree Species of BangladeshInt. Research Journal of Biological Science. 3(8), 82-88.
Hernandez, J., del Pino, A., Salvo, L., and Arrarte, G. 2009. Nutrient export and harvest residue decomposition patterns of a Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden plantation in temperate climate of Uruguay. Forest Ecology and Management. 258, 92–99.
Hossain, M., Siddique, M.R.H., Rahman, M.S., Hossain, M.Z., and Hasan, M.M. 2011. Nutrient dynamics associated with leaf litter decomposition of three agroforestry tree species (Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia sissoo, and Melia azedarach) of Bangladesh. Journal of Forestry Research. 22(4), 577–582.
Knops, J.M.H., Bradley, K.L., and Wedin, D.A. 2002. Mechanisms of plant species impacts on ecosystem nitrogen cycling. Ecology Letter. 5, 454–466.
Kurokawa, H., Peltzer, D.A., and Wardle, D.A. 2010. Plant traits, leaf palatability and litter decomposability for co-occurring woody species differing in invasion status and nitrogen fixation ability. Functional Ecology. 24, 513–523.
Lang, S.L., Cornelissen, J.H.C., Klahn, T., van Logtestijn, R.S.P., Broekman, R., Schweikert, W., and Aerts, R. 2009. An experimental comparison of chemical traits and litter decomposition rates in a diverse range of subarctic bryophyte, lichen and vascular plant species. Journal of  Ecology. 97, 886–900.
le Maire, G., Nouvellon, Y., Christina, M., Ponzoni, F.J., Gonçalves, J.L.M., Bouillet, J.P., and Laclau, J.P. 2013. Tree and stand light use efficiencies over a full rotation of single- and mixed-species Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium plantations. Forest Ecology and Management. 288, 31-42.
Li, X., Han, S., and Zhang, Y. 2007. Foliar decomposition in a broadleaf-mixed Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Sieb. Et Zucc) plantation forest: the impact of initial litter quality and the decomposition of three kinds of organic matter fraction on mass loss and nutrient release rates. Plant Soil. 295, 151–167.
Li, Z., Peng, S., Rae, D.J., and Zhou, G. 2001. Litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization of soils in subtropical plantation forests of southern China, with special attention to comparisons between legumes and non-legumes. Plant Soil. 229, 105–116.
Liao, C., Peng, R., Luo, Y., Zhou, X., Wu, X., Fang, C., Chen, J., and Li, B. 2008. Altered ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycles by plant invasion: a meta-analysis. New Phytology. 177, 706–714.
Lin, C.F., Song, H.W., Cai, J.S., Chen, S.L., and Yang, Y.S. 2020. Response of leaf litter decomposition of different tree species to nitrogen addition in a subtropical forest. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology. 44 (3), 214-227.
MacKenzie, R.A., Wiegner, T.N., Kinslow, F., Cormier, N., and Strauch, A.M. 2013. Leaf-litter inputs from an invasive nitrogen-fixing tree influence organic-matter dynamics and nitrogen inputs in a Hawaiian river. Freshwater Science. 32(3), 1036–1052.
Martínez, I., Zagal, E., Ovalle, C., Coûteaux, M.M., Stolpe, N.B., and Valderrama, N. 2010. Litter decomposition  of Acacia caven (Molina) Molina and Lolium multiflorum Lam. In Mediterranean climate ecosystem. Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research. 70(3), 454-464.
Ngoran, A., Zakra, N., Ballo, K., Kouamé, C., Zapata, F., Hofman, G., and Van Cleemput, O. 2006. Litter decomposition of Acacia auriculiformis Cunn. Ex Benth. and Acacia mangium Willd. under coconut trees on quaternary sandy soils in Ivory Coast. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 43, 102–106.
O'connell, A.M. 1986. Effect of legume understorey on decomposition and nutrient content of eucalypt forest litter. Plant Soil. 92, 235-248.
O'connell, A.M. 1988. Decomposition of Leaf Litter in Karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) Forest of Varying Age. Forest Ecology and Management. 24, 113-125.
Peltzer, D.A., Bellingham, P.J., Kurokawa, H., Walker, L.R., Wardle, D.A., and Yeates, G.W. 2009. Punching above their weight: low-biomass non-native plant species alter soil properties during primary succession. Oikos. 118, 1001–1014.
Reddy, M.V., and Venkataiah, B. 1989. Influence of microarthropod abundance and climatic factors on weight loss and mineral nutrient contents of Eucalyptus leaf litter during decomposition. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 8, 319-324.
Rothstern, D.E., Vitousek, P.M., and Simmons, B.L. 2004. An exotic tree Alters Decomposition and nutrient cycling in a Hawaiian Montane Forest. Ecosystems. 7, 805-814.
Santos, F.M., Balieiro, F.d., Fontes, M.A., and Chaer, G.M. 2018. Understanding the enhanced litter decomposition of mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus and Acacia mangium. Plant Soil. 423, 141–155.
Sayad, E., Hosseini, V., Gholami Sh., and Salehe-Shooshtari, M.H. 2015. Different predictors determining litter decomposition rate in functional groups of the tree plantations in a common garden. Trees. 29, 1883–1891.
Sayyad, E., Hosseini, S.M., Mokhtari, J., Mahdavi, R., Jalali, S.G., Akbarinia, M., and Tabari, M. 2006. Comparison of growth, nutrition and soil properties of pure and mixed stands of Populus deltoides and Alnus subcordata. Silva Fennica. 40(1), 27–35.
Semwal, R.L., Maikhuri, R.K., Rao, K.S., Sen, K.K., and Saxena, K.G. 2003. Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release patterns of six multipurpose tree species of central Himalya, India. Biomass Bioenergy. 24, 3-11.
Swarnalatha, B., and Reddy, M.V. 2011. Leaf litter breakdown and nutrient release in three tree plantations compared with a natural degraded forest on the coromandel coast (Puducherry, India). Ecotropica. 17, 39–51.
Tang, G., Li, K., Zhang, C., Gao, C., and Li, B. 2013. Accelerated nutrient cycling via leaf litter, and not root interaction,increases growth of Eucalyptus in mixed-species plantations with Leucaena. Forest Ecology and Management. 310, 45–53.
Tateno, R., Tokuchi, N., Yamanaka, N., Du, S., Otsuki, K., Shimamura, T., Xue, Z., Wang, S., and Hou, Q. 2007. Comparison of litterfall production and leaf litter decomposition between an exotic black locust plantation and an indigenous oak forest near Yan’an on the Loess Plateau, China. Forest Ecology and Management. 241, 84–90.
Wang, Q., Wang, S., Fan, B., and Yu, X. 2007. Litter production, leaf litter decomposition and nutrient return in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in south China: effect of planting conifers with broadleaved species. Plant Soil. 297, 201–211.
Wang, Q., Zhong, M., and He, T. 2013. Home-field advantage of litter decomposition and nitrogen release in forest ecosystems. Biological Fertil Soils. 49, 427–434.
Wedderburn, M.E., Carter, J., 1999. Litter decomposition by four functional tree types for use in silvopastoral systems. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 31, 455-461.
Wu, F., Peng, C., Yang, W., Zhang, J., Han, Y., and Mao, T. 2014. Admixture of alder (Alnus formosana) litter can improve the decomposition of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis) litter. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 73, 115-121
Xiang, W., Bauhus, J. 2007. Does the addition of litter from N-fixing Acacia mearnsii accelerate leaf decomposition of eucalyptus globulus? Australian Journal of Botany. 55(5), 576-583.
Yelenik, S.G., Stock, W.D., Richardson, D.M., 2007. Functional group identity does not predict invader impacts: differential effects of nitrogen-fixing exotic plants on ecosystem function. Biological Invasions. 9,117–125.
Zhu, X., Chen, H., Zhang, W., Huang, J., Fu, S., Liu, Z., and Mo, J. 2015. Effects of nitrogen addition on litter decomposition and nutrient release in two tropical plantations with N2-fixing vs. non-N2-fixing tree species. Plant Soil. 399 (1), 61-74.
Environmental Resources Research
Volume 10, Issue 2
July 2022
Pages 301-310

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics