Functional identity and functional diversity co-regulate litter mixture decomposition and nitrogen release in boreal rip
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Functional identity and functional diversity co-regulate litter mixture decomposition and nitrogen release in boreal riparian forest ponds Xin-Hou Zhang . Lei Wang . Wei Jiang . Rong Mao
Received: 2 July 2020 / Accepted: 21 October 2020 Ó Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract The relationship between biodiversity and litter decomposition has received considerable attention, but the complex biodiversity effects on decomposition and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear, especially in boreal riparian forest ponds. Here, we collected leaf litter from an N2-fixing species (Alnus sibirica) and two non-N2-fixing species (Betula platyphylla and Betula fruticosa) in a boreal riparian forest, northeast China. Then, we mixed leaf litter with varying composition and evenness to create a large gradient of litter functional identity and functional diversity, and used the litterbag method to examine the effect of altering plant composition on litter mass loss and nitrogen (N) release during 2 years of
Responsible Editor: Justin B. Richardson.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00716-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. X.-H. Zhang L. Wang W. Jiang School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
decomposition in forest ponds. Over 2 years of decomposition, the presence of A. sibirica in litter assemblages accelerated mass loss and N release by improving functional identity and increasing functional diversity of litter mixtures. Irrespective of the dominant species, litter mass loss generally increased with rising evenness, whereas the effect of species evenness on N release was dependent on the dominant species. When all litter mixtures were pooled, litter mixing effects on mass loss and N release correlated positively with litter functional diversity. Moreover, the decomposition dynamics of litter mixtures were regulated by litter functional diversity and the resulting mixing effects, as well as the community-weighted mean traits such as N and lignin concentrations. These findings confirm the importance of litter functional identity and functional diversity in driving decomposition processes of litter mixtures, and also indicate that increased abundance of N2-fixing species will accelerate litter decomposition and enhance N release in boreal riparian forest ponds. Keywords Biodiversity Forest pond Litter mixing effect Litter trait diversity N2-fixing species expansion
R. Mao (&) Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, No. 1101 Zhimin Road, Nanchang 330045, China e-mail: [email protected]
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Biogeochemistry
Introduction Litter decomposition plays a vital role in recycling of carbon (C) and nutrients in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Prescott 2010; Stoler and R
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