Decomposition dynamics and ecological stoichiometry of Quercus acutissima and Pinus densiflora litter in the Grain to Green Program Area of northern China

Abstract

Litter decomposition and ecological stoichiometry of nutrient release is an important part of material cycling and energy flow in forest ecosystems. In a study of the ecological stoichiometry and nutrient release during litter decomposition in a pine-oak forest ecosystem of the Grain to Green Program (GTGP) area of northern China, a typical pine and oak species (PDS: Pinus densiflora Sieb., QAC: Quercus acutissima Carr.) were selected in the Taiyi Mountain study area. The ecological stoichiometry characteristics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and litter decomposition dynamics were studied by field sampling and quantitative analyses. The results showed the following. (1) The decomposition dynamics of both litters was slow-fast-slow. The most important climatic factor affecting the litter decomposition rate from May to October was precipitation and temperature from November to April of the following year. (2) Throughout the 300-day study, in both litters, C of the two litters was released, N first accumulated and was then released, and P exhibited a release-accumulate-release pattern. (3) C:P was significantly higher than C:N and N:P (p \ 0.05); the C:N of PSD litter was higher than that of QAC (p \ 0.05), but the N:P of QAC litter was higher than that of PSD litter (p \ 0.05). The C:N of both litters was very high in the study area, indicating that the nutrient release ability during litter decomposition in the two typical pine-oak forest ecosystems was relatively weak; therefore, more attention should be paid to nitrogen-fixing species and mixed forests in the GTGP area of northern China.

Cell Wall Bulking by Maleic Anhydride for Wood Durability Improvement

“…One is to block the cell lumen to make it difficult for water to effectively defuse into the cell wall, so as to improve the dimensional stability and decay resistance of wood. The explored modification methods include filling wood cell lumen by physical or chemical means, such as physical filling with poly (glycidyl methacrylate) [27] or phenolic resin [28], physical or chemical filling with polyacrylic resin [29][30][31], or physical or chemical filling with inorganic silica compounds [32]. However, this strategy implies the use of large amounts of filler, resulting in high cost.…”

Litter Deposition and Nutrient Cycling of Invaded Environments by Cryptostegia madagascariensis at Tropical Cambisols from Northeastern Brazil

“…Long-term impact on litter compartment can modify nutrient cycling differently from the observed results in the non-invaded environment [52,53]. The litter decay rate (k-factor) depends on the climate, the soil environment (e.g., soil pH, moisture, temperature, and nutrients), plant traits (e.g., lignin, C, N, and S concentrations), and decomposition activity [18,[54][55][56][57][58]. Some factors can answer for high litter production of the invasive exotic plant species: such as (i) nutrient acquisition strategies [59]; (ii) high nutrient uptake in the system [60]; and (iii) the chemical quality of its wood or rooting depth [61].…”

Cryptostegia Madagascariensis Alters the Litterfall and Nutrient Cycling of Litter Inputs in An Invaded Tropical Cambisol From North-Eastern Brazil

“…The invaded environment showed the highest value of decomposition coe cient and lowest total and half decay time. (Sun et al 2020). Therefore, the slow litter decomposition changes the nutrient cycling process into the invaded environment.…”