Standing decomposition of dead leaves in winter and its legacy effects should not be ignored in subtropical forests

Jiang, Han; Yang, Yinghui; Liang, J. Nellie; Lv, Meiqi; Tian, Xingjun

doi:10.1007/s11104-023-06193-2

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…In arid environments, standing litter might act as an adaptive strategy, promoting faster decomposition through increased microbial activity driven by elevated night-time moisture content within it (Wang et al, 2017). In cold subnival ecosystems, dead plant material may provide a buffer against nutrient loss (Jiang et al, 2023) or offer protection from freezing temperatures (Goldstein & Meinzer, 1983).…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the evolutionary reasons for marcescence are not fully understood, it is believed to protect leaf buds from winter dryness or summer heat and provide delayed nutrients or moisture-conserving mulch when leaves eventually decompose (Frouz et al, 2011). Marcescence holds considerable ecological significance (Angst et al, 2017), impacting nutrient cycling (Jiang et al, 2023), moisture retention and wildlife habitats (He et al, 2011). Furthermore, it mirrors the adaptive strategies of plants to local environmental conditions (Mudrák et al, 2023), contributes to the diversity of species (García-Mijangos et al, 2015) and provides insights into plant evolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite extensive data collection efforts over the past two decades (Angst et al, 2017;Frouz et al, 2011;Jiang et al, 2023;Mudrák et al, 2023), information on marcescent phytomass remains one of the scarcest variables in the study of plant life history, especially in herbaceous plants (Heberling & Muzika, 2023). In particular, there is a need to investigate the specific environmental conditions and species characteristics that facilitate marcescence occurrence, extent and duration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, there is a need to investigate the specific environmental conditions and species characteristics that facilitate marcescence occurrence, extent and duration. Most research on marcescence has focused on arid and semi-arid environments (Austin & Vivanco, 2006;Barnes et al, 2015) or woody species (Jiang et al, 2023). These studies have shown that marcescent phytomass can decompose rapidly, mainly due to photodegradation by intense UV radiation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies evaluate the amount of marcescent leaves and stems at the end of the winter season. This applies primarily to tree leaves (Frouz et al, 2011;Jiang et al, 2023) or above-ground shoots of short-lived herbs (Mudrák et al, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource‐limited environments?

Chondol,

Korznikov,

Doležal

2024

Functional Ecology

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Understanding mechanisms allowing plants to thrive in challenging conditions is critical for predicting their responses to global environmental change. An often overlooked ecological adaptation is marcescence, where leaves and stems are retained beyond their typical shedding time, with implications for nutrient recycling and carbon sequestration. Marcescence can be expected in plants with conservative resource‐use strategies, especially in environments with limited resources and marked seasonality, such as deserts and alpine regions. However, the extent to which marcescence occurs in different taxa across different habitats and its relationship to seasonality and plant functioning as reflected in ecophysiological traits remains understudied. We studied 600 individuals across 40 Himalayan herb species found in desert, steppe, alpine and subnival habitats, spanning 3000–5400 m elevation. Marcescence was observed in 37 of the 40 species evaluated, with 57% of the sampled individuals displaying dead phytomass, indicating the widespread nature of this phenomenon in Himalayan ecosystems. Environment and plant traits emerged as significant factors influencing the amount of dead‐standing biomass. These findings remained robust after accounting for intraspecific variation and phylogenetic inertia. Desert and steppe species exhibited greater marcescent biomass, characterized by 10‐fold more dead stem biomass than alpine and subnival plants. In contrast, the proportion of dead phytomass increased with elevation due to increased dead leaf fraction. Taller desert species with heavily lignified stems and limited nitrogen and phosphorus content had high levels of stem marcescence, which not only may aid litter photodegradation and nutrient recycling but also deter herbivory and promote seed dispersal (tumbleweed). Conversely, slow‐growing alpine and subnival plants with higher water‐use efficiency, foliar C:N ratios and parenchymatic storage tissue rich in mobile carbohydrates had a high proportion of marcescent leaves, which may aid survival in these resource‐limited environments by providing delayed nutrients through moisture‐conserving mulch that also provides insulation and protection from frost. This study provides new insights into the complex interplay of habitat, seasonality and plant traits in dead phytomass retention in Himalayan plants. Marcescence is prevalent in resource‐conservative species in highly seasonal, resource‐limited habitats and may significantly shape the functioning and biodiversity of Himalayan ecosystems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

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Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource‐limited environments?

Chondol,

Korznikov,

Doležal

2024

Functional Ecology

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Photodegradation in terrestrial ecosystems

Austin,

Ballaré

2024

New Phytologist

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SummaryThe first step in carbon (C) turnover, where senesced plant biomass is converted through various pathways into compounds that are released to the atmosphere or incorporated into the soil, is termed litter decomposition. This review is focused on recent advances of how solar radiation can affect this important process in terrestrial ecosystems. We explore the photochemical degradation of plant litter and its consequences for biotic decomposition and C cycling. The ubiquitous presence of lignin in plant tissues poses an important challenge for enzymatic litter decomposition due to its biological recalcitrance, creating a substantial bottleneck for decomposer organisms. The recognition that lignin is also photolabile and can be rapidly altered by natural doses of sunlight to increase access to cell wall carbohydrates and even bolster the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes highlights a novel role for lignin in modulating rates of litter decomposition. Lignin represents a key functional connector between photochemistry and biochemistry with important consequences for our understanding of how sunlight exposure may affect litter decomposition in a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems. A mechanistic understanding of how sunlight controls litter decomposition and C turnover can help inform management and other decisions related to mitigating human impact on the planet.

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Impacts of litter microbial community on litter decomposition in the absence of soil microorganisms

Liu,

Ding,

Teng

et al. 2024

Appl Environ Microbiol

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What is the effect of phyllosphere microorganisms on litter decomposition in the absence of colonization by soil microorganisms? Here, we simulated the litter standing decomposition stage in the field to study the differences in the composition and structure of the phyllosphere microbial community after the mixed decomposition of Populus × canadensis and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica litter. After 15 months of mixed decomposition, we discovered that litters that were not in contact with soil had an antagonistic effect (the actual decomposition rate was 18.18%, which is lower than the expected decomposition rate) and the difference between the litters themselves resulted in a negative response to litter decomposition. In addition, there was no significant difference in bacterial and fungal community diversity after litter decomposition. The litter bacterial community was negatively responsive to litter properties and positively responsive to the fungal community. Importantly, we found that bacterial communities had a greater impact on litter decomposition than fungi. This study has enriched our understanding of the decomposition of litter itself and provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the “additive and non-additive effects” of litter decomposition and the mechanism of microbial drive. IMPORTANCE The study of litter decomposition mechanism plays an important role in the material circulation of the global ecosystem. However, previous studies have often looked at contact with soil as the starting point for decomposition. But actually, standing litter is very common in forest ecosystems. Therefore, we used field simulation experiments to simulate the decomposition of litters without contact with soil for 15 months, to explore the combined and non-added benefits of the decomposition of mixed litters, and to study the influence of microbial community composition on the decomposition rate while comparing the differences of microbial communities.

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Standing decomposition of dead leaves in winter and its legacy effects should not be ignored in subtropical forests

Cited by 5 publications

References 43 publications

Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource‐limited environments?

Ecological significance of marcescence in Himalayan plants: Why is standing dead phytomass more important in demanding, resource‐limited environments?

Photodegradation in terrestrial ecosystems

Impacts of litter microbial community on litter decomposition in the absence of soil microorganisms

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