Temperature Sensitivity of Microbial Litter Decomposition in Freshwaters: Role of Leaf Litter Quality and Environmental Characteristics

Abstract

Ongoing global warming is expected to alter temperature-dependent processes. Nevertheless, how co-occurring local drivers will influence temperature sensitivity of plant litter decomposition in lotic ecosystems remains uncertain. Here, we examined the temperature sensitivity of microbial-mediated decomposition, microbial respiration, fungal biomass and leaf nutrients of two plant species varying in litter quality. We also assessed whether the type of microbial community and stream water characteristics influence such responses to temperature. We incubated alder (Alnus glutinosa) and eucalypt (Eucalyptus globulus) litter discs in three streams differing in autumn–winter water temperature (range 4.6–8.9 °C). Simultaneously, in laboratory microcosms, litter discs microbially conditioned in these streams were incubated at 5, 10 and 15 °C with water from the conditioning stream and with a water control from an additional stream. Both in the field and in the laboratory, higher temperatures enhanced litter decomposition rates, except for eucalypt in the field. Leaf quality modified the response of decomposition to temperature in the field, with eucalypt leaf litter showing a lower increase, whereas it did not in the laboratory. The origin of microbial community only affected the decomposition rates in the laboratory, but it did not modify the response to temperature. Water quality only defined the phosphorus content of the leaf litter or the fungal biomass, but it did not modify the response to temperature. Our results suggest that the acceleration in decomposition by global warming will be shaped by local factors, mainly by leaf litter quality, in headwater streams.

Biochar and manure additions increased above‐ and belowground wood decomposition, and soil enzyme activities in a sandy loam soil

“…While climate variables are stronger predictors of wood stake decomposition in the northern hemisphere than soil properties (e.g., pH and C:N), microsite climatic conditions of soil temperature and moisture also influence wood stake decay (Risch et al., 2022). In general, warmer and moister conditions facilitate the wood decay process (Monroy et al., 2022; Piaszczyk et al., 2022). Our first hypothesis was that biochar would promote wood decomposition (i.e., mass loss) more than manure because of its recalcitrance in the soil and its role in increasing soil moisture.…”

Nutrient return through decomposing Coriaria nepalensis litter in degraded hills of Kumaun Himalaya, India

“…Over the last three decades, it has been demonstrated that litter decay is influenced by a variety of chemical properties of the litter, including the litter N (Hobbie et al, 2012;Karki et al, 2022;Li et al, 2022), P and K concentrations and lignin content (Liu et al, 2022). However, Monroy et al (2022) suggested that in temperate regions, chemical properties may not be a good predictor of litter decomposability. Climatic factors like temperature, humidity and rainfall regulate the decomposition processes (Sanderman and Amundson, 2005;Kumar et al, 2021) and among these drivers rainfall pattern assert decomposition more than any other environmental drivers (Bradford et al, 2016;Steidinger et al, 2019).…”