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Reduction of decomposition rates of Scots pine needle litter due to heavy-metal pollution

Berg, Björn ; Ekbohm, Gunnar ; Söderström, Bengt LU and Staaf, Håkan (1991) In Water, Air and Soil Pollution 59(1-2). p.165-177
Abstract
Decomposition of unpolluted Scots pine needle litter was studied in two heavy-metal-pollution gradients in Sweden; one near a brass mill and the other around a primary smelter. In the latter area locally collected polluted Scots pine needle litter was also incubated. Decomposition rates were strongly influenced by the metal pollution and a decrease in the rate of mass-loss occurred. In the brass-mill gradient this occurred until about 1 km from the pollution source which corresponded to about 500-mu-g Cu and 1000-mu-g Zn g-1 soil. Data are presented to indicate that lignin decomposition was more sensitive to pollution than decomposition of whole litter and affected further away from the pollution sources. At the smelter sites, the... (More)
Decomposition of unpolluted Scots pine needle litter was studied in two heavy-metal-pollution gradients in Sweden; one near a brass mill and the other around a primary smelter. In the latter area locally collected polluted Scots pine needle litter was also incubated. Decomposition rates were strongly influenced by the metal pollution and a decrease in the rate of mass-loss occurred. In the brass-mill gradient this occurred until about 1 km from the pollution source which corresponded to about 500-mu-g Cu and 1000-mu-g Zn g-1 soil. Data are presented to indicate that lignin decomposition was more sensitive to pollution than decomposition of whole litter and affected further away from the pollution sources. At the smelter sites, the metal-polluted needle litter decomposed more slowly than the unpolluted needle litter, and this difference was enhanced close to the smelter. The results indicate that heavy metals accumulated in needles prior to shedding have a long-term impact on the subsequent decomposition of the litter. Both litter quality and soil factors thus contribute to the reduced litter decomposition rate in metal-polluted forests. A new non-linear model with decreasing decay rate was used in the statistical evaluation. The model can be used to characterize the effects of pollution on decomposition rate. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Water, Air and Soil Pollution
volume
59
issue
1-2
pages
165 - 177
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0026223360
ISSN
1573-2932
DOI
10.1007/BF00283179
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bd0ede34-85cc-4933-9f45-27cdd94cf2bb (old id 2226352)
alternative location
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w846246770527632/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:58:56
date last changed
2021-07-04 04:26:39
@article{bd0ede34-85cc-4933-9f45-27cdd94cf2bb,
  abstract     = {{Decomposition of unpolluted Scots pine needle litter was studied in two heavy-metal-pollution gradients in Sweden; one near a brass mill and the other around a primary smelter. In the latter area locally collected polluted Scots pine needle litter was also incubated. Decomposition rates were strongly influenced by the metal pollution and a decrease in the rate of mass-loss occurred. In the brass-mill gradient this occurred until about 1 km from the pollution source which corresponded to about 500-mu-g Cu and 1000-mu-g Zn g-1 soil. Data are presented to indicate that lignin decomposition was more sensitive to pollution than decomposition of whole litter and affected further away from the pollution sources. At the smelter sites, the metal-polluted needle litter decomposed more slowly than the unpolluted needle litter, and this difference was enhanced close to the smelter. The results indicate that heavy metals accumulated in needles prior to shedding have a long-term impact on the subsequent decomposition of the litter. Both litter quality and soil factors thus contribute to the reduced litter decomposition rate in metal-polluted forests. A new non-linear model with decreasing decay rate was used in the statistical evaluation. The model can be used to characterize the effects of pollution on decomposition rate.}},
  author       = {{Berg, Björn and Ekbohm, Gunnar and Söderström, Bengt and Staaf, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1573-2932}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{165--177}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Water, Air and Soil Pollution}},
  title        = {{Reduction of decomposition rates of Scots pine needle litter due to heavy-metal pollution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00283179}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/BF00283179}},
  volume       = {{59}},
  year         = {{1991}},
}