Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Carbon quality rather than stoichiometry controls litter decomposition in a tropical rain forest

Hättenschwiler, Stephan and Bracht Jörgensen, Helene LU (2010) In Journal of Ecology 98(4). p.754-763
Abstract
1. Ecological stoichiometry predicts important control of the relative abundance of the key elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on trophic interactions. In a nutrient-poor Amazonian lowland rain forest of French Guiana, we tested the hypothesis that decomposers exploit stoichiometrically diverse plant litter more efficiently, resulting in faster litter decomposition compared to litter with a uniform stoichiometry. 2. In a field experiment in the presence or absence of soil macrofauna, we measured litter mass loss, and N and P dynamics from all possible combinations of leaf litter from four common tree species which were distinctly separated along a C:N and along a N:P gradient. 3. Mean litter mass remaining after 204†days... (More)
1. Ecological stoichiometry predicts important control of the relative abundance of the key elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on trophic interactions. In a nutrient-poor Amazonian lowland rain forest of French Guiana, we tested the hypothesis that decomposers exploit stoichiometrically diverse plant litter more efficiently, resulting in faster litter decomposition compared to litter with a uniform stoichiometry. 2. In a field experiment in the presence or absence of soil macrofauna, we measured litter mass loss, and N and P dynamics from all possible combinations of leaf litter from four common tree species which were distinctly separated along a C:N and along a N:P gradient. 3. Mean litter mass remaining after 204†days of field exposure varied between 25.2% and 71.3% among litter treatments. Fauna increased litter mass loss by 18%, N loss by 21% and P loss by 14%. Litter species richness had no effect on litter mass loss or nutrient dynamics. In contrast, litter mass and nutrient losses increased with increasing stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures in presence of fauna, suggesting faster decomposition of a stoichiometrically more heterogeneous litter. 4. However, the effect of stoichiometric dissimilarity was smaller than the strong C quality related litter composition effect and disappeared in the absence of fauna. Increasing proportions of litter that is relatively rich in accessible C compounds (non-structural carbohydrates, phenolics) and relatively poor in recalcitrant C (condensed tannins, lignin), correlated best with litter mass loss irrespective of fauna presence. No correlation was found for any of the nutrient related litter quality parameters and decomposition. 5.Synthesis. Our results suggest that Amazonian decomposer communities studied here are primarily limited by energy, and only secondarily by litter stoichiometry. Tropical tree species might thus influence decomposers and detritivores by the production of litter of specific C quality with potentially important feedback effects on ecosystem nutrient dynamics and availability. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
litter chemistry, elemental ratios, detritivores, Amazonian lowland forest, soil fauna, phosphorus, litter diversity, nutrient dynamics, nitrogen
in
Journal of Ecology
volume
98
issue
4
pages
754 - 763
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:77954734811
ISSN
1365-2745
DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01671.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7b494cce-af5d-45b5-9a05-35e9157c553f (old id 1661894)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:15:36
date last changed
2022-04-28 08:23:31
@article{7b494cce-af5d-45b5-9a05-35e9157c553f,
  abstract     = {{1. Ecological stoichiometry predicts important control of the relative abundance of the key elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on trophic interactions. In a nutrient-poor Amazonian lowland rain forest of French Guiana, we tested the hypothesis that decomposers exploit stoichiometrically diverse plant litter more efficiently, resulting in faster litter decomposition compared to litter with a uniform stoichiometry. 2. In a field experiment in the presence or absence of soil macrofauna, we measured litter mass loss, and N and P dynamics from all possible combinations of leaf litter from four common tree species which were distinctly separated along a C:N and along a N:P gradient. 3. Mean litter mass remaining after 204†days of field exposure varied between 25.2% and 71.3% among litter treatments. Fauna increased litter mass loss by 18%, N loss by 21% and P loss by 14%. Litter species richness had no effect on litter mass loss or nutrient dynamics. In contrast, litter mass and nutrient losses increased with increasing stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures in presence of fauna, suggesting faster decomposition of a stoichiometrically more heterogeneous litter. 4. However, the effect of stoichiometric dissimilarity was smaller than the strong C quality related litter composition effect and disappeared in the absence of fauna. Increasing proportions of litter that is relatively rich in accessible C compounds (non-structural carbohydrates, phenolics) and relatively poor in recalcitrant C (condensed tannins, lignin), correlated best with litter mass loss irrespective of fauna presence. No correlation was found for any of the nutrient related litter quality parameters and decomposition. 5.Synthesis. Our results suggest that Amazonian decomposer communities studied here are primarily limited by energy, and only secondarily by litter stoichiometry. Tropical tree species might thus influence decomposers and detritivores by the production of litter of specific C quality with potentially important feedback effects on ecosystem nutrient dynamics and availability.}},
  author       = {{Hättenschwiler, Stephan and Bracht Jörgensen, Helene}},
  issn         = {{1365-2745}},
  keywords     = {{litter chemistry; elemental ratios; detritivores; Amazonian lowland forest; soil fauna; phosphorus; litter diversity; nutrient dynamics; nitrogen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{754--763}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Ecology}},
  title        = {{Carbon quality rather than stoichiometry controls litter decomposition in a tropical rain forest}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01671.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01671.x}},
  volume       = {{98}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}