Authors: M Francesca Cotrufo Jerome Ngao Fabio Marzaioli Daniela Piermatteo
Publish Date: 2010/05/28
Volume: 334, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 365-376
Abstract
Above ground litter decomposition is the result of three interlinked processes leaching fragmentation and catabolism Litter decomposition estimates are most commonly based on measurements of mass loss from litter residues confined in mesh bags This method provides a rough estimate of leaching and catabolism while preventing fragmentation from occurring Alternatively litter decomposition is studied in the laboratory as microbial respiration of litter residue In this case generally only catabolism is measured While those limits are often discussed their careful assessment has never been attempted We present here results from a study where the decomposition rate of Arbutus unedo leaf litter at a throughfall manipulation experiment was investigated using 1 litterbags 2 turnover based on litter input/standing litter pool 3 14Cbomb spike 4 laboratory incubation 5 DayCent modeling Aims of this study were 1 to quantitatively assess the hypothesis that the litterbags and the laboratory incubation methods by preventing fragmentation overestimate above ground litter mean residence time 2 to evaluate the ability of the above methods to capture the effects of changes in precipitation on litter decay rates Results confirmed our hypothesis and demonstrated that the litterbag and the laboratory incubation methods do capture the effects of the water manipulation treatment on litter decay ratesThis work was supported by the European Union Marie Curie ToK project ALICE and by the Framework V MIND project We like to thank Dr G Alberti University of Udine Italy for maintaining the experimental site and providing soil temperature and soil water content data for field correction of laboratory incubations
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