Authors: Tim R Moore J A Trofymow Cindy E Prescott B D Titus CIDET Working Group
Publish Date: 2010/09/12
Volume: 339, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 163-175
Abstract
We measured changes in carbon C nitrogen N and phosphorus P concentrations and mass of 10 foliar litters decomposing over 12 years at 21 sites across Canada ranging from subarctic to temperate to evaluate the influence of litter quality nature and forest floor nurture on N and P dynamics Most litters lost P faster than N relative to C except in one litter which had a high initial CP quotient 2122 Net N loss occurred at mass CN quotients of between 33 and 68 positively correlated with the CN quotient in the original litter and net P loss likely occurred at CP quotients between 800 and 1200 Forest floor properties also influenced N and P dynamics the higher the CN or CP quotient in the surface soil organic matter the smaller the proportion of initial N or P left in the decomposing litter relative to C There was a convergence of CN and CP quotients as the litters decomposed with an overall mass ratio of 427171 when the litters reached 20 original C remaining These results covering a wide range of sites and litters and thus decomposition rates showed that the CNP quotients followed similar trajectories and converged as the litters decomposed The relative loss of N and P was affected by both the initial litter nutrient concentration and the chemistry of the site forest floor with the former being more important than the latter resulting in spatial variations in nutrient content of the forest floorFunding from the Climate Change and Ecosystems Processes Networks of the Canadian Forest Service supported this experiment In addition to the lead authors the CIDET Working Group includes C Camiré L Duschene J Fyles L Kozak M Kranabetter I Morrison S Smith B Titus S Visser R Wein and D White Technical support was provided by R Ferris A Harris and L Kutny We gratefully acknowledge the late S Zoltai for establishing five of the six sites used in this study Further information on CIDET is available online from http//wwwpfccfsnrcangcca/subsite/cidet We thank several reviewers for their comments
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