亚热带6种针叶和阔叶树种凋落叶分解比较

针叶和阔叶树种分别代表了不同的生活型,其凋落叶片具有不同的分解速率.应用分解网袋法,在中国亚热带地区,选取了具有代表性的3种针叶树种(马尾松Pinus massoniana、水杉Metasequoia glyptostroboides和杉木Cunninghamia lanceolata)和3种阔叶树种(木荷Schima superb、乐昌含笑Michelis chapensis和青冈Cyclobalanopsisgtauca)的凋落叶,放置于样地杭州千岛湖的林地中,经过1 a的分解实验,分析不同类型树种凋落叶的分解特征.6种树种凋落叶质量损失过程基本符合Olson指数模型,其中,3种针叶树种(马尾松、水杉和杉木)凋落叶的分解系数k值(分别为0.51、0.30和0.44),明显小于3种阔叶树种(木荷、乐昌含笑和青冈)凋落叶的分解系数k值(分别为0.55、1.12和0.66);同时,针叶树种(马尾松、水杉和杉木)凋落叶分解50%和95%所需时间(分别为1.36、2.31、1.78 a和5.87、9.99、7.68 a),大于阔叶树种(木荷、乐昌含笑和青冈)凋落叶的分解时间(分别为1.26、0.62、1.05 a和5.45、2.68、4.54a).多元回归分析表明,凋落物分解系数与初始钾元素含量显著相关(P<0.05).一元线性回归分析表明,凋落物的分解系数与初始钾元素和初始木质素含量均具有显著性差异(P<0.05).亚热带地区针、阔叶树种凋落叶分解的差异与自身质量密切相关,其中初始木质素与钾元素含量是控制凋落物分解的主要因素.图2表2参23     

Macroinvertebrate Colonization of Woody Debris in Canadian Shield Lakes following Riparian Clearcutting

Deployment of litterfall traps revealed that clearcut logging of boreal riparian forests in northwestern Ontario, Canada resulted in a dramatic shift from once dominant conifers to regrowth composed largely of deciduous trees and reduced the allochthonous inputs of small woody debris to lake littoral zones by over 90%. Due to the rarity of macrophytes in these oligotrophic lakes, littoral macroinvertebrates were found to actively colonize woody debris placed within mesh litter bags. The recalcitrant nature of small woody debris in these lakes (average median persistence time of about 5 years estimated from mass loss data) indicates, however, that this important habitat resource will probably never completely disappear in relation to its projected rate of resupply during post-disturbance forest regeneration. Colonization rates of twigs and bark contained within the litter bags were not found to differ between coniferous and deciduous species. This indicates that macroinvertebrates in these boreal lakes are merely opportunistic colonizers of woody debris, probably for its use as either a biofilm substrate or a predation refuge. As a result, shifts in tree species composition following riparian clearcutting should not detrimentally affect the taxa richness or organism abundance of aquatic macroinvertebrates in these lakes.     

Disappearance and Return of Plethodontid Salamanders to Clearcut Plots in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains

The disappearance and return of plethodontid salamanders on clearcuts has been monitored since 1979 in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains at three sites near Highlands, North Carolina. Salamander abundance on 225 m² plots located on clearcuts and in nearby forest was determined by nightly non-destructive searches. Abundances on clearcut and forest plots at a given site were compared for each year in which sampling occurred. Numbers of salamanders on clearcut plots decreased to 30–50% of forested plots in the first year after logging and were almost zero by the second year. Decreases in standing crop and moisture content of leaf litter seem responsible for salamander disappearance. Salamanders returned to clearcuts 4–6 years after cutting, and their numbers increased rapidly. Linear regressions estimate that salamander numbers on clearcut plots will equal or exceed numbers on forested plots by 20–24 years after cutting. The pattern of salamander return to clearcuts appears closely correlated with the timing of litter layer reformation. All sex and age classes of the most common species, Plethodon jordani, disappear from clearcuts at equal rates, whereas the earliest colonizers are predominantly large adults. Plethodon oconaluftee, a desiccation-resistant species, exists on regenerating clearcuts in disproportionately large numbers. Large adults of all species, including Plethodon oconaluftee, may be better able to withstand the drier, sparse litter cover of young, regenerating stands. Adults might move to clearcuts to avoid competition from smaller and immature salamanders restricted to mature forests with abundant, moist litter.     

Ecological stoichiometric characteristics of carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in three forests in the Lüliang Mountainous Area of Shanxi Province北大核心CSCD

Using a standard plot method, the stoichiometry of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in leaves, litter, and soil (0-20 cm depth) was investigated for three forest types: Populus davidiana, Larix principis-rupprechtii, and Pinus tabuliformis. The results showed that the stoichiometry of C, N, and P of the same component in the three forests were significantly different. The C and N contents in leaves, litter, and soil in P. davidiana forest were higher than those in L. principis-rupprechtii and P. tabuliformis forests were. However, P in the L. principis-rupprechtii forest was higher than that in the P. davidiana forest and P. tabuliformis forests were. The C, N, and P contents of the components in the three forests were, in order, leaves > litter > soil, and the three nutrient contents were significantly higher in leaves and litter than they were in soil. C:N and C:P in the three forests exhibited a trend of litter > leaves > soil, whereas that for N:P was leaves > soil > litter. There were highly significant positive relationships in N:P between the litter and the soil in the P. davidiana forest. Leaf C:N and litter C:P in the L. principis-rupprechtii forest were significantly negatively correlated, whereas N:P in the leaves and soil was positively correlated. There was a significant positive correlation in N:P between the leaves and the soil in the P. tabuliformis forest. In conclusion, the N contents in leaves and soil exhibited a significant positive correlation, whereas there was no significant correlation between C, N, and P in litter or soil. Environmental factors had a large influence on the stoichiometry of C, N, and P in soil. In particular, latitude and altitude had the most significant effects on C, N, P, C:N, and C:P and were significantly p ositively correlated. T hese results provide a scientific basis for f urther studies on nutrient utilization a nd t he cyclic characteristics of different forests in this area. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Sibling competition in guinea pigs (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cavia aperea</Emphasis> f. <Emphasis Type="Italic">porcellus</Emphasis>): scrambling for mother’s teats is stressful

Lactation is the most energy-intense period in the life of a female mammal. This can cause severe conflict between mother and offspring over the duration of lactation but also between siblings over the amount of milk each pup gets from its mother. Thus, competitive interactions between siblings are expected, and competition is likely to increase with litter size, particularly in species where the number of offspring exceeds the number of teats. We studied sibling competition in the domestic guinea pig (Cavia aperea f. porcellus), which has two teats, but frequently bears litters of up to five pups. By cross-fostering we created non-competition (control) litters with two pups and competition litters with four pups and observed nursing behaviour on days 5, 10, 15 and 20 postpartum. Pups of larger litters had lower growth rates, indicating increased competition among siblings in these litters. Pups of larger litters had to wait longer for access to a teat and spent less time suckling than pups of smaller litters but ate more solid food instead. Additionally, we manipulated the individual short-term need of pups by separating half of the pups of each litter for 2 h from their mothers before observation. Within a litter, hungry pups achieved access to milk faster and spent more time suckling than non-hungry pups. Pups competed mostly by scramble competition. Aggressive interactions occurred only in large litters. Pups of large litters had higher cortisol levels than pups in small litters. These effects decreased with age as pups became increasingly independent of maternal milk. Pup behaviour appears to fit better with models of scramble competition than with those of honest signalling. This contribution is part of the special issue “Sibling competition and cooperation in mammals” (guest editors: Robyn Hudson and Fritz Trillmich).     

杉木林凋落物产量、分解率与储量的关系

在福建三明采用2种方法测定27a生杉木林的杉木叶和小枝凋落物的分解率．采用网袋法(孔径0．5mm尼龙网袋)测定的杉木叶和小枝凋落物残留率Olson指数模型的分解系数(k值)分别为0．7692a^-1和0．2501a^-1，相应的第1年的分解率分别为53．66％和22．13％；另一种测定矗值的方法较为准确，是通过计算凋落物年产量与地面凋落物储量的比值得到，采用该方法计算的杉木叶和小枝凋落物的矗值分别为1．788a^-1和0．8622a^-1，分别是网袋法测定值的2．32和3．54倍，相应的第1年的分解率分别为83．27％和57．78％，分别是网袋法测定值的1．55倍和2．61倍．采用后一种方法测定的凋落物分解率可以解决尼龙网袋法测定分解速率结果偏低的问题．     

南亚热带中幼龄针阔混交林碳储量及其分配格局

以南亚热带中幼龄针阔混交林为研究对象,通过典型样地调查法,对森林生态系统各个层次进行取样调查,采用12个样地实测数据和已有生物量模型相结合的方法计算乔木层生物量,灌木层、草本层和凋落物层采用全部收获法测得其生物量,对土壤层的调查采用剖面法加土钻法,代表性样品碳含量的测定采用重铬酸钾-水合加热法。在此基础上,分析了中幼龄针阔混交林碳储量及其分配格局。结果表明,主要造林树种树根、树杆、树枝和树叶碳含量均值分别为45.07%、46.73%、46.30%和47.72%。植物碳含量表现为乔木〉灌木〉草本。乔木碳储量占植被总碳储量比例介于63.38%-94.08%之间,灌木碳储量所占比例介于3.55%-12.67%之间,而草本碳储量仅介于为1.28%-23.95%之间,不同林龄段乔木和灌木碳储量均值随林龄的增加呈上升趋势,而草本碳储量呈下降趋势。土壤碳储量介于106.73-136.61 t·hm^-2之间,土壤碳储量随林龄的增加呈现出先降低后升高的趋势。针阔混交林总碳储量介于134.79-162.60 t·hm^-2之间,分配格局表现为土壤层〉植被层〉凋落物层。土壤层碳储量所占总碳储量比例范围为78.34%-94.45%,植被层所占比例介于4.84%-20.16%之间,凋落物层仅介于0.71%-1.50%之间,中幼龄针阔混交林碳储量主要以土壤固碳为主。研究结果为树种选择、人工林生态系统固碳潜力以及人工碳汇林的经营管理等研究提供科学参考。     

Interrelationships among shrub encroachment, land management, and litter decomposition in a semidesert grassland.

Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands, and subsequent brush management, are among the most prominent changes to occur in arid and semiarid systems over the past century. Despite the resulting widespread changes in landcover, substantial uncertainty about the biogeochemical impacts of woody proliferation and brush management exists. We explored the role of shrub encroachment and brush management on leaf litter decomposition in a semidesert grassland where velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) abundance has increased over the past 100 years. This change in physiognomy may affect decomposition directly, through altered litter quality or quantity, and indirectly through altered canopy structure. To assess the direct and indirect impacts of shrubs on decomposition, we quantified changes in mass, nitrogen, and carbon in litterbags deployed under mesquite canopies and in intercanopy zones. Litterbags contained foliage from mesquite and Lehmann lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), a widespread, nonnative grass in southern Arizona. To explore short- and long-term influences of brush management on the initial stages of decomposition, litterbags were deployed at sites where mesquite canopies were removed three weeks, 45 years, or 70 years prior to study initiation. Mesquite litter decomposed more rapidly than lovegrass, but negative indirect influences of mesquite canopies counteracted positive direct effects. Decomposition was positively correlated with soil infiltration into litterbags, which varied with microsite placement, and was lowest under canopies. Low under-canopy decomposition was ostensibly due to decreased soil movement associated with high under-canopy herbaceous biomass. Decomposition rates where canopies were removed three weeks prior to study initiation were comparable to those beneath intact canopies, suggesting that decomposition was driven by mesquite legacy effects on herbaceous cover-soil movement linkages. Decomposition rates where shrubs were removed 45 and 70 years prior to study initiation were comparable to intercanopy rates, suggesting that legacy effects persist less than 45 years. Accurate decomposition modeling has proved challenging in arid and semiarid systems but is critical to understanding biogeochemical responses to woody encroachment and brush management. Predicting brush-management effects on decomposition will require information on shrub-grass interactions and herbaceous biomass influences on soil movement at decadal timescales. Inclusion of microsite factors controlling soil accumulation on litter would improve the predictive capability of decomposition models.     

Leaf herbivory and decomposability in a Malaysian tropical rain forest

There is accumulating evidence that similar suites of plant traits may affect leaf palatability and leaf litter decomposability. However, the possible association between leaf herbivory and litter decomposition rates across species in species-diverse natural ecosystems such as tropical rain forests remains unexplored, despite its importance in estimating the herbivory effects on carbon and nutrient cycling of ecosystems. We found no strong association between leaf herbivory and litter decomposition rates across 40 tree species in a Malaysian tropical rain forest, even though the leaf and litter traits were tightly correlated. This is because the leaf and litter traits related to herbivory and decomposition rates in the field were inconsistent. Leaf toughness accounted for only a small part of the variation in the herbivory rate, whereas a number of litter traits (the leaf mass per area, lignin to nitrogen ratio, and condensed tannin concentration) accurately predicted the decomposition rate across species. These results suggest that herbivory rate across species may not be strongly related to single leaf traits, probably because plant-herbivore interactions in tropical rain forests are highly diverse; on the other hand, plant-decomposer interactions are less specific and can be governed by litter chemicals. We also investigated two factors, phylogeny and tree functional types, that could affect the relationship between herbivory and decomposition across species. Phylogenetic relatedness among the species did not affect the relationship between herbivory and decomposition. In contrast, when the plants were segregated according to their leaf emergence pattern, we found a significant positive relationship between herbivory and decomposition rates for continuous-leafing species. In these species, the condensed tannin to N ratios in leaves and litter were related to herbivory and decomposition rates, respectively. However, we did not observe a similar trend for synchronous-leafing species. These results suggest that the relationship between herbivory and decomposition may be more greatly affected by functional types than by phylogenetic relatedness among species. In conclusion, our results suggest that well-defended leaves are not necessarily less decomposable litter in a tropical rain forest community, implying that herbivory may not generate positive feedback for carbon and nutrient cycling in this type of ecosystem.     

Dynamics of soil organic matter in primary and secondary forest succession on sandy soils in The Netherlands: An application of the ROMUL model

We applied the simulation model ROMUL of soil organic matter dynamics in order to analyse and predict forest soil organic matter (SOM) changes following stand growth and also to identify gaps of data and modelling problems. SOM build-up was analysed (a) from bare sand to forest soil during a primary succession in Scots pine forest and (b) on mature forest soil under Douglas fir plantations as an example of secondary succession in The Netherlands. As some of the experimental data were unreliable we compiled a set of various scenarios with different soil moisture regime, initial SOM pools and amount and quality of above and below ground litter input. This allowed us to find the scenarios that reflect the SOM dynamics more realistically. In the Scots pine forest, total litter input was estimated as 0.50 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. Two scenarios were defined for the test runs: (a) forest floor moisture regimes—‘dry, mesic and hydric’ and (b) augmenting a root litter pool with three ratios of needles and branches to roots: 1:1, 1:1.5 and 1:2.0. The scenario finally compiled had the following characteristics: (a) climate for dry site with summer drought and high winter moisture of forest floor; (b) a litter input of 0.25 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ above ground and 0.50 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ below ground; (c) a low nitrogen and ash content in all litter fall fractions. The test runs for the estimation of the initial SOM pools and the amount and proportion of above and below ground litter fall were also performed in the Douglas fir plantation. The inputs of above ground litter tested in various combinations were 0.30 and 0.60 kg m⁻² year⁻¹, and below ground litter 0.30, 0.60 and 0.90 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The scenario that fitted the experimental data had an SOM pool of 20–25 kg m⁻², an aboveground litter input of 0.6 kg m⁻² year⁻¹and a below ground litter input of 0.9 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The long-term simulation corresponded well with the observed patterns of soil organic matter accumulation associated with the forest soil development in primary and secondary succession. During primary succession in Scots pine forest on dry sand there is a consistent accumulation of a raw humus forest floor. The soil dynamics in the Douglas fir plantation also coincide with the observed patterns of SOM changes during the secondary succession, with SOM decreasing significantly under young forest, and SOM being restored in the older stands.     

Factors influencing length of maternal care in brown bears (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ursus arctos</Emphasis>) and its effect on offspring

Length of maternal care, i.e. the interval between successfully raised litters, is the most important factor explaining the variation in reproductive rate among brown-bear (Ursus arctos) populations. In this paper, we examine the variation in length of maternal care in radio-marked brown bears and its effect on their offspring in northern Sweden. Young stayed with their mothers for 1.4–1.5 or 2.4–2.5 (in one case 3.5) years and were weaned with body masses varying from 17 to 69 kg. The probability of yearling litters staying with their mother for a 2nd year increased with decreasing yearling body mass, and was higher for litters with two offspring than for litters with one or three to four offspring. Staying with their mothers for a 2nd year had a positive effect on mass gain in yearlings and this effect was more pronounced in litters with two than three to four offspring. Body mass of 2-year-olds was not related to age of weaning, suggesting that keeping offspring for an additional year mainly compensated for low yearling body mass. If large offspring body mass positively affects later offspring survival and reproduction, mothers may be able to optimize the length of maternal care according to the litter size and the size of their yearlings.Communicated by F. Trillmich     

Patterns of litter disappearance in a northern hardwood forest invaded by exotic earthworms.

A field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of exotic earthworm invasions on the rates of leaf litter disappearance in a northern hardwood forest in southcentral New York, USA. Specifically, we assessed whether differences in litter quality and the species composition of exotic earthworm communities affected leaf litter disappearance rates. Two forest sites with contrasting communities of exotic earthworms were selected, and disappearance rates of sugar maple and red oak litter were estimated in litter boxes in adjacent earthworm-free, transition, and earthworm-invaded plots within each site. After 540 days in the field, 1.7-3 times more litter remained in the reference plots than in the earthworm-invaded plots. In the earthworm-invaded plots, rates of disappearance of sugar maple litter were higher than for oak litter during the first year, but by the end of the experiment, the amount of sugar maple and oak litter remaining in the earthworm-invaded plots was identical within each site. The composition of the earthworm communities significantly affected the patterns of litter disappearance. In the site dominated by the anecic earthworm Lumbricus terrestris and the endogeic Aporrectodea tuberculata, the percentage of litter remaining after 540 days (approximately 17%) was significantly less than at the site dominated by L. rubellus and Octolasion tyrtaeum (approximately 27%). This difference may be attributed to the differences in feeding behavior of the two litter-feeding species: L. terrestris buries entire leaves in vertical burrows, whereas L. rubellus usually feeds on litter at the soil surface, leaving behind leaf petioles and veins. Our results showed that earthworms not only accelerate litter disappearance rates, but also may reduce the differences in decomposition rates that result from different litter qualities at later stages of decay. Similarly, our results indicate that earthworm effects on decomposition vary with earthworm community composition. Furthermore, because earthworm invasion can involve a predictable shift in community structure along invasion fronts or through time, the community dynamics of invasion are important in predicting the spatial and temporal effects of earthworm invasion on litter decomposition, especially at later stages of decay.     

Stoichiometric characteristics of carbon,nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaf litter soil of Pinus yunnanensis forest during different restoration stages in the karst plateau of eastern Yunnan北大核心CSCD

以滇东岩溶坡地不同恢复阶段云南松林(纯林、人工混交林、天然次生林)为研究对象,以元江栲原生林和小铁仔灌丛作为参照样地,对5种植被类型中的叶片-枯落物-土壤中的C、N、P含量和化学计量比特征进行研究.结果表明:(1)3种云南松林都呈现为高C(432.27 g/kg)、低N(10.28 g/kg)、P(0.96 g/kg)的格局,5种植被类型的叶片-枯落物-土壤C、N、P含量基本都表现为叶片>枯落物>土壤,C/N、C/P、N/P值则都表现为枯落物>叶片>土壤,叶片和枯落物的养分含量和化学计量比值与土壤间差异显著.(2)3种云南松林对于养分的吸收同化能力差异不大,但天然次生林的枯落物质量最好,人工混交林的土壤N、P有效性最高,云南松林内受N的胁迫作用强于原生林和灌丛.(3)植物叶片-枯落物-土壤中C、N、P及其化学计量比间相关性显著,互馈机制明显.研究区内土壤C、N、P化学计量特征受土壤pH、团聚体颗粒、含水率、容重和硝态氮影响显著.因此,滇东岩溶高原云南松植被恢复过程中主要受N胁迫作用,提高枯落物养分回流是云南松植被恢复与经营的关键要素.(图4表3参41)     

Simulation of interannual responses of trembling aspen stands to climatic variation and insect defoliation in western Canada

A carbon-based model has been developed to simulate responses of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands to interannual climatic variation and insect defoliation. The model is designed for medium time scale (10–100 years) simulations and requires only daily maximum and minimum temperature and precipitation as meteorological inputs. The modelling approach is similar to FOREST-BGC but includes additional processes known to be important in deciduous forests. These include removal of leaf area during outbreaks of forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hbn.), phenological changes in leaf area index, storage and allocation of non-structural carbohydrate and the contribution of understorey vegetation to evapotranspiration. The model was used for simulations of growth and mortality of biomass carbon in two mature aspen forests located in the climatically dry transition zone between the boreal forest and prairie grassland regions of Saskatchewan, Canada. Model inputs of annual defoliation intensity were based on historic records of insect defoliation and the incidence of light-coloured tree rings in disks or cores collected from aspen at each of the two sites. At both sites, moderately good correlations (r²=0.47–0.54) were obtained between modelled interannual changes in stem carbon growth and observed interannual changes in stem basal area increment obtained from tree-ring analysis. Model outputs of stem biomass carbon were found to be highly sensitive to parameters describing seasonal leaf area duration, insect defoliation intensity, photosynthesis and root respiration and carbohydrate allocation to growth versus storage.     

Weight comparisons and litter size manipulation in Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) show evidence of costs of reproduction

I studied reproductive costs in the female Columbian ground squirrel (Spermophilus columbianus) using individually marked animals. I compared weight changes during the active season and over winter, and mortality for females that did and did not wean young. Females raising young were heavier at emergence in that spring than unsuccessful ones. Females that did not raise young gained more weight during summer, were heavier than successful females at the time of entry into hibernation, and were heavier emerging from hibernation the following spring. Over-winter mortality was higher for females that reared young compared to reproductively unsuccessful females. A food supplementation experiment showed that energy-rich food can accelerate individuals’ weight gain. Interactions between litter size, birth weight, weight at emergence from the natal burrow, survival of young to yearling age, and maternal fitness were also studied. Litter sizes were experimentally manipulated to evaluate how females cope with costs of rearing one additional young. Birth weight of juveniles was positively correlated with survival to emergence from the natal burrow and with survival to yearling age. Partial litter loss was higher in experimentally enlarged litters than in either experimentally decreased or control litters. Total litter loss, survival of adult females or the probability of weaning young the following year were not affected by the litter size manipulation. Females appear to adjust the size of their litter before birth, and to some extent during lactation, to their ability to wean young. Received: 20 January 2000 / Received in revised form: 12 March 2000 / Accepted: 18 March 2000     

Temperature influences carbon accumulation in moist tropical forests

Evergreen broad-leaved tropical forests can have high rates of productivity and large accumulations of carbon in plant biomass and soils. They can therefore play an important role in the global carbon cycle, influencing atmospheric CO2 concentrations if climate warms. We applied meta-analyses to published data to evaluate the apparent effects of temperature on carbon fluxes and storages in mature, moist tropical evergreen forest ecosystems. Among forests, litter production, tree growth, and belowground carbon allocation all increased significantly with site mean annual temperature (MAT); total net primary productivity (NPP) increased by an estimated 0.2-0.7 Mg C x ha(-1) x yr(-1) x degrees C(-1). Temperature had no discernible effect on the turnover rate of aboveground forest biomass, which averaged 0.014 yr(-1) among sites. Consistent with these findings, forest biomass increased with site MAT at a rate of 5-13 Mg C x ha(-1) x degrees C(-1). Despite greater productivity in warmer forests, soil organic matter accumulations decreased with site MAT, with a slope of -8 Mg C x ha(-1) x degrees C(-1), indicating that decomposition rates of soil organic matter increased with MAT faster than did rates of NPP. Turnover rates of surface litter also increased with temperature among forests. We found no detectable effect of temperature on total carbon storage among moist-tropical evergreen forests, but rather a shift in ecosystem structure, from low-biomass forests with relatively large accumulations of detritus in cooler sites, to large-biomass forests with relatively smaller detrital stocks in warmer locations. These results imply that, in a warmer climate, conservation of forest biomass will be critical to the maintenance of carbon stocks in moist tropical forests.     

Litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization from an annual to a monthly model

The forest litter decomposition model (FLDM) described in this paper provides an important basis for assessing the impacts of forest management on seasonal stream water quality and export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). By definition, models with annual time steps are unable to capture seasonal, within-year variation. In order to simulate seasonal variation in litter decomposition and DOC production and export, we have modified an existing annual FLDM to account for monthly dynamics of decomposition and residual mass in experimental litterbags placed in 21 different forests across Canada.The original annual FLDM was formulated with three main litter pools (fast, slow, and very slow decomposing litter) to address the fact that forest litter is naturally composed of a mixture of organic compounds that decompose at different rates. The annual FLDM was shown to provide better simulations than more complex models like CENTURY and SOMM.The revised monthly model retains the original structure of the annual FLDM, but separates litter decomposition from nitrogen (N) mineralization. In the model, monthly soil temperature, soil moisture, and mean January soil temperature are shown to be the most important controlling variables of within-year variation in decomposition. Use of the three variables in a process-based definition of litter decomposition is a significant departure from the empirical definition in the annual model. The revised model is shown to give similar calculations of residual mass and N concentration as the annual model (r² = 0.91, 0.78), despite producing very different timeseries of decomposition over six years. It is shown from a modelling perspective that (i) forest litter decomposition is independent of N mineralization, whereas N mineralization is dependent on litter decomposition, and (ii) mean January soil temperature defines litter decomposition in the summer because of winter-temperatures’ role in modifying forest-floor microorganism community composition and functioning in the following summer.     

马尾松纯林及其与阔叶树混交林的凋落量与养分通量

在25a生马尾松林下分别套种1a生火力楠、闽粤栲、苦槠、格氏栲、青栲和拉氏栲等阔叶树种的幼苗,16a后形成郁闭的针阔混交异龄林.通过定位监测和化学分析,对上述6种混交林类型及林下未套种阔叶树的马尾松纯林的森林凋落量及养分通量进行了研究.统计结果显示,6个混交群落的年凋落量分别为7137.3kghm-2、6741.1kghm-2、8041.7kghm-2、7151.3kghm-2、7533.2kghm-2和6149.1kghm-2,而马尾松纯林的年凋落量仅3442.8kghm-2.在所有林分的凋落物组成中,枯叶占绝对优势,占凋落物总量的49.7%~71.5%,其余依次为枯枝(5.7%~26.1%)、其它组分(5.5%~17.1%)、树皮(7.7%~18.9%)和果实(0.7%~2.0%).各混交林分中来自马尾松的凋落物占50.4%~58.0%,而来自阔叶树的凋落物占42.0%~49.6%,且两者的组成存在明显差异.各林分总凋落量的季节动态呈双峰型,第1次峰值出现在2~4月份,第2次峰值出现在8、9月份.凋落物中主要养分元素的含量依林分类型、凋落物组分和凋落时间不同而异,N、P、K、Ca和Mg的含量范围依次为3.25~12.98gkg-1、0.23~0.97gkg-1、0.42~4.02gkg-1、7.34~32.57gkg-1和1.34~5.58gkg-1.不同的林分类型,凋落物中各养分元素的年通量大小均为:Ca>N>Mg>K>P.马尾松纯林中,通过凋落物的5种养分元素的年流通量为142.01kghm-2;而在林下分别套种上述6种阔叶树后,其养分年流通量依次增加到204.95kghm-2、223.93kghm-2、304.12kghm-2、288.46kghm-2、213.77kghm-2、238.05kghm-2.图3表4参13     

Effects of different endogenous fungi on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter of Cunninghamia lanceolata北大核心CSCD

To explore the role of endophytic fungi in the decomposition of litter, the endophytic fungi Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A), Fusarium flavum strain AY13 (B), and Talaromyces strain AJ14 (C) of Cunninghamia lanceolata were added to experimental pots in different forms (mycelium, sterilized fermentation broth, single fungus, and mixed fungi), and a control treatment (CK) was set up (no fungi added). At 10, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after litter decomposition, a study on the decomposition dynamics of C. lanceolata litter under different treatments was performed. The results showed that the rate of leaf mass loss was the highest in the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A after 120 days, and that there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) between the mycelium treatment AC and the control treatment after 60 days (23.97% higher than the control group). On day 60, the litter carbon content from the mycelium treatment A was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), showing a 16.74% lower value, whereas the litter carbon content of the mycelium treatment B was 21.13% lower than that of the control after 90 days. The nitrogen content of the litters of most mycelium and sterilized fermentation broth treatments was increased compared to that of the control group; there was significant difference (P < 0.05) between the sterilized fermentation broth treatment A and the control (P < 0.05), with a 17.05% higher value than that of the control. Similar to nitrogen, the litter phosphorus content also increased; there was a statistically significant difference between the mycelium treatment A and the control group, with treatment A showing a 46.67% higher value than the control group. The potassium content was 28% lower than that of the control group under the sterilized fermentation broth treatment C, a result that was significantly different from that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment for 90 days, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen was the lowest under the treatments with the mycelium A and the mycelium B, with values 25.54% and 25.11% lower than that of the control group, respectively, and a statistically significant difference from that of the control group (P < 0.05). The ratio of carbon to phosphorus was the lowest under the treatment with mycelium A after 60 days, and the result was significantly different from that of the control (P < 0.05), with a 43.05% lower value than the control. Thus, the three endophytic fungi had different effects on the mass loss rate and nutrient content of the litter. The Penicillium sp. strain CG2 (A) had statistically significant effects on the mass loss and nutrient content of leaf litter, which was within the range of fungi fertilizer reference values for the breeding of C. lanceolata. © 2018 Science Press. All rights reserved.     

Comparative study of humic acids of the mound of a wood-feeding termite and of the litter directly below in the Amazon river delta

In order to determine the role of termites in the recycling of organic matter and in humification processes, organic matter from the mound of a wood-feeding termite (Nasutitermes sp.) and from the litter directly below has been studied in secondary forest on the campus of Belem University, in Brazil. The carbon content was slightly lower in the litter (just beneath the mound) than in the mound, but nitrogen was much more abundant in the mound. As a consequence, the C/N ratio of fragmented litter total organic matter is very high, which shows that the humification process is not complete. Therefore, plant debris seemed to be more degraded in the mound than in the litter, indicating a humification gradient from mound to litter. Humic acid extracted from the mound and from the litter was compared by using elemental, E4/E6 ratio, spectroscopic (FTIR) analyses, and Sephadex gel chromatography. First, humic acids were more abundant in the mound than in the litter, showing that humification processes were more advanced in the mound than in the litter. Gel-permeation chromatography showed that the humic acids of the mound contained more low-molecular-weight fractions than those of the litter. In addition, the results of infrared spectra, E4/E6 ratio and elemental composition can confirm the fulvic character of mound material and the humic character of litter material. Therefore, the plant debris seems to follow two different humification pathways in the two environments, as long as the mound is alive.