کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
4381695 1304091 2007 10 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Leaf litter decomposition in a southern Sonoran Desert ecosystem, northwestern Mexico: Effects of habitat and litter quality
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علوم کشاورزی و بیولوژیک بوم شناسی، تکامل، رفتار و سامانه شناسی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Leaf litter decomposition in a southern Sonoran Desert ecosystem, northwestern Mexico: Effects of habitat and litter quality
چکیده انگلیسی

Leaf litter decomposition of dominant woody perennial species in the three most common habitats of the southern Sonoran Desert was studied using the litter-bag method. Our objective was to assess the influence of litter quality on decomposition rates in three contrasting desert environments. The hypotheses were: (1) decomposition rates within the same litter type are faster in more mesic habitats, (2) decomposition rates are lower in higher lignin content or lower nutrient quality substrates, and (3) species-rich substrates enhance decomposition rates. For all litter types and habitats, a rapid loss of mass occurred during the summer rains at the start of the experiment, but total loss within the same litter type differed significantly among habitats. Decay rates were not higher in the more mesic habitat, but in the dry plains where solar irradiance and termite activity were highest. While termite activity was less important in the arroyos and absent in the hillsides habitats, proliferation of fungal mycelium in these sites was much higher than in the plains, suggesting that biotic and abiotic factors act both independently of litter richness. Lignin content seems to be an important factor controlling the loss of litter, because decay rates were inversely related to litter initial lignin content in all three habitats. Leaf litter diversity did not enhance rates of decomposition. The leaf litter mixture had k-values similar to the most recalcitrant monospecific litter in all three habitats, indicating a neutral or even antagonistic role of species-specific compounds in decomposition rates.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Acta Oecologica - Volume 32, Issue 3, November–December 2007, Pages 291–300
نویسندگان
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