Effect of geographical sources and biochemical traits on plant litter decomposition in a peatland

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2018.0029

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Few comparative studies have been conducted on the decomposition of the plant litters from different geographical sources in the same site. We aimed to understand the effect of geographical sources and biochemical traits of peatland plants on litter decomposition.

Methods Along a latitudinal gradient, we collected plant materials from three peatlands, Dajiuhu, Hani and Mangui, to carry out a one-year decomposition experiment with litter bags in Hani Peatland, Changbai Mountains.

Important findings When species identity was not considered, we found that overall initial nitrogen (N) content decreased while initial lignin content, carbon nitrogen ratio (C/N) and lignin/N increased with latitude in the litters from 3 peatlands. Litter decomposition differed with plant functional groups. After one year of decomposition, dry mass loss of both birch and sedge (ca. 50%) was higher than that of peat mosses (ca. 10%). No significant difference was observed in litter dry mass loss among different geographical sources. However, dry mass loss of Sphagnum magellanicum from the middle latitudinal peatland (19%) was higher than that from the high latitudinal site (9%). The factors affecting litter decomposition differed among plant functional groups. Initial total phenolics/N was the important factor to determine the difference in litter dry mass loss among the 3 genera. The initial N content and C/N, and Klason lignin content and total phenolics/N were positively related to litter decomposition of Carex and Sphagnum, respectively. If the decrease in latitude is used to indicate climate warming, to some extent, our study suggests that current climate warming, by changing the plant composition and biochemical traits, may alter litter decomposition and even carbon accumulation in high latitudinal peatlands.

Key words: latitudinal gradient pattern, plant functional group, peatland, biochemical quality

LIU Yuan-Yuan, MA Jin-Ze, BU Zhao-Jun, WANG Sheng-Zhong, ZHANG Xue-Bing, ZHANG Ting-Yu, LIU Sha-Sha, FU Biao, KANG Yuan. Effect of geographical sources and biochemical traits on plant litter decomposition in a peatland[J]. Chin J Plan Ecolo, 2018, 42(7): 713-722.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2018.0029

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2018/V42/I7/713

Figures/Tables 8

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埋放地 Site for decomposition	来源地 Site for collection	物种 Species
哈泥 Hani	大九湖 Dajiuhu	泥炭藓 Sphagnum palustre
		签草 Carex doniana
		红桦 Betula albosinensis
	哈泥 Hani	中央泥炭藓 S. centrale
		中位泥炭藓 S. magellanicum
		毛薹草 C. lasiocarpa
		油桦 B. fruticosa var. ruprechtiana
	满归 Mangui	中位泥炭藓 S. magellanicum
		锈色泥炭藓S. fuscum
		瘤囊薹草 C. schmidtii
		柴桦 B. fruticosa

埋放地 Site for decomposition	来源地 Site for collection	物种 Species
哈泥 Hani	大九湖 Dajiuhu	泥炭藓 Sphagnum palustre
		签草 Carex doniana
		红桦 Betula albosinensis
	哈泥 Hani	中央泥炭藓 S. centrale
		中位泥炭藓 S. magellanicum
		毛薹草 C. lasiocarpa
		油桦 B. fruticosa var. ruprechtiana
	满归 Mangui	中位泥炭藓 S. magellanicum
		锈色泥炭藓S. fuscum
		瘤囊薹草 C. schmidtii
		柴桦 B. fruticosa

因素 Factor		相关系数 Correlation coefficient
因素 Factor		C	N	总酚 Total phenolics	木质素 Lignin	C/N	总酚/C Total phenolics /C	木质素/C Lignin/C	总酚/N Total phenolics/N	木质素/N Lignin/N	总酚/木质素Total phenolics/Lignin
种 Species	B	106.293^***	41.509^***	62.296^***	0.400	19.628^***	69.213^***	3.821	45.356^***	24.485^***	25.207^***
	B	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.679	<0.001	<0.001	0.052	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
	C	2.657	8.308^**	45.047^***	4.476^*	16.272^***	40.042^***	5.066^*	18.049^***	15.195^**	16.497^***
	C	0.111	0.005	<0.001	0.035	<0.001	<0.001	0.025	<0.001	0.001	<0.001
	S	0.827	52.314^***	6.552^*	3.242^*	73.627^***	6.765^**	2.544	1.109	34.728^***	9.823^**
	S	0.461	<0.001	0.012	0.075	<0.001	0.011	0.120	0.361	<0.001	0.003
属 Genus	-	129.384^***	43.542^***	257.553^***	21.628^***	24.742^***	229.423^***	47.086^***	84.932^***	28.998^***	184.473^***
属 Genus	-	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
来源地 Source	-	0.660	3.341^*	0.346	2.324	7.034^**	0.462	1.294	2.473	5.306^**	0.200
来源地 Source	-	0.522	0.045	0.709	0.110	0.002	0.633	0.285	0.097	0.009	0.819

因素 Factor		相关系数 Correlation coefficient
因素 Factor		C	N	总酚 Total phenolics	木质素 Lignin	C/N	总酚/C Total phenolics /C	木质素/C Lignin/C	总酚/N Total phenolics/N	木质素/N Lignin/N	总酚/木质素Total phenolics/Lignin
种 Species	B	106.293^***	41.509^***	62.296^***	0.400	19.628^***	69.213^***	3.821	45.356^***	24.485^***	25.207^***
	B	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.679	<0.001	<0.001	0.052	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
	C	2.657	8.308^**	45.047^***	4.476^*	16.272^***	40.042^***	5.066^*	18.049^***	15.195^**	16.497^***
	C	0.111	0.005	<0.001	0.035	<0.001	<0.001	0.025	<0.001	0.001	<0.001
	S	0.827	52.314^***	6.552^*	3.242^*	73.627^***	6.765^**	2.544	1.109	34.728^***	9.823^**
	S	0.461	<0.001	0.012	0.075	<0.001	0.011	0.120	0.361	<0.001	0.003
属 Genus	-	129.384^***	43.542^***	257.553^***	21.628^***	24.742^***	229.423^***	47.086^***	84.932^***	28.998^***	184.473^***
属 Genus	-	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001
来源地 Source	-	0.660	3.341^*	0.346	2.324	7.034^**	0.462	1.294	2.473	5.306^**	0.200
来源地 Source	-	0.522	0.045	0.709	0.110	0.002	0.633	0.285	0.097	0.009	0.819

因素 Factor		干质量损失 Dry mass loss (%)		C损失 Carbon loss (%)		N损失 Nitrogen loss (%)		总酚损失 Total phenolics loss (%)		木质素损失 Lignin loss (%)
因素 Factor		F	p	F	p	F	p	F	p	F	p
种 Species	B	1.411	0.282	0.920	0.425	0.990	0.400	0.020	0.980	4.726*	0.031
	C	16.381^***	<0.001	14.883**	0.001	15.432***	<0.001	8.005**	0.006	2.229	0.150
	S	2.524	0.122	2.902	0.094	38.145***	<0.001	4.842*	0.029	18.463***	<0.001
属 Genus	-	57.069^***	<0.001	50.719***	<0.001	0.387	0.681	417.741***	<0.001	3.235*	0.049
来源地 Source	-	0.046	0.995	0.025	0.976	1.598	0.214	0.201	0.818	1.804	0.177