Effects of forest gap on losses of total phenols and condensed tannins of foliar litter in a subalpine forest of western Sichuan, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0321

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims As key components in plant litters, the total phenols and condensed tannins greatly regulate decomposition process of forest litter, which can be directly or indirectly affected by forest gaps. The aim of this study was to determine how the forest gaps would affect the losses of total phenols and condensed tannins of foliar litter during decomposition in subalpine forest.
Methods We conducted a three-year in situ litter decomposition experiment on different forest gaps (i.e. gap center, canopy gap, expanded gap, closed canopy) in a subalpine forest of western Sichuan, and six foliar litters including Juniperus saltuaria, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana, Larix mastersiana, Betula albosinensis, Salix paraplesia and Rhododendron lapponicum were selected. The measurements were conducted to examine the losses of litter total phenols and condensed tannins during winter and growing season.
Important findings Litter total phenols and condensed tannins showed higher loss rates in the first decomposition year, with the levels of 10.76 mg·d^-1 and 8.5 mg·d^-1, respectively. The effects of forest gaps on the degradation of phenolic components gradually were getting weak with the litter decomposition proceeding, and exhibited obvious seasonal differences. The total phenols content of six litters all decreased rapidly in the growing seasons, while litters with higher initial condensed tannins with faster loss rate were found in the first winter, suggesting that both litter quality and seasons would significantly alter litter phenolic components losses during long-term decomposition under forest gaps. These results are helpful for deeper understanding of the litter decomposition process and nutrients cycling in forest ecosystems, which provide scientific data to improve the development of management policies in subalpine forests.

Key words: forest gap, decomposition, total phenols, condensed tannins, seasonal dynamic, subalpine

DU Ting, CHEN Yu-Lian, BI Jing-Hui, YANG Yu-Ting, ZHANG Li, YOU Cheng-Ming, TAN Bo, XU Zhen-Feng, WANG Li-Xia, LIU Si-Ning, LI Han. Effects of forest gap on losses of total phenols and condensed tannins of foliar litter in a subalpine forest of western Sichuan, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2023, 47(5): 660-671.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0321

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2023/V47/I5/660

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Daily mean temperature of litter bags on different gap positions at each litter decomposing period (mean ± SE, n = 3). Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among different gap positions during the same decomposition period (p < 0.05). The shadowed areas indicate winter, the non-shadowed areas indicate growing season.

Table 1 Results of repeated measures ANOVA of the effects of species, gap position and decomposition period on litter total phenols content and loss rate in decomposing litters in the subalpine forest

变异来源 Source of variance	df	总酚含量 Total phenols content		总酚损失速率 Total phenols loss rate
变异来源 Source of variance	df	F	p	F	p
物种 Species (S)	5	715.799	<0.001	123.633	<0.001
时期 Periods (P)	5	3 048.926	<0.001	360.981	<0.001
林窗位置 Gap positions (G)	3	13.300	<0.001	0.545	0.654
时期×物种 P × S	25	104.919	<0.001	24.689	<0.001
物种×林窗位置 S × G	15	4.977	<0.001	0.162	0.999
时期×林窗位置 P × G	15	11.187	<0.001	7.881	<0.001
物种×时期×林窗位置 S × P × G	75	4.378	<0.001	2.782	<0.001

Fig. 2 Dynamics of total phenols content in six decomposing litters in the subalpine forest (mean ± SE, n = 3). A, Juniperus saltuaria. B, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana. C, Larix mastersiana. D, Betula albosinensis. E, Salix paraplesia. F, Rhododendron lapponicum. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among gap positions during the same decomposition period (p < 0.05). The shadowed areas indicate winter, and the non-shadowed areas indicate growing season.

Fig. 3 Dynamics of total phenols loss rate in six decomposing litters in the subalpine forest (mean ± SE, n = 3). A, Juniperus saltuaria. B, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana. C, Larix mastersiana. D, Betula albosinensis. E, Salix paraplesia. F, Rhododendron lapponicum. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among gap positions during the same decomposing period (p < 0.05). The shadowed areas indicate winter, and the non-shadowed areas indicate growing season.

Table 2 Results of repeated measures ANOVA of the effects of species, gap position and decomposition period on litter condensed tannins content and loss rate in decomposing litters in the subalpine forest

变异来源 Source of variance	df	缩合单宁含量 Condensed tannins content		缩合单宁损失速率 Condensed tannins loss rate
变异来源 Source of variance	df	F	p	F	p
物种 Species (S)	5	931.848	<0.001	1 116.526	<0.001
时期 Periods (P)	5	800.280	<0.001	477.983	<0.001
林窗位置 Gap positions (G)	3	3.335	0.027	0.269	0.847
时期×物种 P × S	25	330.278	<0.001	114.603	<0.001
物种×林窗位置 S × G	15	7.423	<0.001	0.163	0.999 7
时期×林窗位置 P × G	15	13.836	<0.001	11.297	<0.001
物种×时期×林窗位置 S × P × G	75	9.852	<0.001	7.672	<0.001

Fig. 4 Dynamics of condensed tannins content in six decomposing litters in the subalpine forest (mean ± SE, n = 3). A, Juniperus saltuaria. B, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana. C, Larix mastersiana. D, Betula albosinensis. E, Salix paraplesia. F, Rhododendron lapponicum. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among gap positions during the same decomposition period (p < 0.05). The shadowed areas indicate winter, and the non-shadowed areas indicate growing season.

Fig. 5 Dynamics of condensed tannins loss rate in six decomposing litters in the subalpine forest (mean ± SE, n = 3). A, Juniperus saltuaria. B, Abies fargesii var. faxoniana. C, Larix mastersiana. D, Betula albosinensis. E, Salix paraplesia. F, Rhododendron lapponicum. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among gap positions during the same decomposing period (p < 0.05). The shadowed areas indicate winter, and the non-shadowed areas indicate growing season.

Table 3 Multiple linear regressions (stepwise method) between the total phenols/condensed tannins content, loss rate and environmental factors, initial quality of foliar litter

分解时期 Decomposition period	因变量 Dependent variable	进入最优模型的变量 Variables entering the optimal model	n	R²
冬季 Winter	TP	DMT (+), CT₀ (+), TP₀ (+), FFTC (+), PAT (-), NAT (-)	216	0.656^*
	TPL	PAT (+), TP₀(+), DMT (-)	216	0.270^*
	CT	CT₀(+), DMT (+), PAT (-)	216	0.372^**
	CTL	DMT (+), CT₀(+), PAT (-)	216	0.391^**
生长季 Growing season	TP	CT₀(+)	216	0.214^**
	TPL	DC (+)	216	0.067^**
	CT	CT₀ (+)	216	0.147^**
	CTL	CT₀(+)	216	0.250^**
3年 Three years	TP	DMT (+), CT₀(+), WSE (-), PAT (-)	432	0.545^*
	TPL	TP₀ (+), NAT (+)	432	0.125^**
	CT	NAT (+), CT₀ (+), PAT (-)	432	0.280^**
	CTL	CT₀(+), NAT (+), PAT (-)	432	0.305^**

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