Twig and leaf litter production and decomposition in an alpine Sibiraea angustata shrubland of western Sichuan, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2024.0306

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Alpine shrublands are crucial for global carbon cycle due to their substantial soil carbon storage and sensitivity to global changes. Twig and leaf litter play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling; however, less is known about their production and decomposition. Such a knowledge gap hinders accurate assessments of their contributions to soil carbon and nutrient cycling.
Methods This study investigated the annual production, decomposition rates, and carbon and nitrogen retention of twig and leaf litter in an alpine Sibiraea angustata shrubland ecosystem on the eastern margin of the Qingzang Plateau of China over a four-year period.
Important findings Results showed that: (1) Leaf litter production (138.94 g·m^-2·a^-1) was 4.41 times higher than twig litter production (31.48 g·m^-2·a^-1). (2) Decomposition rate of twig litter (K = 0.356·a^-1) was significantly slower than that of leaf litter (K = 0.522·a^-1). The proportion of recalcitrant fraction of twig litter during decomposition was 4.86 times higher than that of leaf litter (0.287 vs. 0.059, respectively). (3) Nitrogen release patterns differed between twig and leaf litter: leaf litter exhibited a net nitrogen release, while twig litter followed a pattern of “enrichment—stabilization— release”. (4) After four years of decomposition, the estimated annual carbon retention of twig and leaf litter was similar (3.85 g∙m^-2∙a^-1 for twig litter and 3.72 g∙m^-2∙a^-1 for leaf litter). However, leaf litter retained significantly more nitrogen than twig litter (0.11 g∙m^-2∙a^-1 vs. 0.06 g∙m^-2∙a^-1). This study highlights the complementary roles of twig litter in promoting carbon accumulation in alpine shrubland due to its slower decomposition. In contrast, leaf litter plays a more crucial role in alleviating soil nitrogen limitation due to its faster nitrogen release and higher nitrogen return. Our results provide valuable foundation for accurately assessing the contributions of twig and leaf litter to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.

Key words: litterfall production, litter decomposition, carbon and nitrogen inputs, Qingzang Plateau, alpine shrubland

CHEN Cheng-Zhi, GAO Yu-Sen, LUO Li-Jia, WANG Dong. Twig and leaf litter production and decomposition in an alpine Sibiraea angustata shrubland of western Sichuan, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2025, 49(10): 1733-1743.

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Figures/Tables 6

References 58

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凋落物 Litter	碳含量 Carbon (C) content (%)	氮含量 Nitrogen (N) content (%)	碳:氮 C:N	木质素含量 Lignin content (%)	木质素:N Lignin:N
凋落枝 Twig litter	48.23 ± 0.38^**	0.73 ± 0.04	66.09 ± 3.40^**	59.50 ± 2.21^**	81.75 ± 6.37^**
凋落叶 Leaf litter	40.43 ± 0.71	1.46 ± 0.11^*	27.94 ± 1.60	11.04 ± 1.95	7.66 ± 1.02

凋落物 Litter	碳含量 Carbon (C) content (%)	氮含量 Nitrogen (N) content (%)	碳:氮 C:N	木质素含量 Lignin content (%)	木质素:N Lignin:N
凋落枝 Twig litter	48.23 ± 0.38^**	0.73 ± 0.04	66.09 ± 3.40^**	59.50 ± 2.21^**	81.75 ± 6.37^**
凋落叶 Leaf litter	40.43 ± 0.71	1.46 ± 0.11^*	27.94 ± 1.60	11.04 ± 1.95	7.66 ± 1.02

变量 Variable	变异 Variance	自由度 Degrees of freedom (df)	方差 Sum of squares (SS)	均方差 Mean square (MS)	F	p
生产量 Mass production	LT	1,16	69 287	69 287	229.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	559	186	0.62	0.615
	LT × ST	3,16	4 892	1 631	5.38	0.009^**
碳归还量 Carbon production	LT	1,16	13 676	13 676	241.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	250	83.50	1.47	0.261
	LT × ST	3,16	1 548	515.8	9.07	<0.001^**
氮归还量 Nitrogen production	LT	1,16	17.18	17.18	171.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	0.06	0.02	0.20	0.897
	LT × ST	3,16	0.18	0.06	0.58	0.636

变量 Variable	变异 Variance	自由度 Degrees of freedom (df)	方差 Sum of squares (SS)	均方差 Mean square (MS)	F	p
生产量 Mass production	LT	1,16	69 287	69 287	229.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	559	186	0.62	0.615
	LT × ST	3,16	4 892	1 631	5.38	0.009^**
碳归还量 Carbon production	LT	1,16	13 676	13 676	241.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	250	83.50	1.47	0.261
	LT × ST	3,16	1 548	515.8	9.07	<0.001^**
氮归还量 Nitrogen production	LT	1,16	17.18	17.18	171.00	<0.001^**
	ST	3,16	0.06	0.02	0.20	0.897
	LT × ST	3,16	0.18	0.06	0.58	0.636

凋落物 Litter	模型名称 Model name	模型方程 Model equation	R²	赤池信息准则 AIC	95%分解期 Time for 95% mass loss (a)
凋落枝 Twig litter	渐近线 Asymptote model	Y = 0.287 + 0.713e^-0.727^t	0.975	-42.41
凋落枝 Twig litter	单指数 Single exponential model	Y = e^-0.356^t	0.928	-59.33	8.41
凋落叶 Leaf litter	渐近线 Asymptote model	Y = 0.059 + 0.941e^-0.594^t	0.978	-54.89
凋落叶 Leaf litter	单指数 Single exponential model	Y = e^-0.522^t	0.977	-54.22	5.74