Ex situ decomposition and phosphorus release characteristics of Spartina alterniflora litter in Minjiang estuary

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2022.0489

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The ex situ decomposition of litter caused by tidal fluctuations is the most common decomposition approach in estuarine marshes. Exploring the effects of environmental variation on litter decomposition and nutrient release is of great significance for understanding nutrient cycling in estuaries.
Methods From March to December 2021, the natural environmental gradient in Spartina alterniflora distribution area in the Minjiang estuary was applied to simulate changes in decomposition environment. Three decomposition sub-zones including S. alterniflora marsh (M7, litter was denoted by L7) after seaward invasion for seven years, S. alterniflora marsh (M1, litter was denoted by L1) after seaward invasion for one year, and bare flat (BF) before invasion were laid in a seaward direction; and the potential effects of simulated environmental variation on the decomposition and phosphorus (P) release of S. alterniflora litter (L7 and L1) with different invasion years were investigated by using the litter bag method.
Important findings The change in environment could significantly affect the decomposition rate of S. alterniflora litter. The L7 in the M1 and BF environments decomposed faster than that in its original environment (M7), while the L1 in the M7 and BF environments decomposed slower than that in its original environment (M1). The variation in decomposition rate of L7 or L1 with the changing decomposition environments not only depended on the variations in the key environmental factors (temperature and pH) but also rested on the great alterations in litter quality (carbon/nitrogen and nitrogen/phosphorus ratios). Compared to the original decomposition environment, changes in the decomposition environment increased the concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in L7 generally increased while those in L1 decreased as a whole. It should be noted that the TP concentrations in L7 and L1 reached the highest values in the M1. The remaining dry mass was the common factor affecting the variations of TP in litter under different decomposition environments, while the alterations of the key environmental factor (electrical conductivity) and litter quality associated with decomposition environment changes were the primary drivers in inducing the differences of TP concentrations in different decomposition sub-zones. Stocks of P in decaying litter in different sub-zones generally showed the transfer from litter to the surroundings. This study found that both the decomposition rate and the amounts of P released from L7 and L1 were much higher in the M1, indicating that the P return rate in the M1 might be faster and this was favorable for elevating the P availability for the newly invaded S. alterniflora.

Key words: litter decomposition, ex situ decomposition, phosphorus, Spartina alterniflora, estuary wetland, nutrient cycling

WANG Xiao-Ying, SUN Zhi-Gao, CHEN Bing-Bing, WU Hui-Hui, ZHANG Dang-Yu. Ex situ decomposition and phosphorus release characteristics of Spartina alterniflora litter in Minjiang estuary[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2024, 48(7): 844-857.

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Figures/Tables 10

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残体类型 Litter type	总碳(C)含量 Total carbon (C) concentration (mg·g^-1)	总氮(N)含量 Total nitrogen (N) concentration (mg·g^-1)	总磷(P)含量 Total phosphorus (P) concentration (mg·g^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
L7	41.59 ± 0.22^a	3.83 ± 0.24^b	0.59 ± 0.01^b	109.03 ± 7.31^a	709.46 ± 5.57^a	6.53 ± 0.44^b
L1	38.75 ± 0.02^b	11.05 ± 0.12^a	1.11 ± 0.01^a	35.08 ± 0.38^b	349.58 ± 1.59^b	9.97 ± 0.09^a

残体类型 Litter type	总碳(C)含量 Total carbon (C) concentration (mg·g^-1)	总氮(N)含量 Total nitrogen (N) concentration (mg·g^-1)	总磷(P)含量 Total phosphorus (P) concentration (mg·g^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
L7	41.59 ± 0.22^a	3.83 ± 0.24^b	0.59 ± 0.01^b	109.03 ± 7.31^a	709.46 ± 5.57^a	6.53 ± 0.44^b
L1	38.75 ± 0.02^b	11.05 ± 0.12^a	1.11 ± 0.01^a	35.08 ± 0.38^b	349.58 ± 1.59^b	9.97 ± 0.09^a

残体类型 Litter type	分解环境 Decomposition environment	回归方程 Regression equation	分解速率 Decomposition rate (d^-1)	R²	p	t_0.95(a)
L7	M7	y = -0.00673t + 0.09225	0.006 73	0.963 05	<0.01	1.26
	M1	y = -0.00868t + 0.01048	0.008 68	0.989 24	<0.01	0.95
	BF	y = -0.00693t - 0.00377	0.006 93	0.967 82	<0.01	1.18
L1	M7	y = -0.01065t + 0.04498	0.010 65	0.982 85	<0.01	0.78
	M1	y = -0.01711t + 0.03173	0.017 11	0.931 51	<0.01	0.48
	BF	y = -0.00628t - 0.12914	0.006 28	0.933 01	<0.01	1.25

残体类型 Litter type	分解环境 Decomposition environment	回归方程 Regression equation	分解速率 Decomposition rate (d^-1)	R²	p	t_0.95(a)
L7	M7	y = -0.00673t + 0.09225	0.006 73	0.963 05	<0.01	1.26
	M1	y = -0.00868t + 0.01048	0.008 68	0.989 24	<0.01	0.95
	BF	y = -0.00693t - 0.00377	0.006 93	0.967 82	<0.01	1.18
L1	M7	y = -0.01065t + 0.04498	0.010 65	0.982 85	<0.01	0.78
	M1	y = -0.01711t + 0.03173	0.017 11	0.931 51	<0.01	0.48
	BF	y = -0.00628t - 0.12914	0.006 28	0.933 01	<0.01	1.25

残体类型 Litter type	变异来源 Source of variation	残留率 Percent of dry mass remaining		总磷(P)含量 Total phosphorus (P) concentration		磷累积指数 PAI		C:N		C:P		N:P
残体类型 Litter type	变异来源 Source of variation	F	p	F	p	F	p	F	p	F	p	F	p
L7	分解时间 Decomposition time	355.334	<0.001	6.259	0.006	87.581	<0.001	22.134	<0.001	3.929	0.032	4.948	0.025
	分解环境 Decomposition environment	28.434	0.001	0.775	0.502	8.270	0.019	3.500	0.098	0.060	0.942	0.603	0.577
	分解时间×分解环境 Decomposition time × decomposition environment	4.653	0.007	2.075	0.117	3.120	0.023	1.464	0.250	2.526	0.070	3.152	0.052
L1	分解时间 Decomposition time	363.536	<0.001	5.102	0.044	56.996	<0.001	14.213	<0.001	5.034	0.024	5.516	0.042
	分解环境 Decomposition environment	99.164	<0.001	14.121	0.005	0.848	0.474	84.374	<0.001	30.333	0.001	1.994	0.217
	分解时间×分解环境 Decomposition time × decomposition environment	3.295	0.041	2.532	0.130	3.034	0.111	6.656	0.001	3.301	0.045	1.464	0.295