scholarly journals Do Silvi-Medicinal Plantations Affect Tree Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Mineralization?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxi Zhang ◽  
Hangyu Lei ◽  
Yujie Chong ◽  
Jiawei Hu ◽  
Wenrong Che ◽  
...  

In a silvi-medicinal system, the plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) released from medicinal herbs could affect tree litter decomposition and nutrient release. However, the specific effects of PSMs on arboreous litter decomposition are still not well understood. In this study, the extracts of nine types of medicinal herbs were used to treat Pinus armandii Franch. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. litter during a simulated half-year decomposition. The effects of the extracts on the decomposition and the N and P release of the conifer litter were investigated. The results indicated that most of the medicinal herb extracts significantly inhibited the late decomposition of P. armandii litter, whereas only two of them accelerated the entire decomposition process. Only a few significantly affected the decomposition of the L. gmelinii litter. Four of the nine types of extract significantly inhibited the N and P release of the P. armandii litter, while 3/9 and 6/9 inhibited the N and P release of the L. gmelinii litter, respectively. The accelerating effects of the extracts on the cellulase activity and the inhibitory effects on the polyphenol oxidase activity might be responsible for the early acceleration and late inhibition of litter decomposition, while the effects of the extracts on the activities of protease and phosphatase might not be the main reason for the inhibitory or accelerating effects on the N and P release. In general, the inhibitory effects of medicinal herbs on the nutrient cycling of ecosystems should be taken into consideration when building silvi-medicinal systems, especially in P. armandii forests.

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamaljit K. Sangha ◽  
Rajesh K. Jalota ◽  
David J. Midmore

The temporal impact of clearing trees on litter production, litter decomposition and on C, N and P release through decomposition of litter was examined in the pasture systems of a semi-arid zone of central Queensland. Paired sites for cleared pastures (developed from clearing woodlands) and uncleared (intact woodland) pastures were selected to represent three dominant tree communities of the region i.e. Eucalyptus populnea, E. melanophloia and Acacia harpophylla, with three different time-since-clearing (5, 11–13 and 33 y) treatments. Yearly litter production was greater at uncleared sites (1732–1948 kg ha−1 y−1 for eucalypt and 2596 kg ha−1 y−1 for acacia communities) compared with cleared sites (1038–1282 kg ha−1 y−1 for eucalypt and 1100 kg ha−1 y−1 for acacia communities averaged over three time-since-clearing treatments). Rates of litter decomposition and of release of C, N and P from decomposing litter were higher at cleared than uncleared sites for all three tree communities. The cleared and uncleared sites did not differ significantly in total amount of C and N released per year since the concentrations of C and N were greater in litter from uncleared sites but the rate of release was less than that at cleared sites. Slow but continuous release of nutrients in eucalypt and acacia woodlands may be an adaptation of these communities to maintain the nutrient cycle and to avoid leaching of nutrients in the nutrient-poor soils of the region.


FLORESTA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 1449
Author(s):  
Fabiana Rodrigues Baldez ◽  
Marcos Gervasio Pereira ◽  
Tatiana Saldanha ◽  
Wilbert Valkinir Cabreira ◽  
Cristiane Figueira Da Silva ◽  
...  

This study analyzes microbiota population dynamics as a function of nutrient release rate during litter decomposition. For that, we observed two tree species native to the Atlantic Forest: brazilwood (Paubrasilia echinata) and inga (Inga laurina). To assess nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) release rates from the litter, we performed six collections over 365 days. In these collections, we placed polyvinyl bags called ‘litter bags’ below the treetops of the chosen species to collect dry leaves. To identify the groups of litter microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes), we used the plate culture method to count the number of colony-forming units (CFU), and the fatty acid profile method, through biomarkers, associating nutrient release rate and abiotic factors (temperature and rainfall). Nutrient release rate correlates with litter decomposition at 140 days, and most microorganisms correlate with litter decomposition at 30 days. Nitrogen and phosphorus release rates correlate with rainfall. Fungi correlate with P release rate in inga litter decomposition. The bacteria biomarker 17:1 was the only one that correlated with N and P release rates. In conclusion, rainfall affects nutrient solubilization in the studied species, and microbiota differs between the species. When comparing the two methods to identify these microorganisms, information from one method complements information from the other, since both provide different but interdependent data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guoyong Yan ◽  
Xiongde Dong ◽  
Binbin Huang ◽  
Honglin Wang ◽  
Ziming Hong ◽  
...  

We conducted a field experiment with four levels of simulated nitrogen (N) deposition (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 g N m−2 yr−1, respectively) to investigate the response of litter decomposition of Pinus koraiensis (PK), Tilia amurensis (TA), and their mixture to N deposition during winter and growing seasons. Results showed that N addition significantly increased the mass loss of PK litter and significantly decreased the mass loss of TA litter throughout the 2 yr decomposition processes, which indicated that the different responses in the decomposition of different litters to N addition can be species specific, potentially attributed to different litter chemistry. The faster decomposition of PK litter with N addition occurred mainly in the winter, whereas the slower decomposition of TA litter with N addition occurred during the growing season. Moreover, N addition had a positive effect on the release of phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese for PK litter and had a negative effect on the release of carbon, iron, and lignin for TA litter. Decomposition and nutrient release from mixed litter with N addition showed a non-additive effect. The mass loss from litter in the first winter and over the entire study correlated positively with the initial concentration of cellulose, lignin, and certain nutrients in the litter, demonstrating the potential influence of different tissue chemistries.


Author(s):  
Lili Wei

Coastal wetlands are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems in the world. Litter decomposition is a major process controlling soil carbon input. Litter mixing has shown a non-additive effect on the litter decomposition of terrestrial plants particularly of those species having contrasting litter quality. But the non-additive effect has been rarely tested in coastal plants which generally having low-quality litters. We selected three common mangrove species and one saltmarsh species, co-occurring in subtropical coasts, to test whether the non-additive effect occurs when the litters of these coastal species mixing together. We are also concerned whether the changes in the decomposition rate of litter will affect the nutrient contents in waters. A litter-bag experiment was carried out in a glasshouse with single and mixed leaf litters. A non-additive effect was observed in the litter mixtures of mangrove species Aegiceras corniculatum vs. Kandelia obovata (antagonistic) and A. corniculatum vs. Avicennia marina (synergistic). Whereas, the mixture of A. corniculatum (mangrove species) and Spartina alterniflora (saltmarsh species) showed an additive effect. The strength of the non-additive effect was unrelated to the initial trait dissimilarity of litters. Instead, the decomposition rate and mass remaining of litter mixtures were strongly related to the carbon concentrations in litters. Nutrient content in waters was dependent on the decomposition rate of litter mixtures but not on the initial nutrient concentrations in litters. Despite the behind mechanisms were not yet revealed by the current study, these findings have improved our understanding of the litter decomposition of coastal species and the consequent nutrient release.


2014 ◽  
Vol 291 ◽  
pp. 58-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Didion ◽  
B. Frey ◽  
N. Rogiers ◽  
E. Thürig

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidiane Coltro-Roncato ◽  
José Renato Stangarlin ◽  
Affonso Celso Gonçalves Jr. ◽  
Odair José Kuhn ◽  
Edilaine Della Valentina Gonçalves ◽  
...  

Alternative methods for the control of nematodes, such as the use of plant secondary metabolites, can be explored for integrated pest management systems. The objective of this work was to assess the best solvent for obtaining allyl isothiocyanate from Crambe abyssinica leaves, and the effects of this extract on Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica. Dry leaves of C. abyssinica at 200 mg L-1 were used to prepare extracts by using water (by infusion and grinding), acetone, water + ethanol (hydroalcoholic extraction), methanol, hexane, and chloroform as solvents. Following the evaporation of the solvents, the residue was resuspended in water for use in the experiments. Distilled water and chemical nematicide were used as control treatments. Once the most effective extracts were defined, the following dosages of dried crambe leaves were used: 0, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mg L-1. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the allyl isothiocyanate present in the extracts. After the solvents evaporated, the residues were eluted with water and used in assays with 200 eggs for the hatching test or 200 second stage juveniles (J2) for mobility and mortality tests. The hydroalcoholic extract was the most effective in reducing the hatching of M. incognita and M. javanica juveniles, by 71.6 and 74.4 percentage points, respectively. The mortality of M. incognita and M. javanica in the hydroalcoholic extract was 93.2 and 64.4%, respectively, followed by the methanol extract (17.6 and 34%) and the extract obtained by grinding (9.2 and 28%). The hydroalcoholic extract at 250 mg L-1 showed high nematicidal effect. The HPLC analysis of the extracts revealed that only the methanol and hydroalcoholic extracts had allyl isothiocyanate, indicating that the inhibitory effects on the hatching, mobility, and mortality were not solely attributed to the presence of this compound.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Rodríguez-Lizana ◽  
Miguel Ángel Repullo-Ruibérriz de Torres ◽  
Rosa Carbonell-Bojollo ◽  
Manuel Moreno-García ◽  
Rafaela Ordóñez-Fernández

Cover crops (CC)s are increasingly employed by farmers in olive groves. Spontaneous soil cover is the most commonly used CC. Its continuous utilization changes ruderal flora. It is necessary to study new CCs. Living CCs provide C and nutrients to soil during decomposition. Information on this issue in olive groves is scarce. A 4-year field study involving grab sampling of Brachypodium distachyon, Sinapis alba and spontaneous CC residues was conducted to study C and nutrient release from cover crop residues. Throughout the decomposition cycles, C, N and P release accounted for 40 to 58% of the C, N and P amounts in the residues after mowing. Most K was released (80–90%). Expressed in kg per hectare, the release of C and N in Brachypodium (C: 4602, N: 181, P: 29, K: 231) and Sinapis (C: 4806, N: 152, P: 18, K: 195) was greater than that in spontaneous CC (C: 3115, N: 138, P: 21, K: 256). The opposite results were observed for K. The Rickman model, employed to estimate the amount of C, N and P in residues, yielded a good match between the simulated and measured values. In comparison to spontaneous CC, the newly proposed CCs have a higher potential to provide soil with C and N.


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