Abstract
Macroclimate has traditionally been considered the predominant driver of litter decomposition. However, in drylands, cumulative monthly or annual precipitation typically fails to predict decomposition. In these systems, the windows of opportunity for decomposer activity may rather depend on the precipitation frequency and local factors affecting litter desiccation, such as soil-litter mixing. We used a full-factorial microcosm experiment to disentangle the relative importance of cumulative precipitation, pulse frequency, and soil-litter mixing on litter decomposition. Decomposition, measured as litter carbon loss, saturated with increasing cumulative precipitation when pulses were large and infrequent, suggesting that litter moisture no longer increased and/or microbial activity was no longer limited by water availability above a certain pulse size. More frequent precipitation pulses led to increased decomposition at high levels of cumulative precipitation. Soil-litter mixing consistently increased decomposition, with greatest relative increase (+194%) under the driest conditions. Collectively, our results highlight the need to consider precipitation at finer temporal scale and incorporate soil-litter mixing as key driver of decomposition in drylands.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2255-2260 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Ecology |
| Volume | 98 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- arid ecosystem
- carbon cycle
- Chihuahuan Desert
- global change
- litter moisture
- precipitation regime
- water pulses
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Cite this
Pulse frequency and soil-litter mixing alter the control of cumulative precipitation over litter decomposition. / Joly, François Xavier; Kurupas, Kelsey L.; Throop, Heather.
In: Ecology, Vol. 98, No. 9, 01.09.2017, p. 2255-2260.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Pulse frequency and soil-litter mixing alter the control of cumulative precipitation over litter decomposition
AU - Joly, François Xavier
AU - Kurupas, Kelsey L.
AU - Throop, Heather
PY - 2017/9/1
Y1 - 2017/9/1
N2 - Macroclimate has traditionally been considered the predominant driver of litter decomposition. However, in drylands, cumulative monthly or annual precipitation typically fails to predict decomposition. In these systems, the windows of opportunity for decomposer activity may rather depend on the precipitation frequency and local factors affecting litter desiccation, such as soil-litter mixing. We used a full-factorial microcosm experiment to disentangle the relative importance of cumulative precipitation, pulse frequency, and soil-litter mixing on litter decomposition. Decomposition, measured as litter carbon loss, saturated with increasing cumulative precipitation when pulses were large and infrequent, suggesting that litter moisture no longer increased and/or microbial activity was no longer limited by water availability above a certain pulse size. More frequent precipitation pulses led to increased decomposition at high levels of cumulative precipitation. Soil-litter mixing consistently increased decomposition, with greatest relative increase (+194%) under the driest conditions. Collectively, our results highlight the need to consider precipitation at finer temporal scale and incorporate soil-litter mixing as key driver of decomposition in drylands.
AB - Macroclimate has traditionally been considered the predominant driver of litter decomposition. However, in drylands, cumulative monthly or annual precipitation typically fails to predict decomposition. In these systems, the windows of opportunity for decomposer activity may rather depend on the precipitation frequency and local factors affecting litter desiccation, such as soil-litter mixing. We used a full-factorial microcosm experiment to disentangle the relative importance of cumulative precipitation, pulse frequency, and soil-litter mixing on litter decomposition. Decomposition, measured as litter carbon loss, saturated with increasing cumulative precipitation when pulses were large and infrequent, suggesting that litter moisture no longer increased and/or microbial activity was no longer limited by water availability above a certain pulse size. More frequent precipitation pulses led to increased decomposition at high levels of cumulative precipitation. Soil-litter mixing consistently increased decomposition, with greatest relative increase (+194%) under the driest conditions. Collectively, our results highlight the need to consider precipitation at finer temporal scale and incorporate soil-litter mixing as key driver of decomposition in drylands.
KW - arid ecosystem
KW - carbon cycle
KW - Chihuahuan Desert
KW - global change
KW - litter moisture
KW - precipitation regime
KW - water pulses
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026758300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85026758300&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ecy.1931
DO - 10.1002/ecy.1931
M3 - Article
VL - 98
SP - 2255
EP - 2260
JO - Ecology
JF - Ecology
SN - 0012-9658
IS - 9
ER -