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Effects of freeze damage on litter production, quality and decomposition in a loblolly pine forest in central China

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Abstract

Background and aims

Freeze events can strongly influence many ecosystem processes. However, the effects of freeze events on litter production, litter quality, and decomposition are rarely documented.

Methods

In this study, litter fall was measured monthly for 2 years. Two litter decomposition experiments were also performed using freeze-damaged litter and non-damaged litter in a loblolly pine forest.

Results

The freeze event in November 2009 caused a pronounced pulse of needle litter fall. The freeze-damaged needle litter was shown to have higher N concentration and lower C/N ratio compared with the normal falling needle litter. This finding indicates that freeze damage significantly increased needle quality because of incomplete nutrient resorption. The decomposition of freeze-damaged needle litter was faster than that of normal falling yellow needle litter and slower than that of hand-picked green needle litter. The decomposition rate constant (k) was negatively correlated with the C/N ratio in the needle litter. Our results also showed that the different climatic conditions influence patterns of litter decomposition.

Conclusions

This study suggests that freeze events significantly alter litter quantity and quality, thus affecting litter decomposition rates in a loblolly pine forest in central China.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2010CB833503), the Forestry Department of Sichuan Province (Forest Carbon Monitoring and Accounting Project, 2009-204) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31200302). We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions. We also thank the Jigongshan National Nature Reserve for facilitating the field work, especially Mr. Denglong Ha, Mr. Tao Zhang and Ms. Dan Liu for their field assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Qingpeng Yang, Yonggang Chi, Yunpu Zheng & Ruichang Shen

  2. Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China

    Qingpeng Yang & Silong Wang

  3. Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China

    Yonggang Chi, Yunpu Zheng & Ruichang Shen

  4. Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Ming Xu

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  1. Qingpeng Yang
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  2. Ming Xu
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  3. Yonggang Chi
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  4. Yunpu Zheng
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  6. Silong Wang
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Correspondence to Ming Xu.

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Responsible Editor: Tim Moore.

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Yang, Q., Xu, M., Chi, Y. et al. Effects of freeze damage on litter production, quality and decomposition in a loblolly pine forest in central China. Plant Soil 374, 449–458 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1882-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1882-y

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