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Alien red oak affects soil organic matter cycling and nutrient availability in low-fertility well-developed soils

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Abstract

Background and aims

Invasive alien species can dramatically change the litter and organic matter decomposition rate, nutrient cycling and availability, thus threatening the ecosystem functionality. We assessed the effect of red oak (QR) introduction on low fertility well-developed soils, originally covered by Quercus robur L. (QC).

Methods

We determined litter and soil organic matter composition and decomposition rate by combining morphological features with 13C NMR spectroscopy, NaClO oxidation and soil respiration. Total and available nutrients were also determined.

Results

The sites showed different humus forms: Dysmull-Hemimoder in QC and Mor in QR. The Oi horizons had a similar composition, but the higher presence of tannins and alkyl C/O − alkyl C and aryl C/O − alkyl C ratios in QR indicated that litter was less degradable. This was confirmed by soil respiration tests, with a higher preservation of the NaClO resistant fraction along the profile, mainly due to selective accumulation of alkyl components. This was accompanied by high retention of phosphorus in the organic horizons and drastic reduction of both total and available P in the mineral horizons. Calcium was strongly affected too.

Conclusions

In these well-developed soils red oak changed organic matter dynamics, reduced P availability and cation biocycling, leading the ecosystem functionality towards a no-return threshold.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the staff of the “La Mandria” natural park, in particular Claudio Masciavé and Giusi Rezza, for their help during field surveys.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Università di Torino, DISAFA-Chimica Agraria e Pedologia, via L. da Vinci 44, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy

    Eleonora Bonifacio, Marta Petrillo & Luisella Celi

  2. IPLA-Istituto Piante da Legno e Ambiente, corso Casale 476, 10132, Torino, Italy

    Fabio Petrella

  3. Università di Milano, DiSAA-Ricicla Group, via Celoria 2, 20133, Milano, Italy

    Fulvia Tambone

Authors
  1. Eleonora Bonifacio
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  2. Marta Petrillo
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  4. Fulvia Tambone
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  5. Luisella Celi
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Correspondence to Luisella Celi.

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Responsible Editor: Zucong Cai.

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Bonifacio, E., Petrillo, M., Petrella, F. et al. Alien red oak affects soil organic matter cycling and nutrient availability in low-fertility well-developed soils. Plant Soil 395, 215–229 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2555-9

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