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Dynamics of leaf litter accumulation and its effects on riparian vegetation: A review

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Abstract

The total production of plant litter and the proportion of leaf litter are higher in riparian corridors than in upland ecosystems throughout the world. Periodical water-level fluctuation is believed to be the major cause of these differences. During flood periods, much plant litter is redistributed locally and between regions, following erosion, transport, and deposition of litter. The importance of litter redistribution varies with factors such as flood regime, topography, and vegetation. Litter from the riparian corridor is usually a major constituent of the litter transported by the river. The decomposition of litter is faster in riparian corridors than in upland systems due to a higher rate of leaching and a higher decomposer activity. Relative warmth and soil fertility may also enhance litter decomposition in riparian corridors. In general, accumulated litter affects plants physically by burying them, chemically by adding nutrients and phytotoxins, and biologically by adding diaspores. The physical impact of a certain amount of litter may be weaker in riparian corridors than in uplands because the rapid decomposition reduces the time that litter is present. In other words, higher amounts of litter are needed to affect riparian vegetation than are needed to affect other types of vegetation. The nutrient content of riverborne litter is reduced by leaching, but dissolved nutrients from litter might still reach the riparian vegetation, e.g., by adsorbing to inorganic particles. Phytotoxins are probably unimportant in riparian systems. The input to the riparian corridor of plant diaspores, borne by litter packs in the river, may be large. Indirect biological effects of litter, including its diaspores, are the attracting of animals and microbes that may influence the plant community, and the creation of bare soil for plant colonization.

Résumé

La production totale de litière et la proportion de litières de feuilles sont plus importantes dans les ripisylves que dans les autres écosystèmes terrestres de par le monde. Les fluctuations périodiques du niveau de l’eau sont supposées être la cause majeure de ces différences. Durant les périodes de crue, la majeure partie des litières végétales est redistribuée, soit localement, soit régionalement par le biais de processus d’érosion, de transport et de dépôts de crue. L’importance de la redistribution de la litière est variable; elle est fonction du régime des crues, de la topographie et de la végétation. La litière provenant de la végétation riveraine est généralement le constituant majeur de la litière transportée par les cours d’eau. La décomposition des litières est plus rapide dans les ripisylves que dans les écosystèmes terrestres. Ceci est dû à un plus fort taux de lessivage et à une activité de décomposition plus importante dans les sols des ripisylves. La fertilité des sols alluviaux relativement supérieure à celle des sols des autres écosystèmes terrestres ainsi que leur température relativement plus élevée peuvent aussi augmenter la vitesse de décomposition des litières dans les corridors riverains. En général, l’accumulation de litières affecte le développement de la végétation, et ce de plusieurs manières: physiquement par enfouissement, chimiquement par l’ajout de substances nutritives et de phyto-toxines, et biologiquement par l’apport de diaspores. L’impact physique d’un apport de litières peut être moindre dans les corridors riverains que dans les autres écosystèmes terrestres à cause de la rapide décomposition de la litière qui réduit son temps de présence sur le site. En d’autres termes, dans les ripisylves, des quantités de litières plus importantes que dans les autres écosystèmes terrestres sont nécessaires pour affecter le développement de la végétation. La teneur en nutriments des litières de ripisylves est réduite par l’effet du lessivage; cependant des substances nutritives peuvent néanmoins être fournies à la végétation riveraine, par le biais d’adsorption sur des dépôts de sédiments de crue par exemple. Les phyto-toxines sont probablement peu importantes dans les systèmes riverains. Par contre l’apport de diaspores de plantes véhiculés avec la litière dans les cours d’eau peut être très importante. L’effet biologique indirect des litières comprenant ces diaspores concerne leur capacité d’attraction des animaux et des micro-organismes qui peuvent en retour affecter les communautés végétales et créer des trouées de sols nus permettant une nouvelle colonisation végétale.

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  1. Riparian Ecology Group Department of Ecological Botany, Umeå University, S-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Shaojun Xiong & Christer Nilsson

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  1. Shaojun Xiong
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  2. Christer Nilsson
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Xiong, S., Nilsson, C. Dynamics of leaf litter accumulation and its effects on riparian vegetation: A review. Bot. Rev 63, 240–264 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02857951

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