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Manganese addition accelerates litter decomposition and alters litter mixing effects in the late stage in subtropical plantations of southern China

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Abstract

Background

Manganese (Mn) is believed to be a key variable controlling litter decomposition, especially in the late stage. However, the direct effects of Mn on litter decomposition and litter mixing effects during decomposition have been rarely tested in subtropical forests.

Methods

We collected leaf litter of four common tree species (two broadleaf tree species, Liquidambar formosana and Schima superba; two coniferous tree species, Pinus massoniana and Pinus elliottii) from subtropical plantations of southern China, and used a field Mn addition experiment to assess the impact of Mn on single and mixed litter mass loss during 780-day decomposition. In addition, we measured soil nutrient availability and hydrolytic enzyme activities.

Results

Despite unchanged soil nutrient availability, Mn addition generally increased soil β-1,4-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, leucine aminopeptidase, and acid phosphatase activities. Irrespective of litter types, Mn addition did not affect litter mass loss in the early stage (mass loss <40%) but enhanced litter mass loss in the late stage (mass loss >40%). During mixed litter decomposition, synergistic effects were more common for coniferous litter than for broadleaf litter. Moreover, Mn addition reduced the magnitudes of synergistic effects on litter decomposition and even changed synergistic effects to additive effects. Thus, the positive effect of Mn addition on litter decomposition was greater for single litter (18%) than for mixed litter (6%).

Conclusions

Mn availability is crucial for leaf litter decomposition in the late stage rather than in the early stage, and Mn addition influences mixed litter decomposition by reducing non-additive effects in subtropical plantations.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi, China (20212ACB215002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No 32060295), and the Double Thousand Plan of Jiangxi Province (jxsq2018106044). We thank the anonymous reviewers for the constructive comments on the early version of this manuscript, and Shan-Shan Liu, Jia-Wen Xu, Yi-Dong Ding, and Su-Li Li for the field experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Forest Ecosystem Protection and Restoration of Poyang Lake Watershed, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, No. 1101 Zhimin Road, Nanchang, 330045, China

    Pan-Pan Wu, Ling-Xin Jiang, Yan Zhang, Qi-Han Tu & Rong Mao

  2. Matoushan Observation and Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, Zixi, 335300, China

    Rong Mao

Authors
  1. Pan-Pan Wu
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  2. Ling-Xin Jiang
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  3. Yan Zhang
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  4. Qi-Han Tu
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  5. Rong Mao
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Pan-Pan Wu, Ling-Xin Jiang, Yan Zhang, Qi-Han Tu, and Rong Mao. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Pan-Pan Wu and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rong Mao.

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Wu, PP., Jiang, LX., Zhang, Y. et al. Manganese addition accelerates litter decomposition and alters litter mixing effects in the late stage in subtropical plantations of southern China. Plant Soil 481, 501–510 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05652-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05652-6

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