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Greenhouse gas emissions and extracellular enzyme activity variability during decomposition of native versus invasive riparian tree litter

Plant Ecology volume 221, pages 177–189 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Invasive plants alter riparian vegetation communities and shift biogeochemical processes by changing decomposition rates and the soil chemical environment created by leaf litter. It is unclear if this mechanism shifts nutrient dynamics favoring invasive dominance; riparian areas in the Southwestern USA invaded by salt cedar and Russian olive often still host mixed stands of native plants. To test the hypothesis that invasive plant success is related to altered litter inputs, microbial activity and nutrient cycling, we performed laboratory incubations examining greenhouse gas emissions and microbial extracellular enzyme activity (EEA). The responses of GHG flux and EAA were measured from decomposing translocated litter from native and invasive woody perennials between soils where they were growing. Litter decomposition from two invasive species (salt cedar and Russian olive) and two native trees (coyote willow and Fremont cottonwood) were tracked for 3 months. Soil respiration, carbon content and EEA were all more closely related to soil origin than leaf litter species. The highest decomposition rate was from willow soil. Soil nitrate at the end of the experiment was highest for soils collected under cottonwood. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions were significantly greater from Russian olive litter than other species, on all soil types. Patterns observed here suggest that (1) plant influences on local soil properties over the lifetime of a plant have a greater control on decomposition processes than short-term litter input source, (2) EEA is strongly related to available C resources, and (3) the invasive shrub Russian olive may be responsible for previously undocumented large N2O emissions in riparian systems in the USA.

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Data availability

Data sufficient to re-analyze statistical models and verify results will be deposited on figshare (www.figshare.com).

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Funding

This study was funded from a U.S. EPA Clean Water Act, Section 106 Grant to the New Mexico Environment Department (Memorandum of Agreement with New Mexico Tech, Contract ID 17 667 1210 0003).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, 87801, USA

    Benjamin D. Duval, Heather D. Curtsinger, Aubrey Hands & Jamie Martin

  2. The Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas-El Paso, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA

    Jennie R. McLaren

  3. Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM, 87801, USA

    Daniel D. Cadol

Authors
  1. Benjamin D. Duval
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  2. Heather D. Curtsinger
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  3. Aubrey Hands
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  4. Jamie Martin
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  5. Jennie R. McLaren
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  6. Daniel D. Cadol
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Contributions

BDD devised the experimental work, analyzed data, and wrote the manuscript. HC and AH ran lab incubation experiments, collected data and assisted with flux calculations. JM supervised laboratory work and edited the manuscript. JRM ran enzyme activity assays, assisted with data analysis, and edited the manuscript. DC performed field work, helped devise field collections and experiment design, and edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Benjamin D. Duval.

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None declared for any author.

Additional information

Communicated by Shayne Martin Jacobs.

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Duval, B.D., Curtsinger, H.D., Hands, A. et al. Greenhouse gas emissions and extracellular enzyme activity variability during decomposition of native versus invasive riparian tree litter. Plant Ecol 221, 177–189 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-020-01003-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-020-01003-6

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