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Elevated UV-B radiation increased the decomposition of Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca leaf litter in subtropical China

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • SHORT ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching the earth's surface has been increasing due to ozone depletion and can profoundly influence litter decomposition and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The role of UV-B radiation in litter decomposition in humid environments is poorly understood; we thus investigated the effect of UV-B radiation on litter decomposition and nitrogen (N) release in a humid subtropical ecosystem in China.

Materials and methods

We conducted a field-based experiment using the litterbag method to study litter decomposition and N release under ambient and elevated (31% above ambient) UV-B radiation, using the leaf litter of two common tree species, Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca, native to subtropical China.

Results and discussion

Elevated UV-B radiation significantly increased the decomposition rate of C. camphora and C. glauca leaf litter by 16.7% and 27.8%, respectively, and increased the N release from the decomposing litter of C. glauca but not C. camphora.

Conclusions

Elevated UV-B radiation significantly accelerated the decomposition of litter of two native tree species and the N release from the decomposition litter of C. glauca in humid subtropical China, which has implications for soil carbon flux and forest productivity.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 30800152, 31070440), Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (no. Y5090007), and the State Key Fundamental Science Funds of China (2010CB950702, 2010CB428503).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Nurturing Station for the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture and Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Cycling and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin’an, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Xinzhang Z. Song, Huiling L. Zhang, Hong Jiang & Shuquan Q. Yu

  2. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Scott X. Chang

  3. Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, H3C 3P8, Canada

    Changhui H. Peng

Authors
  1. Xinzhang Z. Song
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  2. Huiling L. Zhang
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  3. Scott X. Chang
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  4. Hong Jiang
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  5. Changhui H. Peng
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  6. Shuquan Q. Yu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xinzhang Z. Song or Scott X. Chang.

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Responsible editor: Thomas DeLuca

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Song, X.Z., Zhang, H.L., Chang, S.X. et al. Elevated UV-B radiation increased the decomposition of Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca leaf litter in subtropical China. J Soils Sediments 12, 307–311 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0451-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-011-0451-3

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