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Leaf litter decomposition dynamics in unmanaged Phyllostachys pubescens stands at high elevations in the Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve

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Abstract

Due to its rapid growth and high rate of spread, Phyllostachys pubescens can suppress other species, eventually leading to pure P. pubescens forests. Research on the patterns of litter decomposition and nutrient release from P. pubescens across stand mixtures are helpful to understand the decomposition and nutrient dynamics during the invasion process. However, little is known for unmanaged conditions at high elevations. Therefore, we studied the decomposition of four litter compositions comprised of different combinations of P. pubescens and Cunninghamia lanceolata foliage for one year to explore the pattern of litter decomposition and nutrient release at the Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve. The results show that: (1) the litter decomposed faster with a higher proportion of P. pubescens based on Olson’s decay model; (2) the remaining litter compositions followed a trigonometric function model better than Olson’s decay model and fluctuated periodically in tandem with changing temperature and precipitation; (3) the litter mixture decompositions did not support the biomass-ratio hypothesis test; and (4) there were significant binomial, power and exponential relationships between initial concentration and final amounts remaining after 1 year decomposition for C, N and P. The correlations between litter decomposition and nutrient releases were significant. The results may be used to explain the rapid spread of P. pubescens and to guide the natural management of plantations.

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Acknowledgments

The research reported in this manuscript was funded by the Fujian Provincial Education Department (Grants No. JA15154), Youth Foundation of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (Grants No. 2010007). We are grateful to HUANG Zhi-sen, CHEN Wen-wei and HUANG Xing-lai from Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau for their kind assistance with the field survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cross-strait Nature Reserve Research Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Dao-wei Xu, Jin-fu Liu, Zhong-sheng He & Shi-qun Zheng

  2. Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Dao-wei Xu, Jin-fu Liu, Zhong-sheng He & Shi-qun Zheng

  3. Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Peter Marshall

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  1. Dao-wei Xu
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  2. Jin-fu Liu
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  3. Peter Marshall
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  4. Zhong-sheng He
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  5. Shi-qun Zheng
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Correspondence to Jin-fu Liu.

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Xu, Dw., Liu, Jf., Marshall, P. et al. Leaf litter decomposition dynamics in unmanaged Phyllostachys pubescens stands at high elevations in the Daiyun Mountain National Nature Reserve. J. Mt. Sci. 14, 2246–2256 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4426-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4426-8

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