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Decomposition patterns of leaf litter of seven common canopy species in a subtropical forest: dynamics of mineral nutrients

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Abstract

Dynamical patterns of mineral elements during decomposition processes were investigated for seven common canopy species in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest by means of litterbag technique over 2 years. The species studied are representative for the vegetation in the study area and differed significantly in chemical qualities of their litter. No significant relationships were found between decomposition rate (percentage dry mass remaining and decomposition constant k) and initial element concentrations. However, there were significant correlations between the percentage of dry mass remaining and the mineral element concentrations in the remaining litter for most cases. The rank of the element mobility in decomposition process was as follows: Na = K > Mg ≧ Ca > N ≧ Mn ≧ Zn ≧ P > Cu ≫ Al ≫ Fe. Concentrations of K and Na decreased in all species as decomposition proceeded. Calcium and Mg also decreased in concentration but with a temporal increase in the initial phase of decomposition, while the concentrations of other elements (Zn, Cu, Al, and Fe) increased for all species with exception of Mn which revealed a different pattern in different species. In most species, microelements (Cu, Al, and Fe) significantly increased in absolute amounts at the end of the litterbag incubation, which could be ascribed to a large extent to the mechanism of abiotic fixation to humic substances rather than biological immobilization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Forestry & Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, P.R. China

    Xu Xiao-niu

  2. Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, 250 Tokuda, Nayoro, Hokkaido, 096-0071, Japan

    Xu Xiao-niu & Hideaki Shibata

  3. Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

    Tsutomu Enoki

Authors
  1. Xu Xiao-niu
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  2. Hideaki Shibata
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  3. Tsutomu Enoki
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Additional information

Foundation item: The project was supported by Japanese Society for Promotion of Sciences (P03118) and the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars (SRFROCS), Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic China ((2003) 13).

Biography: XU Xiao-niu (1961–), male, Ph. D., Prof. in College of Forestry & Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, P.R. China

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Xu, Xn., Shibata, H. & Enoki, T. Decomposition patterns of leaf litter of seven common canopy species in a subtropical forest: dynamics of mineral nutrients. J. of For. Res. 17, 1–6 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-006-0001-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-006-0001-9

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