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Decomposition of Mongolian pine litter in the presence of understory species in semi-arid northeast China

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Abstract

The effects of understory plant litter on dominant tree litter decomposition are not well documented especially in semi-arid forests. In this study, we used a microcosm experiment to examine the effects of two understory species (Artemisia scoparia and Setaria viridis) litter on the mass loss and N release of Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) litter in Keerqin Sandy Lands, northeast China, and identified the influencing mechanism from the chemical quality of decomposing litter. Four litter combinations were set up: one monoculture of Mongolian pine and three mixtures of Mongolian pine and one or two understory species in equal mass proportions of each species. Total C, total N, lignin, cellulose and polyphenol concentrations, and mass loss of pine litter were analyzed at days 84 and 182 of incubation. The chemistry of pine litter not only changed with the stages of decomposition, but was also strongly influenced by the presence of understory species during decomposition. Both understory species promoted mass loss of pine litter at 84 days, while only the simultaneous presence of two understory species promoted mass loss of pine litter at 182 days. Mass loss of pine litter was negatively correlated with initial ratios of C/N, lignin/N and polyphenol/N of litter combinations during the entire incubation period; at 182 days it was negatively correlated with polyphenol concentration and ratios of C/N and polyphenol/N of litter combinations at 84 days of incubation. Nitrogen release of pine litter was promoted in the presence of understory species. Nitrogen release at 84 days was negatively correlated with initial N concentration; at 182 days it was negatively correlated with initial polyphenol concentration of litter combinations and positively correlated with lignin concentration of litter combinations at 84 days of incubation. Our results suggest that the presence of understory species causes substantial changes in chemical components of pine litter that can exert strong influences on subsequent decomposition of pine litter.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Gui-Yan Ai and Jing-Shi Li for their technical assistance and to two anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China

    Bing Mao, Yalin Hu, Yue Huang & Dehui Zeng

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Bing Mao

  3. Daqinggou Ecological Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Bing Mao, Yalin Hu, Yue Huang & Dehui Zeng

  4. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130012, China

    Rong Mao

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  1. Bing Mao
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Correspondence to Dehui Zeng.

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Project founding: This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 31270668) and the State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology (grant number LFSE2013-11).

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Corresponding editor: Chai Ruihai

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Mao, B., Mao, R., Hu, Y. et al. Decomposition of Mongolian pine litter in the presence of understory species in semi-arid northeast China. J. For. Res. 27, 329–337 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-015-0177-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-015-0177-y

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