Stoichiometry of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems

Danger, Michael; Arce-Funck, Julio; Beck, Miriam; Crenier, Clément; Felten, Vincent; Wang, Ziming; Maunoury-Danger, Florence

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-72854-0_3

Michael Danger^4,5,6,
Julio Arce-Funck^4,5,
Miriam Beck^4,5,
Clément Crenier^4,5,
Vincent Felten^4,5,
Ziming Wang^4,5 &
…
Florence Maunoury-Danger^4,5

906 Accesses
1 Citations

Abstract

Ecological stoichiometry is an approach of ecology aimed at understanding the causes and consequences of elemental imbalances in nature (mainly focusing carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus), from molecular to ecosystem levels. Like most detritus in nature, plant litters are nutrient depleted, and both microbial decomposers and detritivores are exposed to large stoichiometric constraints. These nutritional constraints will ultimately control litter decomposition rates, nutrient mineralization, and affect, in turn, decomposers’ community structures. To consider such stoichiometric constraints could greatly help understanding the functioning of detritus-based ecosystems. In this chapter, focused on leaf litter, diverse examples of stoichiometric constraints at play at the detritus-decomposer interface in aquatic ecosystems are presented. The different steps involving stoichiometric processes and ultimately conducting to litter decomposition, from the production of leaf litter in the riparian zones of freshwater ecosystems to its incorporation in aquatic food webs and its potential recycling in freshwater ecosystems are discussed. Stoichiometric constraints arising between detritus and decomposers in freshwater ecosystems are then placed into the context of current global change. Finally, we highlight the limits of the stoichiometric approach as well as some complementary approaches and perspectives of work are proposed.

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Université de Lorraine, CNRS, LIEC, 57000, Metz, France
Michael Danger, Julio Arce-Funck, Miriam Beck, Clément Crenier, Vincent Felten, Ziming Wang & Florence Maunoury-Danger
LTSER France, Zone Atelier du Bassin de La Moselle, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Michael Danger, Julio Arce-Funck, Miriam Beck, Clément Crenier, Vincent Felten, Ziming Wang & Florence Maunoury-Danger
Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
Michael Danger

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Danger, M. et al. (2021). Stoichiometry of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems. In: Swan, C.M., Boyero, L., Canhoto, C. (eds) The Ecology of Plant Litter Decomposition in Stream Ecosystems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-72854-0_3

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