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Litter decomposition rate is dependent on litter Mn concentrations

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Abstract

A statistically significant linear relationship was found between annual mass loss of foliar litter in the late stages of decomposition and Mn concentration in the litter. We used existing decomposition data on needle and leaf decomposition of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), silver birch (Betula pendula L.), and grey alder (Alnus incana L.) from Sweden and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) from Libya, to represent boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean climates. The later the decomposition stage as indicated by higher sulfuric-acid lignin concentrations, the better were the linear relationships between litter mass loss and Mn concentrations. We conclude that Mn concentrations in litter have an influence on litter mass-loss rates in very late decomposition stages (up to 5 years), provided that the litter has high enough Mn concentration. The relationship may be dependent on species as the relationship is stronger with species that take up high enough amounts of Mn.

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Acknowledgements

This work was carried out while Björn Berg was a guest scientist at the Institute Forest, Landscape and Planning, KVL, Copenhagen, Denmark. We are most grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their very constructive comments.

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Author notes

  1. B. Berg

    Present address: Department of Forest Ecology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box. 27, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Center for Forest, Landscape and Planning, KVL, Hørsholm Kongevej 11, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark

    B. Berg

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland

    K. T. Steffen

  3. Department of Biology, Mount Union College, Alliance, OH, 44601, USA

    C. McClaugherty

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  1. B. Berg
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  2. K. T. Steffen
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Correspondence to B. Berg.

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Berg, B., Steffen, K.T. & McClaugherty, C. Litter decomposition rate is dependent on litter Mn concentrations. Biogeochemistry 82, 29–39 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-006-9050-6

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