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Decomposition and element concentrations of Norway spruce needle litter with differing B, N, or P status

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Abstract

Adequate boron (B) nutrition may decrease concentrations of phenolic compounds and enhance structural integrity and lignification in plants, compared with suboptimal B. This could affect decomposition in areas where B deficiencies are common. The mass loss and changes in element concentrations in Norway spruce needle litter were studied with combinations of litter from high-B and low-B trees, incubated for 29 months, in either B fertilised or control plots without B addition. The litter originated from the same Norway spruce field experiments. Additionally, the field experiments included long-term N and P treatments. Initially, lowest lignin concentrations were found in Norway spruce litter from the treatment P and particularly in the combination B + P, and highest in the B + N fertilised plots. The mass loss of Norway spruce litter was not affected by the treatments. However, Blitter increased Cu accumulation. The litter from the B + P fertilised plots accumulated considerably more Al, Ca, S and Zn than the other treatments, whereas B together with N reduced the remaining amounts of these elements. Reduced nutrient release from litter may have far-reaching consequences on nutrient cycles in forests.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following: Ali K. Kilic initiated the litter bag study; Merja Essell, Tommi Kinnunen, Leena Kuusisto, Maini Mononen, Rauni Oksman and Aino Rummukainen helped in the field and laboratory work; Anna Saarsalmi provided unpublished data on soil conditions before the boron fertilisation. The study was supported by grants from the Academy of Finland, decision numbers 206898 and 123637.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forest Sciences, University of Joensuu, P.O. Box 111, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Tarja Lehto

  2. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Pedro J. Aphalo

  3. Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Unit, P.O. Box 18, 01301, Vantaa, Finland

    Pekka Saranpää, Tapio Laakso & Aino Smolander

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  1. Tarja Lehto
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  2. Pedro J. Aphalo
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  3. Pekka Saranpää
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  4. Tapio Laakso
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  5. Aino Smolander
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Correspondence to Tarja Lehto.

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Responsible Editor: Alfonso Escudero.

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Lehto, T., Aphalo, P.J., Saranpää, P. et al. Decomposition and element concentrations of Norway spruce needle litter with differing B, N, or P status. Plant Soil 330, 225–238 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-009-0195-7

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