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| Titel |
Contrasting patterns of litterfall seasonality and seasonal changes in litter decomposability in a tropical rainforest region |
| VerfasserIn |
S. A. Parsons, V. Valdez-Ramirez, R. A. Congdon, S. E. Williams |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 11, no. 18 ; Nr. 11, no. 18 (2014-09-18), S.5047-5056 |
| Datensatznummer |
250117601
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-11-5047-2014.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| The seasonality of litter inputs in forests has important implications for
understanding ecosystem processes and biogeochemical cycles. We quantified
the drivers of seasonality in litterfall and leaf decomposability using plots
throughout the Australian wet tropical region. Litter fell mostly in the
summer (wet, warm) months in the region, but other peaks occurred throughout
the year. Litterfall seasonality was modelled well with the level of
deciduousness of the site (plots with more deciduous species had lower
seasonality than evergreen plots), temperature (higher seasonality in the
uplands), disturbance (lower seasonality with more early secondary species)
and soil fertility (higher seasonality with higher N : P/P
limitation) (SL total litterfall model 1 = deciduousness + soil
N : P + early secondary sp.: r2 = 0.63, n = 30; model
2 = temperature + early secondary sp. + soil N : P: r2 =
0.54, n = 30; SL leaf = temperature + early secondary
sp. + rainfall seasonality: r2 = 0.39, n = 30). Leaf litter
decomposability was lower in the dry season than in the wet season, driven by
higher phenolic concentrations in the dry, with the difference exacerbated
particularly by lower dry season moisture. Our results are contrary to the
global trend for tropical rainforests; in that seasonality of litterfall
input was generally higher in wetter, cooler, evergreen forests, compared to
generally drier, warmer, semi-deciduous sites that had more uniform monthly
inputs. We consider this due to more diverse litter shedding patterns in
semi-deciduous and raingreen rainforest sites, and an important consideration
for ecosystem modellers. Seasonal changes in litter quality are likely to
have impacts on decomposition and biogeochemical cycles in these forests due
to the litter that falls in the dry season being more recalcitrant to decay. |
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