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Litter composition rather than plant presence affects decomposition of tropical litter mixtures

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Abstract

Litter decomposition is strongly controlled by litter quality, but the composition of litter mixtures and potential interactions with live plants through root activity may also influence decomposers. In a greenhouse experiment in French Guiana we studied the combined effects of the presence of tropical tree seedlings and of distinct litter composition on mass and nitrogen (N) loss from decomposing litter and on microbial biomass. Different litter mixtures decomposed for 435 days in pots filled with sand and containing an individual seedling from one of four different tree species. We found both additive and negative non-additive effects (NAE) of litter mixing on mass loss, whereas N loss showed negative and positive NAE of litter mixing. If litter from the two tree species, Platonia insignis and Goupia glabra were present, litter mixtures showed more positive and more negative NAE on N loss, respectively. Overall, decomposition, and in particular non-additive effects, were only weakly affected by the presence of tree seedlings. Litter mass loss weakly yet significantly decreased with increasing fine root biomass in presence of Goupia seedlings, but not in the presence of seedlings of any other tree species. Our results showed strong litter composition effects and also clear, mostly negative, non-additive effects on mass loss and N loss. Species identity of tree seedlings can modify litter decomposition, but these live plant effects remain quantitatively inferior to litter composition effects.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Bruno Buatois, Raphaelle Leclerc and Laurette Sonié for laboratory support, Pascal Petronelli, Jocelyn Cazal, and Audin Patient for their help in seed, seedling and litter collections, Patrick Schevin, Jocelyn Cazal, Nicolas Fanin, Jeremy Cigna, Audin Patient, and Saintano Dufort for help during the final harvest, Benoit Burban for the light measurements in the greenhouse, and Sandra Barantal and Tanya Handa for stimulating discussions. This research was funded through an ATIP research grant from CNRS (SDV) to S.H. Additional support came from the PIR “Amazonie II” from CNRS.

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Author notes

  1. Sylvain Coq

    Present address: Laboratoire d’Ecologie Alpine (LECA), CNRS-Université Joseph Fourier, BP 53, F-38042, Grenoble Cedex 09, France

  2. Damien Bonal

    Present address: INRA, UMR 1137 Écologie et Écophysiologie, 54280, Champenoux, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), CNRS, 1919, route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier cedex 5, France

    Sylvain Coq & Stephan Hättenschwiler

  2. ENGREF - AgroParisTech Kourou, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387, Kourou Cedex, Guyane, France

    Jean Weigel

  3. J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg- August-University Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Olaf Butenschoen

  4. INRA, UMR Écologie des Forêts de Guyane, BP 709, 97387, Kourou Cedex, Guyane, France

    Damien Bonal

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  1. Sylvain Coq
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Correspondence to Sylvain Coq.

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Coq, S., Weigel, J., Butenschoen, O. et al. Litter composition rather than plant presence affects decomposition of tropical litter mixtures. Plant Soil 343, 273–286 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0717-y

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