Experimental evidence for the interacting effects of forest edge, moisture and soil macrofauna on leaf litter decomposition

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

Volumn 49, Issue , 2012, Pages 124-131

  Riutta, Terhi ^a   Slade, Eleanor M ^a   Bebber, Daniel P ^b   Taylor, Michele E ^c   Malhi, Yadvinder ^a   Riordan, Philip ^a   Macdonald, David W ^a   Morecroft, Michael D ^c,d  

^a UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD   (United Kingdom)

^b EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE   (United Kingdom)

^c CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY   (United Kingdom)

^d NATURAL ENGLAND   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Decomposition; Edge effect; Fragmentation; Leaf litter; Litter quality; Moisture; Soil invertebrates; Temperate woodland

Indexed keywords

EDGE EFFECT; FRAGMENTATION; LEAF LITTER; LITTER QUALITY; SOIL INVERTEBRATES; TEMPERATE WOODLAND;

DECOMPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; MOISTURE; SOIL MOISTURE; SUN;

FORESTRY;

ABUNDANCE; DECIDUOUS FOREST; DECOMPOSITION; EDGE EFFECT; EXPERIMENTAL STUDY; FOREST ECOSYSTEM; FOREST EDGE; FOREST SOIL; FRAGMENTATION; HYPOTHESIS TESTING; INVERTEBRATE; LEAF LITTER; REACTION RATE; SOIL ECOSYSTEM; SOIL FAUNA; SOIL MOISTURE; SOLAR RADIATION; SPECIES RICHNESS;

DECAY; ECOSYSTEMS; FOREST LITTER; FRAGMENTATION; INVERTEBRATES; MOISTURE CONTENT; QUALITY; SOIL; UNITED KINGDOM;

ENGLAND; OXFORDSHIRE; UNITED KINGDOM; WYTHAM WOODS;

FRAXINUS; FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR; INVERTEBRATA; QUERCUS ROBUR;

EID: 84858745004     PISSN: 00380717     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.02.028     Document Type: Article

References (58)

1. Aerts R. Climate, leaf litter chemistry and leaf litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: a triangular relationship. Oikos 1997, 79:439-449.
2. Aerts R. The freezer defrosting: global warming and litter decomposition rates in cold biomes. Journal of Ecology 2006, 94:713-724.
3. Austin A.T., Vitousek P.M. Precipitation, decomposition and litter decomposability of Metrosideros polymorpha in native forests on Hawai'i. Journal of Ecology 2000, 88:129-138.
4. Banerjee B. Diurnal and seasonal variations in the activity of the millipedes Cylindroiulus punctatus (Leach), Tachypodoiulus niger (Leach) and Polydesmus angustus Latzel. Oikos 1967, 18:141-144.
5. Bradford M.A., Tordoff G.M., Eggers T., Jones T.H., Newington J.E. Microbiota, fauna, and mesh size interactions in litter decomposition. Oikos 2002, 99:317-323.
6. Brereton J. The distribution of woodland isopods. Oikos 1957, 8:85-106.
7. Chen J.Q., Franklin J.F., Spies T.A. Contrasting microclimates among clear-cut, edge, and interior of old-growth Douglas-fir forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 1993, 63:219-237.
8. Chen J.Q., Franklin J.F., Spies T.A. Growing-season microclimatic gradients from clear-cut edges into old-growth Douglas-fir forests. Ecological Applications 1995, 5:74-86.
9. Clayden B., Hollis J.M. Criteria for Differentiating Soil Series 1984, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK.
10. Cornwell W.K., Cornelissen J.H.C., Amatangelo K., Dorrepaal E., Eviner V.T., Godoy O., Hobbie S.E., Hoorens B., Kurokawa H., Perez-Harguindeguy N., Quested H.M., Santiago L.S., Wardle D.A., Wright I.J., Aerts R., Allison S.D., van Bodegom P., Brovkin V., Chatain A., Callaghan T.V., Diaz S., Garnier E., Gurvich D.E., Kazakou E., Klein J.A., Read J., Reich P.B., Soudzilovskaia N.A., Vaieretti M.V., Westoby M. Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide. Ecology Letters 2008, 11:1065-1071.
11. Cotrufo M.F., Ngao J., Marzaioli F., Piermatteo D. Inter-comparison of methods for quantifying above-ground leaf litter decomposition rates. Plant and Soil 2010, 334:365-376.
12. Couteaux M.M., Bottner P., Berg B. Litter decomposition, climate and litter quality. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 1995, 10:63-66.
13. David J.F., Handa I.T. The ecology of saprophagous macroarthropods (millipedes, woodlice) in the context of global change. Biological Reviews 2010, 85:881-895.
14. David J.F., Ponge J.-F., Arpin P., Vannier G. Reactions of the macrofauna of a forest mull to experimental perturbations of litter supply. Oikos 1991, 61:316-326.
15. Davies-Colley R.J., Payne G.W., van Elswijk M. Microclimate gradients across a forest edge. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 2000, 24:111-121.
16. Didham R.K. Altered leaf-litter decomposition rates in tropical forest fragments. Oecologia 1998, 116:397-406.
17. Didham R.K., Lawton J.H. Edge structure determines the magnitude of changes in microclimate and vegetation structure in tropical forest fragments. Biotropica 1999, 31:17-30.
18. Ewers R.M., Didham R.K. Confounding factors in the detection of species responses to habitat fragmentation. Biological Reviews 2006, 81:117-142.
19. Fahrig L. Effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 2003, 34:487-515.
20. Gonzalez G., Seastedt T.R. Soil fauna and plant litter decomposition in tropical and subalpine forests. Ecology 2001, 82:955-964.
21. Hassall M., Tuck J.M. Sheltering behavior of terrestrial isopods in grasslands. Invertebrate Biology 2007, 126:46-56.
22. Hassall M., Turner J.G., Rands M.R.W. Effects of terrestrial isopods on the decomposition of woodland leaf litter. Oecologia 1987, 72:597-604.
23. Hassall M., Edwards D.P., Carmenta R., Derhe M.A., Moss A. Predicting the effect of climate change on aggregation behaviour in four species of terrestrial isopods. Behaviour 2010, 147:151-164.
24. 2, N deposition and different soil types. Global Change Biology 2001, 7:565-579.
25. Hättenschwiler S., Tiunov A.V., Scheu S. Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics 2005, 36:191-218.
26. Heath G.W., Arnold M.K. Studies in leaf litter breakdown. II. Breakdown rate of sun and shade leaves. Pedobiologia 1966, 6:238.
27. Herbst M., Roberts J.M., Rosier P.T.W., Taylor M.E., Gowing D.J. Edge effects and forest water use: a field study in a mixed deciduous woodland. Forest Ecology and Management 2007, 250:176-186.
28. Howard P.J.A., Howard D.M. Microbial decomposition of tree and shrub leaf litter 1. Weight loss and chemical composition of decomposing litter. Oikos 1974, 25:341-352.
29. Irmler U. Changes in the fauna and its contribution to mass loss and N release during leaf litter decomposition in two deciduous forests. Pedobiologia 2000, 44:105-118.
30. Jenkins G.J., Murphy J.M., Sexton D.S., Lowe J.A., Jones P., Kilsby C.G. UK Climate Projections: Briefing Report 2009, Met Office Hadley Center, Exeter.
31. Kampichler C., Bruckner A. The role of microarthropods in terrestrial decomposition: a meta-analysis of 40 years of litterbag studies. Biological Reviews 2009, 84:375-389.
32. Kapos V. Effects of isolation on the water status of forest patches in the Brazilian Amazon. Journal of Tropical Ecology 1989, 5:173-185.
33. O'Neill E.G., Johnson D.W., Ledford J., Todd D.E. Acute seasonal drought does not permanently alter mass loss and nitrogen dynamics during decomposition of red maple (Acer rubrum L.) litter. Global Change Biology 2003, 9:117-123.
34. Pinheiro J., Bates D., DebRoy S., Sarkar D. nlme: Linear and Nonlinear Mixed Effects Models 2008, The R Core Team, R Package Version 3, pp. 1-89.
35. R Development Core Team R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing 2006, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna.
36. Rodwell J.S. British Plant Communities. Woodlands and Scrub 1991, vol. 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
37. Rouifed S., Handa I.T., David J.F., Hättenschwiler S. The importance of biotic factors in predicting global change effects on decomposition of temperate forest leaf litter. Oecologia 2010, 163:247-256.
38. Salamanca E.F., Kaneko N., Katagiri S. Rainfall manipulation effects on litter decomposition and the microbial biomass of the forest floor. Applied Soil Ecology 2003, 22:271-281.
39. Sariyildiz T. Effects of gap-size classes on long-term litter decomposition rates of beech, oak and chestnut species at high elevations in Northeast Turkey. Ecosystems 2008, 11:841-853.
40. Sariyildiz T., Anderson J.M. Decomposition of sun and shade leaves from three deciduous tree species, as affected by their chemical composition. Biology and Fertility of Soils 2003, 37:137-146.
41. Sariyildiz T., Anderson J.M., Kucuk M. Effects of tree species and topography on soil chemistry, litter quality, and decomposition in Northeast Turkey. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2005, 37:1695-1706.
42. Saunders D.A., Hobbs R.J., Margules C.R. Biological consequences of ecosystem fragmentation: a review. Conservation Biology 1991, 5:18-32.
43. Savill P.S., Perrins C.M., Kirby K.J., Fisher N. Wytham Woods: Oxford's Ecological Laboratory 2010, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
44. Seastedt T.R. The role of microarthropods in decomposition and mineralization processes. Annual Review of Entomology 1984, 29:25-46.
45. Simpson J.E., Slade E., Riutta T., Taylor M.E. Factors affecting soil fauna feeding activity in a fragmented lowland temperate deciduous woodland. PLoS ONE 2012, 7:e29616.
46. Staley J.T., Hodgson C.J., Mortimer S.R., Morecroft M.D., Masters G.J., Brown V.K., Taylor M.E. Effects of summer rainfall manipulations on the abundance and vertical distribution of herbivorous soil macro-invertebrates. European Journal of Soil Biology 2007, 43:189-198.
47. Sutton S.L. Woodlice 1980, Pergamon Press, New York.
48. Taylor A.R., Wolters V. Responses of oribatid mite communities to summer drought: the influence of litter type and quality. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2005, 37:2117-2130.
49. Taylor B.R., Parkinson D., Parsons W.F.J. Nitrogen and lignin content as predictors of litter decay rates: a microcosm test. Ecology 1989, 70:97-104.
50. Taylor A.R., Schröter D., Pflug A., Wolters V. Response of different decomposer communities to the manipulation of moisture availability: potential effects of changing precipitation patterns. Global Change Biology 2004, 10:1313-1324.
51. Vasconcelos H.L., Laurance W.F. Influence of habitat, litter type, and soil invertebrates on leaf-litter decomposition in a fragmented Amazonian landscape. Oecologia 2005, 144:456-462.
52. Vasconcelos S.S., Zarin D.J., Da Rosa M.B.S., De Assis Oliveira F., De Carvalho C.J.R. Leaf decomposition in a dry season irrigation experiment in Eastern Amazonian forest regrowth. Biotropica 2007, 39:593-600.
53. Wade T.G., Riitters K.H., Wickham J.D., Jones K.B. Distribution and causes of global forest fragmentation. Conservation Ecology 2003, 7:16.
54. Watts K. British forest landscapes: the legacy of woodland fragmentation. Quarterly Journal of Forestry 2006, 100:273-279.
55. Wieder R.K., Lang G.E. A critique of the analytical methods used in examining decomposition data obtained from litter bags. Ecology 1982, 63:1636-1642.
56. Yang X., Chen J. Plant litter quality influences the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition in humid tropical forests, southwestern China. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2009, 41:910-918.
57. Young A., Mitchell N. Microclimate and vegetation edge effects in a fragmented podocarp-broadleaf forest in New Zealand. Biological Conservation 1994, 67:63-72.
58. Zhang D.Q., Hui D.F., Luo Y.Q., Zhou G.Y. Rates of litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: global patterns and controlling factors. Journal of Plant Ecology 2008, 1:85-93.