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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2022, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (3): 151-161.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2022.21061.

   

Litter decomposition in fragile ecosystems: A review

Hao Qu1(),XueYong Zhao2,XiaoAn Zuo1,ShaoKun Wang1,XuJun Ma1,Xia Tang2,XinYuan Wang3,Eduardo Medina-Roldán4()   

  1. 1.Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2.Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    3.Ecological Environmental Supervision and Administration Bureau of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, Gansu 730020, China
    4.Institute of BioEconomy - National Research Council (IBE-CNR), Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Italy
  • Received:2021-08-19 Accepted:2022-03-28 Online:2022-06-30 Published:2022-07-04
  • Contact: Hao Qu,Eduardo Medina-Roldán E-mail:quhao@lzb.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Plan of Ning Xia Province, China (Grant No. 2020BBF02003), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41877540), the Visiting Scholar Research Program of China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 201804910131), and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research program (2019QZKK0305).

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Abstract:

As a linkage between plants and soil, litter decomposition and its effect on nutrient recirculation have an important ecological significance as they contribute to soil structure improvement and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. Fragile ecosystems in arid regions (both hot and cold) are depleted in soil organic matter, and as a result of various factors their circulation of material and energy is slower. Here we discuss how litter decomposition is necessary to maintain the stability of fragile ecosystems. We reviewed research on litter decomposition carried out in arid regions. Our objective in this review is to outline how litter decomposition, and the subsequent buildup of organic matter in soil, is a key process determining the stability of fragile ecosystems. Our review shows that existing studies have focused on the influence of single ecological factors on litter decomposition and nutrient cycling, and highlights how the exploration of interactions among factors determining litter decomposition is still lacking. This interaction is a key aspect, since in the real world, decomposition and nutrient return to soil of litter products is affected by multiple factors. We propose a network setup on a cross-regional scale using standardized methods (e.g., the tea bag method) to understand litter decomposition and nutrient return in fragile ecosystems. Such a unique network could contribute to establish predictive models suitable for litter decomposition and nutrient return in these areas, and thus could provide theoretical and practical support for regional ecological protection and high-quality development.

Key words: litter mass loss, fragile ecosystems, arid, semi-arid, hot-deserts, cold-deserts

Figure 1

Different stages of litter decomposition. Phase I: the early phase of decomposition; Phase II: the late phase of decomposition; HLQ designates the quotient between holocellulose and lignin plus holocellulose (Coqteaux et al., 1995)"

Table 1

Litter decomposition rates in selected literature from fragile ecosystems and alpine ecosystems"

Ecosystem typeLitter typeConditionk value (mean ±dispersion unit/year)Half-life (time for litter to reach 50% of mass loss)Reference
Shortgrass steppe (cold-semiarid)A mix of native grass species such as Bouteloua gracilis and Stipa comataHigh carbon: nitrogen ratio litter subjected to non UV-B filtered radiation0.23±0.023.0 aBrandet al., 2007
Shortgrass steppe (cold-semiarid)A mix of native grass species such as Bouteloua gracilis and Stipa comataLitter subjected to reduced precipitation and UV-B filtered radiation0.12±0.025.7 aBrandet al., 2007
Alpine grasslandLitter from low quality species Festuca paniculataLitter in areas where the snowpack is blown-off by wind in winter0.027±0.00325 aSacconeet al., 2013
Alpine grasslandLitter from high quality species Dactylis glomerataLitter in areas where the snowpack accumulates and thickens in winter0.17±0.054.0 aSacconeet al., 2013
Semiarid temperate shrub-steppe (semi-arid cold)Litter from herbivores-palatable Bromus pictusLitter in litterbags which exclude soil macrofauna0.14±0.014.9 aAraujoet al., 2012

Figure 2

A number of fragile ecosystems. (a) Mu Us Sands; (b) Horqin Sandy Land; (c) Urat Desert Steppe; (d) Tengger Desert. G are large bare-soil gap spaces among plants makes soil surface susceptible to erosion; U are large tracts of un-vegetated surfaces contribute to soil/sand particle redistribution and surface instability. (Photographs' credits: Hao Qu)"

Figure 3

Effects of snow manipulation ((a) UV-B exposure (Bokhorst et al., 2013)); ((b) freeze-thaw (Lin et al., 2018)); ((c) precipitation changes (Wu et al., 2010b)) and ((d) on litter decomposition (Qu et al., 2020)). FF: fir forest; BF: birch forest; Treatment 1: decreased precipitation amount by 2/3 in the growth season (May 1 to August 31); Treatment 2: increased precipitation interval in the early stage of growth season (May 1 to June 30); control: natural precipitation"

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