Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and litter layer thickness on litter decomposition of two tree species in a semi-arid site of Northeast China

  • Published:
Journal of Arid Land Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Forests and grasslands in arid and semi-arid regions receive high-intensity ultraviolet (UV) radiation year-round. However, how the UV radiation affects the litter decomposition on the forest floor remains unclear. Here, we conducted a field-based experiment in 2011 in the southeastern Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China, to investigate the effects of UV radiation, litter layer thickness, and their interaction on the mass loss and chemical properties of decomposing litter from Xiaozhuan poplar (Populus × xiaozhuanica) and Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantation trees. We found that UV radiation accelerated the decomposition rates of both the Xiaozhuan poplar litter and Mongolian pine litter. For both species, the thick-layered litter had a lower mass loss than the thin-layered litter. The interaction between UV radiation and litter layer thickness significantly affected the litter mass loss of both tree species. However, the effects of UV radiation on the chemical properties of decomposing litter differed between the two species, which may be attributed to the contrasting initial leaf litter chemical properties and morphology. UV radiation mostly had positive effects on the lignin concentration and lignin/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter, while it had negative effects on the N concentration of Mongolian pine litter. Moreover, litter layer thickness and its interaction with UV radiation showed mostly positive effects on the N concentration and lignin/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter and the ratios of C/N and lignin/N of Mongolian pine litter, and mostly negative effects on the C/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter and the N concentration of Mongolian pine litter. Together, these results reveal the important roles played by UV radiation and litter layer thickness in the process of litter decomposition in this semi-arid region, and highlight how changes in the litter layer thickness can exert strong influences on the photodegradation of litter in tree plantations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aber J D, Melillo J M. 1982. Nitrogen immobilization in decaying hardwood leaf litter as a function of initial nitrogen and lignin content. Canadian Journal of Botany, 60(11): 2263–2269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adu-Bredu S, Yokota T, Ogawa K, et al. 1997. Tree size dependence of litter production, and above-ground net production in a young hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) stand. Journal of Forest Research, 2(1): 31–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aerts R. 1997. Climate, leaf litter chemistry and leaf litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: a triangular relationship. Oikos, 79(3): 439–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin A T, Vivanco L. 2006. Plant litter decomposition in a semi-arid ecosystem controlled by photodegradation. Nature, 442(7102): 555–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Austin A T, Ballaré C L. 2010. Dual role of lignin in plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107(10): 4618–4622.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berg B, Berg M P, Bottner P, et al. 1993. Litter mass loss rates in pine forests of Europe and Eastern United States: some relationships with climate and litter quality. Biogeochemistry, 20(3): 127–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berg B, Johansson M B, Meentemeyer V. 2000. Litter decomposition in a transect of Norway spruce forests: substrate quality and climate control. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 30(7): 1136–1147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt L A, King J Y, Milchunas D G. 2007. Effects of ultraviolet radiation on litter decomposition depend on precipitation and litter chemistry in a shortgrass steppe ecosystem. Global Change Biology, 13(10): 2193–2205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brandt L A, King J Y, Hobbie S E, et al. 2010. The role of photodegradation in surface litter decomposition across a grassland ecosystem precipitation gradient. Ecosystems, 13(5): 765–781.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bremner J M. 1996. Nitrogen-total. In: Sparks D L, Page A L, Helmke P A, et al. Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3. Chemical methods. Madison, Wisconsin: Soil Science Society of America, 1085–1122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell M M, Bornman J F, Ballaré C L, et al. 2007. Terrestrial ecosystems, increased solar ultraviolet radiation, and interactions with other climate change factors. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 6(3): 252–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen F S, Zeng D H, Zhou B, et al. 2006. Seasonal variation in soil nitrogen availability under Mongolian pine plantations at the Keerqin Sand Lands, China. Journal of Arid Environments, 67(2): 226–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwell W K, Cornelissen J H, Amatangelo K, et al. 2008. Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide. Ecology Letters, 11(10): 1065–1071.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coûteaux M M, Bottner P, Berg B. 1995. Litter decomposition, climate and liter quality. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 10(2): 63–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox P M, Betts R A, Jones C D, et al. 2000. Acceleration of global warming due to carbon-cycle feedbacks in a coupled climate model. Nature, 408(6809): 184–187.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cybulski III W J, Peterjohn W T, Sullivan J H. 2000. The influence of elevated ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) on tissue quality and decomposition of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) needles. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 44(3): 231–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day T A, Zhang E T, Ruhland C T. 2007. Exposure to solar UV-B radiation accelerates mass and lignin loss of Larrea tridentata litter in the Sonoran Desert. Plant Ecology, 193(2): 185–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day T A, Guénon R, Ruhland C T. 2015. Photodegradation of plant litter in the Sonoran Desert varies by litter type and age. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 89: 109–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foereid B, Bellarby J, Meier-Augenstein W, et al. 2010. Does light exposure make plant litter more degradable? Plant and Soil, 333(1–2): 275–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallo M E, Porras-Alfaro A, Odenbach K J, et al. 2009. Photoacceleration of plant litter decomposition in an arid environment. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41(7): 1433–1441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaxiola A, Armesto J J. 2015. Understanding litter decomposition in semiarid ecosystems: linking leaf traits, UV exposure and rainfall variability. Frontiers in Plant Science, 6: 140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gehrke C, Johanson U, Callaghan T V, et al. 1995. The impact of enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation on litter quality and decomposition processes in Vaccinium leaves from the Subarctic. Oikos, 72(2): 213–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hättenschwiler S, Tiunov A V, Scheu S. 2005. Biodiversity and litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 36: 191–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennessey T C, Dougherty P M, Cregg B M, et al. 1992. Annual variation in needle fall of a loblolly pine stand in relation to climate and stand density. Forest Ecology and Management, 51(4): 329–338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry H A L, Brizgys K, Field C B. 2008. Litter decomposition in a California annual grassland: Interactions between photodegradation and litter layer thickness. Ecosystems, 11(4): 545–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoorens B, Aerts R, Stroetenga M. 2004. Elevated UV-B radiation has no effect on litter quality and decomposition of two dune grassland species: evidence from a long-term field experiment. Global Change Biology, 10(2): 200–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iiyama K, Wallis A F A. 1990. Determination of lignin in herbaceous plants by an improved acetyl bromide procedure. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 51(2): 145–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Killham K. 1994. Soil Ecology. New York: Cambridge University Press, 242.

    Google Scholar 

  • King J Y, Brandt L A, Adair E C. 2012. Shedding light on plant litter decomposition: advances, implications and new directions in understanding the role of photodegradation. Biogeochemistry, 111(1–3): 57–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanzalunga O, Bietti M. 2000. Photo-and radiation chemical induced degradation of lignin model compounds. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 56(2–3): 85–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Melillo J M, Aber J D, Muratore J F. 1982. Nitrogen and lignin control of hardwood leaf litter decomposition dynamics. Ecology, 63(3): 621–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson D W, Sommers L E. 1996. Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Sparks D L, Page A L, Helmke P A, et al. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 3: Chemical Methods. Madison, Wisconsin: Soil Science Society of America, 961–1010.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newsham K K, Splatt P, Coward P A, et al. 2001. Negligible influence of elevated UV-B radiation on leaf litter quality of Quercus robur. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 33(4–5): 659–665.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pancotto V A, Sala O E, Cabello M, et al. 2003. Solar UV-B decreases decomposition in herbaceous plant litter in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina: potential role of an altered decomposer community. Global Change Biology, 9(10): 1465–1474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pancotto V A, Sala O E, Robson T M, et al. 2005. Direct and indirect effects of solar ultraviolet-B radiation on long-term decomposition. Global Change Biology, 11(11): 1982–1989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng Q, Qi Y C, Dong Y S, et al. 2014. Decomposing litter and the C and N dynamics as affected by N additions in a semi-arid temperate steppe, Inner Mongolia of China. Journal of Arid Land, 6(4): 432–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson E B, Peterson N M, Simard S W, et al. 1997. Paper birch managers' handbook for British Columbia. In: BC Ministry of Forests. FRDA Report 271. Victoria, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rozema J, Tosserams M, Nelissen H J M, et al. 1997. Stratospheric ozone reduction and ecosystem processes: enhanced UV-B radiation affects chemical quality and decomposition of leaves of the dune grassland species calamagrostis epigeios. Plant Ecology, 128(1–2): 284–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sayer E J. 2006. Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems. Biological Reviews, 81(1): 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schimel J P, Bennett J. 2004. Nitrogen mineralization: challenges of a changing paradigm. Ecology, 85(3): 591–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith W K, Gao W, Steltzer H, et al. 2010. Moisture availability influences the effect of ultraviolet-B radiation on leaf litter decomposition. Global Change Biology, 16(1): 484–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song X Z, Zhang H L, Chang S X, et al. 2012. Elevated UV-B radiation increased the decomposition of Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca leaf litter in subtropical China. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 12(3): 307–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song X Z, Peng C H, Jiang H, et al. 2013a. Direct and indirect effects of UV-B exposure on litter decomposition: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 8(6): e68858.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song X Z, Zhang H L, Jiang H, et al. 2013b. Influence of elevated UV-B radiation on leaf litter chemistry and subsequent decomposition in humid subtropical China. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 13(5): 846–853.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song X Z, Jiang H, Zhang Z T, et al. 2014. Interactive effects of elevated UV-B radiation and N deposition on decomposition of Moso bamboo litter. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 69: 11–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Throop H L, Archer S R. 2009. Resolving the dryland decomposition conundrum: some new perspectives on potential drivers. In: Lüttge U, Beyschlag W, Büdel B, et al. Progress in Botany. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 171–194.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Uselman S M, Snyder K A, Blank R R, et al. 2011. UVB exposure does not accelerate rates of litter decomposition in a semi-arid riparian ecosystem. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 43(6): 1254–1265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitousek P M. 2004. Nutrient Cycling and Limitation: Hawaii as a Model System. Princeton, New Jersey, USA: Princeton University Press, 223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng D H, Hu Y L, Chang S X, et al. 2009. Land cover change effects on soil chemical and biological properties after planting Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in sandy lands in Keerqin, northeastern China. Plant and Soil, 317(1–2): 121–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zepp R G, Erickson III D J, Paul N D, et al. 2007. Interactive effects of solar UV radiation and climate change on biogeochemical cycling. Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 6(3): 286–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao L, Hu Y L, Lin G G, et al. 2013. Mixing effects of understory plant litter on decomposition and nutrient release of tree litter in two plantations in Northeast China. PLoS ONE, 8(10): e76334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31270668, 41373038), the National Basic Research Program of China (2012CB416902) and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2016M601342). We thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions. Special thanks are extended to LI Jingshi and AI Guiyan for their laboratory analyses.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Bing Mao, Lei Zhao, Qiong Zhao & Dehui Zeng

  2. College of Horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China

    Lei Zhao

  3. Daqinggou Ecological Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Qiong Zhao & Dehui Zeng

Authors
  1. Bing Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lei Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qiong Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Dehui Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dehui Zeng.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mao, B., Zhao, L., Zhao, Q. et al. Effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and litter layer thickness on litter decomposition of two tree species in a semi-arid site of Northeast China. J. Arid Land 10, 416–428 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-018-0054-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-018-0054-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation