Effect of temperature and litter quality on decomposition rate of Pinus patula needle litter
| Autor: | Mary C. Scholes, Yasin M.S. Salah |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Pinus patula
Nutrient cycle Litter quality Needle litter biology Chemistry Temperature chemistry.chemical_element Plant litter biology.organism_classification Litter decomposition Nitrogen Decomposition Decomposition rate Nitrogen fertilizer Animal science Botany Litter General Earth and Planetary Sciences reproductive and urinary physiology General Environmental Science |
| Zdroj: | Procedia Environmental Sciences. 6:180-193 |
| ISSN: | 1878-0296 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.proenv.2011.05.019 |
| Popis: | This study examined the mass loss and CO2 production from Pinus patula (Schlecht et Cham) leaf litter collected from fertilized plots in the Mpumalanga Province. Litter decomposition increased with increasing temperature. Warming between 15 and 18 °C significantly increased the amount of CO2 emissions from the litter. Mass loss positively correlated with temperature levels. Nitrogen fertilizer applications had significant effects on litter decomposition rate but a minor effect on litter nitrogen quality. Litter quality was not a strong predictor of decomposition rates implying temperature is the major factor influencing the decomposition rate of Pinus patula needle litter. Results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the rate of nutrient cycling in non-limiting environments will increase, due primarily to an increase in litter decomposition as a result of increased temperatures. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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