Leaf litter production and decomposition in a poplar short‐rotation coppice exposed to free air CO2 enrichment (POPFACE)
Abstract
The capacity of forest ecosystems to sequester C in the soil relies on the net balance between litter production above, as well as, below ground, and decomposition processes. Nitrogen mineralization and its availability for plant growth and microbial activity often control the speed of both processes. Litter production, decomposition and N mineralization are strongly interdependent. Thus, their responses to global environmental changes (i.e. elevated CO 2, climate, N deposition, etc.) cannot be fully understood if they are studied in isolation. In the present experiment, we investigated litter fall, litter decomposition and N dynamics in decomposing litter of three Populus spp., in the second and third growing season of a short rotation coppice under FACE. Elevated CO 2 did not affect annual litter production but slightly retarded litter fall in the third growing season. In all species, elevated CO 2 lowered N concentration, resulting in a reduction of N input to the soil via litter fall, but did not affect lignin concentrations. Litter decomposition was studied in bags incubated in situ both in control and FACE plots. Litter lost between 15% and 18% of the original mass during the eight months of field incubation. On average, litter produced under elevated CO 2 attained higher residual mass than control litter. On the other end, when litter was incubated in FACE plots it exhibited higher decay rates. These responses were strongly species‐specific. All litter increased their N content during decomposition, indicating immobilization of N from external sources. Independent of the initial quality, litter incubated on FACE soils immobilized less N, possibly as a result of lower N availability in the soil. Indeed, our results refer to a short‐term decomposition experiment. However, according to a longer‐term model extrapolation of our results, we anticipate that in Mediterranean climate, under elevated atmospheric CO 2, soil organic C pool of forest ecosystems may initially display faster turnover, but soil N availability will eventually limit the process.
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Under short-rotation woody crops, litter production varies across species and genotypes, is proportional to leaf area index, and generally accumulates at the end of the season before being progressively incorporated into the top 10 to 15 cm of soil.
“Under SRWC, litter production varies across species and genotypes, as leaf litter is proportional to LAI, and generally accumulates at the end of the season in a layer on the soil surface before being progressively incorporated into the top 10 to 15 cm of soil [78].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
Observed litter inputs in short-rotation woody crops increase with stand age, which is not reflected in long-term extrapolations.
“Consistent across species and different locations, observed inputs seem to increase with stand age [60, 78], which is not reflected in long-term extrapolations [26].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
Decomposition rates established by using litter bags underestimate the flux of carbon from residues to soil pools, as shown for Miscanthus and poplar.
“The decomposition rates established by using litter bags will underestimate the flux of C from the residues to the soil pools, as shown for Miscanthus [108] and poplar [78, 109].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
It is difficult to estimate in situ litter decomposition in both short-rotation woody crops and herbaceous crops.
“It is difficult to estimate in situ litter decomposition, both in SRWC [78, 109] and in HCG [108].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
The commonly used litter bag method prevents physical incorporation of debris into the soil and does not allow access of larger biota such as earthworms.
“The commonly used litter bag method [64, 69, 78] prevents physical incorporation of the debris into the soil and does not allow access of larger biota (e.g. earthworms).”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
These losses translated into mean residence times about four times longer (4.3-5.3 years) than those determined from isotope ratios (1.15 years) and about twice those calculated when accounting for the 10°C difference in incubation temperatures.
“These losses translated into MRTs about four times longer (4.3–5.3 years) than those determined from isotope ratios (1.15 years) and about twice those calculated when accounting for the 10 °C difference in incubation temperatures.”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
In short-rotation woody crop systems, only 15-18% of original mass was lost from litter bags over 8 months, while a loss of 80% of the same litter was estimated during an 11-month period using 13C-labelled material.
“In SRWC systems, similar discrepancies due to experimental procedures occur: Only 15–18 % of the original mass was lost from litter bags over 8 months [78], whilst a loss of 80 % of the same litter was estimated during an 11-month period using 13C-labelled material [109].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
Integrated studies on carbon enrichment such as POPFACE have shown that increased atmospheric CO2 can induce a decrease of soil organic carbon attributed to a priming effect.
“Integrated studies on C enrichment, e.g. POPFACE, have shown that increased atmospheric CO2 can induce a decrease of SOC [78] attributed to a priming effect [99, 102, 129, 130].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
Within the short-rotation coppice data, there is more quantitative evidence from poplar than for willow.
“Within the SRC data, there is more quantitative evidence from poplar [60, 72, 78, 79, 99, 109] than for willow [58, 111, 131].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
Simulations were greatly improved when decomposition rates were calibrated using labelled C measurements and applied to experimental evidence for poplar litter.
“Simulations were greatly improved when decomposition rates were calibrated using labelled C measurements [173–175] and applied to the experimental evidence presented for poplar litter [78, 109].”
From Carbon Sequestration by Perennial Energy Crops: Is the Jury Still Out? (2015) · cites this paper as [78]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Cotrufo, M. F., De Angelis, P., & Polle, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (IT)
- University of Göttingen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Cotrufo, M. Francesca
- Venue
- Global Change Biology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-05-13
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 971-982
- ISSN
- 1354-1013 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2486
- OpenAlex
- W2144351174
- Cited by
- 100
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 12.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Global Change Biology (publishedVersion)
- UnitusOpen (Tuscia University) (submittedVersion)
- GRO (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Environmental and biological studies
- Keywords
- leaf litter production, litter decomposition, elevated CO2, free-air CO2 enrichment, poplar, short rotation coppice, nitrogen mineralization, nitrogen immobilization, nitrogen availability, lignin, litterfall, soil organic carbon, carbon sequestration, species-specific responses, Mediterranean forests
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