Differential responses of litter decomposition to increased soil nutrients and water between two contrasting grassland plant species of Inner Mongolia, China

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Liu, Ping Huang, Jianhui Han, Xingguo Sun, Osbert Jianxin Zhou, Zhiyong
Copyright Year	2006
Abstract	Soil chemistry and physical conditions are the key factors controlling litter decomposition. We studied the effects of increased soilnitrogen(N),phosphorus(P),and wateronthedecomposition ratesandassociated nutrient dynamicsoftwodominantgrassland plant species (i.e. Allium bidentatum Fisch. ex Prokh. & Ikonn.-Gal. and Stipa krylovii Roshev.) with contrasting life forms and tissuechemistry ina typical steppe of InnerMongolia,China. The treatments includedaddition ofurea attherates equivalentto 0,8, 16, and 32 gN/m 2 , and additions of mixed urea and triple superphosphate at the rates equivalent to 0, 8 gN/4 gP, 16 gN/8 gP, and 32 gN/16 gP/m 2 , with and without water added. We found marked differences between the two species in the rates, as well as in the responses to water and addition rates of N and P, of litter decomposition. Additions of N alone or in mixture with P stimulated the rate of litter decomposition in both species. Adding water significantly increased the values of decay constant, k ,i nA. bidentatum, but not inS. krylovii. N and P concentrations in litters ofA. bidentatumandS. krylovii all increased corresponding to increases in the rates of N or mixed N and P additions. Our results clearly indicate that the decomposition of high quality litter is more likely to be limited by soil moisture regimes, while that of low quality litter is more sensitive to nutrient availability. Our findings suggest that plant species with different litter qualities should be taken into consideration when we are to model the carbon cycle and nutrient dynamics in grassland ecosystems and that A. bidentatum is expected to contribute more than S. krylovii to the carbon cycle and nutrient dynamics of the semi-arid grasslands of Inner Mongolia. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Starting Page	266
Ending Page	275
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.12.009
Volume Number	34
Alternate Webpage(s)	http://eco.ibcas.ac.cn/group/lingh/siep/pdf/AppliedSoilEcology34(266-275).pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.12.009
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article