Speaker
Description
Litterfall has a key role in biomass and nutrient recycling by linking aboveground production and soil processes. These ecosystem processes are modulated by tree species richness and associated mycorrhizal fungi (arbuscular mycorrhiza AM vs. ectomycorrhiza EM). Tree biomass production, for instance, increases with increasing tree species richness and mixed mycorrhizal associations. Yet, the relative contribution of tree and mycorrhizal species richness to the temporal dynamics and spatial distribution of litterfall is still largely unexplored, leaving the consequences for soil nutrient dynamics uncertain. In particular, AM and EM mycorrhizal types are characterized by differing nutrient economies, causing AM trees to produce high-quality litter, and low-quality litter by EM trees. Increasing mycorrhizal richness may therefore increase the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of litterfall.
To test the effects of tree species and mycorrhizal richness on litterfall spatio-temporal dynamics, we conducted a litterfall collection within the MyDiv tree diversity experiment, and measured leaf litter production and quality on a gradient of tree species richness (one, two, four) with different mycorrhiza treatments (AM, EM, AM+EM).
The preliminary results of this study show that tree species richness and mycorrhizal types did not impact annual leaf litter production, yet the monthly production was strongly affected. Specifically, we found that tree species richness significantly increased the temporal and spatial variability (coefficient of variation, CV) of leaf litterfall. Further, species-rich communities had increased length of the litterfall period to up to twelve months in EM tree stands. Further analysis will provide information about the effects of tree species richness and mycorrhizal types on the allocation towards wood vs. leaf litter production, as well as chemical composition of leaf litter.
The results suggest that using mixtures of different tree species and mycorrhizal strategies can facilitate restoration and reforestation efforts due to increased resource availability from heterogeneous litterfall.
| Status Group | Doctoral Researcher |
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