Water resources are vital for all living beings and should be managed properly to ensure the safety and well-being of humankind.Surface water bodies are constantly faced with serious contamination risks generated prim...Water resources are vital for all living beings and should be managed properly to ensure the safety and well-being of humankind.Surface water bodies are constantly faced with serious contamination risks generated primarily by human activities and urbanization.The problem of waste littering and dumping in developing countries like Nigeria is increasingly affecting environmental resources such as air and water.Several studies have revealed alarming levels of heavy metals that exceed the World Health Organization(WHO)standards.Plastic waste represents a substantial portion of litter,affecting water quality.Pollution results in the depletion of aquatic ecosystems and an increase in water-related diseases.This review aims to assess the impact of waste littering and dumping on surface water quality in Nigeria.In this review,the findings of various studies on surface water bodies in Nigeria,particularly those under the influence of urbanization and waste disposal,were compiled.This review compared numerous physical and chemical parameters like pH,dissolved oxygen,and heavy metals,and microbiological properties such as total coliforms.The water quality index(WQI)was also computed in these studies to ascertain the suitability of the water samples for human consumption.Review results showed that numerous water bodies in Nigeria have significantly diverse water quality levels,with some samples meeting or exceeding the WHO guidelines for microbiological,chemical,and physical characteristics.Notably,levels of heavy metals,turbidity,and pH frequently exceeded permissible limits,pointing to contamination from agricultural and industrial sources.The WQI results for multiple locations revealed that the majority of surface water sources were classified as“bad”to“very bad”,meaning they were unfit for human consumption.The results emphasized the critical need for immediate action to prevent further harm and deterioration of surface water bodies in Nigeria.Recommendations include strengthening waste management policies,promoting recycling initiatives,fostering collaborations among stakeholders,developing littering penalties and enforcing fines to curb the challenge,and raising educational awareness from the primary level.This review emphasizes the need for proactive measures to protect the environment and surface water quality in Nigeria.展开更多
A baseline survey was carried out at four beaches along Ghana’s Accra-Tema coastline over a period of sixteen weeks to determine beach quality, seawater quality and the perception of beach users towards littering. A ...A baseline survey was carried out at four beaches along Ghana’s Accra-Tema coastline over a period of sixteen weeks to determine beach quality, seawater quality and the perception of beach users towards littering. A total of 18,241 items of marine debris which weighed 297.59 kg were collected. Plastic materials were the dominant debris, accounting for 63.72% of total debris. Land-based marine debris formed the largest proportion of debris collected (93% of items/m<sup>2</sup> and 85 kg/m<sup>2</sup>). Water quality analysis revealed high mean levels of coliforms and E. coli above World Health Organization (WHO) levels on all four beach locations. A social survey that targeted beach users and some stakeholders revealed a habit of littering and beach users as the main source of litter generation on Ghana’s beaches. Intensive education, continuous monitoring and the enforcement of appropriate policy initiatives remain vital to addressing beach and water quality issues along Ghana’s coastline.展开更多
Cover cropping is a diversifying agricultural practice that can improve soil structure and function by altering the underground litter diversity and soil microbial communities.Here,we tested how a wheat cover crop alt...Cover cropping is a diversifying agricultural practice that can improve soil structure and function by altering the underground litter diversity and soil microbial communities.Here,we tested how a wheat cover crop alters the decomposition of cucumber root litter.A three-year greenhouse litterbag decomposition experiment showed that a wheat cover crop accelerates the decomposition of cucumber root litter.A microcosm litterbag experiment further showed that wheat litter and the soil microbial community could improve cucumber root litter decomposition.Moreover,the wheat cover crop altered the abundances and diversities of soil bacterial and fungal communities,and enriched several putative keystone operational taxonomic units(OTUs),such as Bacillus sp.OTU1837 and Mortierella sp.OTU1236,that were positively related to the mass loss of cucumber root litter.The representative bacterial and fungal strains B186 and M3 were isolated and cultured.In vitro decomposition tests demonstrated that both B186 and M3 had cucumber root litter decomposition activity and a stronger effect was found when they were co-incubated.Overall,a wheat cover crop accelerated cucumber root litter decomposition by altering the soil microbial communities,particularly by stimulating certain putative keystone taxa,which provides a theoretical basis for using cover crops to promote sustainable agricultural development.展开更多
Litter decomposition drives grassland biogeochemical cycles,yet the distinct roles of leaf and root litter identity,richness,and functional traits in regulating soil microbial diversity and decomposition remain poorly...Litter decomposition drives grassland biogeochemical cycles,yet the distinct roles of leaf and root litter identity,richness,and functional traits in regulating soil microbial diversity and decomposition remain poorly resolved.Using a 120-day mesocosm experiment with leaf and root litter of the dominant species in Inner Mongolia grassland,we assessed how litter type(leaf vs.root),richness(1,2,4 species),and identity(root or leaf litter of 4 dominant species)modulate microbial diversity and soil carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)release.We found that litter type and identity more strongly influenced microbial biomass than species richness,and root litter supported higher bacterial alpha diversity but lower microbial biomass and fungal beta diversity compared to leaf litter.Root litter identity primarily affected the overall beta diversity patterns of both bacterial and fungal communities,while greater leaf litter richness significantly suppressed soil C release.Mechanistically,root litter identity associated with the resource-conservative strategy directly controlled soil C release and indirectly regulated N retention via bacterial beta diversity.Conversely,leaf litter type characterized by the resource-acquisitive strategy primarily affected soil C release by altering microbial alpha diversity,and could also enhance N release by directly increasing soil microbial biomass.Our results underscore the significant influence of litter type,identity,and richness on soil microbial diversity and C and N release,supporting the strategic use of litter identity to modulate C and N release and the enhancement of C sequestration through increased leaf litter richness in grassland restoration efforts.展开更多
Soil organic carbon(SOC)from different sources and with distinct chemical properties exhibit variations in their accumulation mechanisms.Exploring the effects of different litter treatments on SOC storage is of great ...Soil organic carbon(SOC)from different sources and with distinct chemical properties exhibit variations in their accumulation mechanisms.Exploring the effects of different litter treatments on SOC storage is of great significance for understanding the formation and accumulation mechanisms of the SOC pool.The feedback mechanisms of new and old SOC in response to tree species and litter treatments were quantitatively analyzed by the C3 plant/C4 soil replacement method.The litter treatments included no litter,aboveground litter,belowground forest litter,and aboveground+belowground litter,totaling four treatments.The results showed that in the first year,cork oak(Quercusvariabilis)exhibited the highest net SOC content increment and net new SOC increment,but the values declined rapidly from the second year onward.The net increment in SOC content was positive at all sample sites,while the priming effect was not significant at any site.Litter treatments had a significant impact on both SOC content and net SOC increment.Compared with aboveground litter,belowground litter was more effective in increasing SOC Content and net SOC increment.展开更多
Symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation(SNF and ANF),two forms of biological nitrogen(N)fixation,are the main pathways for external N inputs into natural terrestrial ecosystems.However,the regulatory mechanisms of ...Symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation(SNF and ANF),two forms of biological nitrogen(N)fixation,are the main pathways for external N inputs into natural terrestrial ecosystems.However,the regulatory mechanisms of SNF and ANF,particularly in response to changing environmental conditions,remain poorly understood.Here,we investigated changes in SNF and ANF rates along two altitudinal gradients in two subtropical forests on soils with granite and slate parent materials.Our results revealed distinct patterns for SNF and ANF rates.SNF rates consistently declined with increasing altitude,whereas ANF rates initially increased at lower altitudes but declined at higher altitudes.These contrasting trends were attributed to divergent regulatory mechanisms of SNF and ANF rates.Specifically,the decrease in SNF rates was primarily driven by increased soil N availability and decreased air temperature.However,the drivers of ANF rates shifted from soil properties(e.g.,phosphorus,iron,and moisture)at lower altitudes to climatic factors(e.g.,air temperature)at higher altitudes.We also observed opposite trends of SNF and ANF between forests on granite and slate,demonstrating that lithology is an important driver of both SNF and ANF.Collectively,our findings highlight the divergent mechanisms regulating SNF and ANF in subtropical forests,which contribute to improving the mechanistic representation of biological N fixation in Earth system models.展开更多
Climate warming has intensified the global hydrological cycle,amplifying the differences in precipitation and soil moisture between arid and humid areas.Such a change under regional drought may alter nitrogen(N)and ph...Climate warming has intensified the global hydrological cycle,amplifying the differences in precipitation and soil moisture between arid and humid areas.Such a change under regional drought may alter nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)releases during litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems,but how these biogeochemical processes respond to drought differently between arid and humid areas remains unclear.Here,we compiled 259 and 138 paired observations(with and without drought conditions)to assess the global variations in the drought effects on N and P releases during litter decomposition between arid(aridity index<0.5)and humid(aridity index>0.5)areas.Litter N release increased under drought in both arid(0.35%)and humid(3.62%)areas,and P release decreased by 7.32%in arid areas but increased by 2.22%in humid areas under drought.These changes in N and P releases from decomposing litter were positively correlated with drought duration in arid areas,dependent on microclimate,edaphic factors,and litter quality.Our findings highlight the contrasting effects of drought on litter N and P releases between arid and humid ecosystems,and this differential influence will greatly improve our capability to evaluate and forecast nutrient cycling during litter decomposition under different precipitation patterns.展开更多
The study determined the carbon stocks and litter nutrient concentration in tropical forests along the ecological gradient in Kenya.This could help understand the potential of mitigating climate change using tropical ...The study determined the carbon stocks and litter nutrient concentration in tropical forests along the ecological gradient in Kenya.This could help understand the potential of mitigating climate change using tropical forest ecosystems in different ecological zones,which are being affected by climate change to a level that they are becoming carbon sources instead of sinks.Stratified sampling technique was used to categorize tropical forests into rain,moist deciduous and dry zone forests depending on the average annual rainfall received.Simple random sampling technique was used to select three tropical forests in each category.Modified consistent sampling technique was used to develop 10 main 20 m×100 m plots in each forest,with 202 m×50 m sub-plots in each plot.Systematic random sampling technique was used in selecting 10 sub-plots from each main plot for inventory study.Non-destructive approach based on allometric equations using trees’diameter at breast height(DBH),total height and species’wood specific gravity were used in estimating tree carbon stock in each forest.Soil organic carbon(SOC)and litter nutrient concentration(total phosphorus and nitrogen)were determined in each forest based on standard laboratory procedures.The results indicated that,whilst trees in rain forests recorded a significantly higher(p<0.001)DBH(20.36 cm)and total tree height(12.1 m),trees in dry zone forests recorded a significantly higher(p<0.001)specific gravity(0.67 kg m^(−3)).Dry zone tropical forests stored a significantly lower amount of total tree carbon of 73 Mg ha^(−1),compared to tropical rain forests(439.5 Mg ha^(−1))and moist deciduous tropical forests(449 Mg ha^(−1)).The SOC content was significantly higher in tropical rainforests(3.9%),compared to soils from moist deciduous(2.9%)and dry zone forests(1.8%).While litter from tropical rain forests recorded a significantly higher amount of total nitrogen(3.4%),litter from dry zone forests recorded a significantly higher concentration of total phosphorus(0.27%).In conclusion,ecological gradient that is dictated by the prevailing temperatures and precipitation affects the tropical forests carbon stock potential and litter nutrient concentration.This implies that,the changing climate is having a serious implication on the ecosystem services such as carbon stock and nutrients cycling in tropical forests.展开更多
Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is e...Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is essen-tial to understand the mechanism controlling its decom-position and reaction to shifts in climatic conditions and land-use.In this study,we performed a spectral-attenuation experiment following litter decomposition in an understory and gap of a temperate deciduous forest.We found that short-wavelength visible light,especially blue light,was the main factor driving variation in litter molecular struc-ture of Fagus crenata Blume,Quercus crispula Blume,Acer carpinifolium Siebold&Zuccarini and Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,explaining respectively 56.5%,19.4%,66.3%,and 16.7%of variation in its chemical composition.However,the variation also depended on canopy openness:Only in the forest gap was lignin aromatic C negatively associated with C-oxygen(C–O)bonding in polysaccharides receiv-ing treatments containing blue light of the full spectrum of solar radiation.Regardless of species,the decomposition index of litter that explained changes in mass and lignin loss was driven by the relative content of C–O stretching in poly-saccharides and lignin aromatic C.The results suggest that the availability of readily degradable polysaccharides pro-duced by the reduction in lignin aromatic C most plausibly explains the rate of litter photodegradation.Photo-products of photodegradation might augment the C pool destabilized by the input of readily degradable organic compounds(i.e.,polysaccharides).展开更多
Exotic plant invasions and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2))concentration have been determined to independently affect soil nematodes,a key component of soil biota.However,little is known about the long-ter...Exotic plant invasions and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2))concentration have been determined to independently affect soil nematodes,a key component of soil biota.However,little is known about the long-term effects of these two global change factors and their interactive effects.Over three consecutive years,we cultivated invasive alien plant Xanthium strumarium and its two phylogenetically related natives under both ambient(aCO_(2))and elevated(eCO_(2))atmospheric CO_(2)concentrations,and determined the effects of the invader and natives on soil nematodes under different CO_(2)concentrations and the relevant mechanism.The abundance of total soil nematodes and that of the dominant trophic group(herbivores)were significantly affected by plant species and CO_(2)concentration,and these effects were dependent on the experimental duration,however,the Shannon-diversity of nematodes was not affected by these factors.Under aCO_(2),both invasive and native species significantly increased the total nematode abundance and that of the dominant trophic group with increasing experimental duration,and the amplitude of the increase was greater under the invader relative to the natives.The eCO_(2)increased total nematode abundance(second year)and that of the dominant trophic group(third year)under the invader,but not under the natives(or even decreased)with increasing experimental duration.Root litter had greater effects on soil nematode abundance than leaf litter and root exudates did.This study indicates that eCO_(2)would aggravate effects of invasive plants on soil nematodes by increasing abundance,and these effects would vary with the duration.展开更多
Addressing the challenges in detecting surface floating litter in artificial lakes,including complex environments,uneven illumination,and susceptibility to noise andweather,this paper proposes an efficient and lightwe...Addressing the challenges in detecting surface floating litter in artificial lakes,including complex environments,uneven illumination,and susceptibility to noise andweather,this paper proposes an efficient and lightweight Ghost-YOLO(You Only Look Once)v8 algorithm.The algorithmintegrates advanced attention mechanisms and a smalltarget detection head to significantly enhance detection performance and efficiency.Firstly,an SE(Squeeze-and-Excitation)mechanism is incorporated into the backbone network to fortify the extraction of resilient features and precise target localization.This mechanism models feature channel dependencies,enabling adaptive adjustment of channel importance,thereby improving recognition of floating litter targets.Secondly,a 160×160 small-target detection layer is designed in the feature fusion neck to mitigate semantic information loss due to varying target scales.This design enhances the fusion of deep and shallow semantic information,improving small target feature representation and enabling better capture and identification of tiny floating litter.Thirdly,to balance performance and efficiency,the GhostConv module replaces part of the conventional convolutions in the feature fusion neck.Additionally,a novel C2fGhost(CSPDarknet53 to 2-Stage Feature Pyramid Networks Ghost)module is introduced to further reduce network parameters.Lastly,to address the challenge of occlusion,a newloss function,WIoU(Wise Intersection over Union)v3 incorporating a flexible and non-monotonic concentration approach,is adopted to improve detection rates for surface floating litter.The outcomes of the experiments demonstrate that the Ghost-YOLO v8 model proposed in this paper performs well in the dataset Marine,significantly enhances precision and recall by 3.3 and 7.6 percentage points,respectively,in contrast with the base model,mAP@0.5 and mAP 0.5:0.95 improve by 5.3 and 4.4 percentage points and reduces the computational volume by 1.88MB,the FPS value hardly decreases,and the efficient real-time identification of floating debris on the water’s surface can be achieved costeffectively.展开更多
In riparian forests,litter decay provides essential energy and nutrients for both terrestrial and fluvial ecosystems.Litter mixing effects(LMEs)are crucial in regulating litter decay and nutrient dynamics,yet how LMEs...In riparian forests,litter decay provides essential energy and nutrients for both terrestrial and fluvial ecosystems.Litter mixing effects(LMEs)are crucial in regulating litter decay and nutrient dynamics,yet how LMEs change over time is unclear in riparian forests.In this study,leaf litter of three common species(Alnus sibirica Fisch.ex Turcz,Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,and Betula fruticosa Pall.)were mixed in an equal mass ratio and LMEs were measured for mass and nitrogen(N)remaining in whole litter mixtures over a 3-year period in a boreal riparian forest,northeastern China.LMEs were also assessed for component litter mass and N remaining by separating litter mixtures by species.During the decay of litter mixtures,antagonistic effects on mass and N remaining were dominant after one and two years of decay,whereas only additive effects were observed after three years.LMEs correlated negatively with functional diversity after the first and two years of decay but disappeared after three years.When sorting litter mixtures by species,non-additive LMEs on mass and N remaining decreased over incubation time.Moreover,non-additive LMEs were more frequent for litter of both B.platyphylla and B.fruticosa with lower N concentration than for A.sibirica litter with higher N concentration.These results indicate that incubation time is a key determinant of litter mixing effects during decay and highlight that late-stage litter mixture decay may be predicted from single litter decay dynamics in boreal riparian forests.展开更多
The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on ed...The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on edaphic parameters and grassland productivity has been extensively studied,while its decomposition processes and relevant mechanisms in this area remain poorly understood.We conducted a three-year litter decomposition experiment in the Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,an alpine meadow ecosystem on the QTP,to investigate changes in litter enzyme activities and bacterial and fungal communities,and clarify how these critical factors regulated the decomposition of dominant plant Elymus nutans(E.nutans)litter.The results showed that cellulose and hemicellulose,which accounted for 95%of the initial lignocellulose content,were the main components in E.nutans litter decomposition.The litter enzyme activities ofβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG),β-1,4-xylosidase(BX),andβ-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)decreased with decomposition while acid phosphatase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phenol oxidase increased with decomposition.We found that both litter bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly with decomposition.Furthermore,bacterial communities shifted from copiotrophic-dominated to oligotrophic-dominated in the late stage of litter decomposition.Partial least squares path model revealed that the decomposition of E.nutans litter was mainly driven by bacterial communities and their secreted enzymes.Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were important producers of enzymes BG,BX,and CBH,and their relative abundances were tightly positively related to the content of cellulose and hemicellulose,indicating that Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria are the main bacterial taxa of the decomposition of E.nutans litter.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that bacterial communities are the main driving forces behind the decomposition of E.nutans litter,highlighting the vital roles of bacterial communities in affecting the ecosystem functions of the QTP by regulating dominant plant litter decomposition.展开更多
Plant roots and their associated mycorrhizal fungi critically mediate the decomposition of soil organic carbon(C),but the general patterns of their impacts over a broad geographical range and the primary mediating fac...Plant roots and their associated mycorrhizal fungi critically mediate the decomposition of soil organic carbon(C),but the general patterns of their impacts over a broad geographical range and the primary mediating factors remain unclear.Based on a synthesis of 596 paired observations from both field and greenhouse experiments,we found that living roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi increased organic C decomposition by 30.9%,but low soil nitrogen(N)availability(i.e.,high soil C:N ratio)critically mitigated this promotion effect.In addition,the positive effects of living roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi on organic C decomposition were higher under herbaceous and leguminous plants than under woody and non-leguminous plants,respectively.Surprisingly,there was no significant difference between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi in their effects on organic C decomposition.Furthermore,roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi significantly enhanced the decomposition of leaf litter but not root litter.These findings advance our understanding of how roots and their symbiotic fungi modulate soil C dynamics in the rhizosphere or mycorrhizosphere and may help improve predictions of soil global C balance under a changing climate.展开更多
In this study,we investigated how tree species affect N mineralization in connection to some soil properties and seconder metabolite levels of litter,in the soil of the old-est native forest communities.In the oldest ...In this study,we investigated how tree species affect N mineralization in connection to some soil properties and seconder metabolite levels of litter,in the soil of the old-est native forest communities.In the oldest pure communi-ties of Pinus nigra(PN),Fagus orientalis(FO),and Abies bornmuelleriana(AB)in the mountain range of Mount Uludağ,Bursa,Turkey,annual net yield and N mineraliza-tion in the 0-5-and 5-20-cm soil layers were determined in a field incubation study over 1 year.Sampling locations were chosen from 1300 to 1600 m a.s.l.,and moisture content(%),pH,water-holding capacity(%),organic C,total N,and C/N ratio,and annual net mineral N yield of the soil and hydro-lyzed tannic acid and total phenolic compounds in litter were compared for these forest communities.F.orientalis had the highest annual net Nmin yield(43.9±4.8 kg ha^(-1) a^(-1)),P.nigra the lowest(30.5±4.2 kg ha^(-1) a^(-1)).Our findings show that in the oldest forest ecosystems,the seasonal soil moisture content and tree species play an essential role in N cycling and that hydrolyzed tannic acids and total phenolic compounds effectively control N turnover.Tannic acid and total phenolics in the litter were found to inhibit nitrification,but total phenolics were found to stimulate ammonification.展开更多
The forest headwater streams are important hubs for connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,with plant litter and sediments as the major carriers for material migrations;however,until now we knew little about th...The forest headwater streams are important hubs for connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,with plant litter and sediments as the major carriers for material migrations;however,until now we knew little about the dynamics of trace elements such as iron(Fe)and aluminum(Al)in forest headwater streams.Here,we quantitatively identified the spatiotemporal dynamics of Fe and Al storages in plant litter and sediments and their influencing factors in a subtropical forest headwater stream,and assessed the potential pollution risk.The results showed that:(1)the mean concentrations of Fe and Al in plant litter(sediments)were 5.48 and 8.46(7.39 and 47.47)g·kg^(-1),and the mean storages of Fe and Al in plant litter(sediments)were 0.26 and 0.43(749.04 and 5030.90)g·m^(-2),respectively;(2)the storages of Fe and Al in plant litter and sediments significantly fluctuated from January to December,and showed a decreasing pattern from the source to mouth;and(3)storages of Fe and Al had no significant correlation with riparian forest type and the present of tributary and the Fe and Al storages in plant litter were mainly affected by water temperature and water alkalinity,and their storages in sediments were mainly affected by water temperature and frequency of rainfall;and(4)there were no anthropogenic pollution in Fe and Al in the forest headwater stream.Our study revealed the primary factors of concentrations and storages of Fe and Al in plant litter and sediments in a forest headwater stream,which will improve our understanding of the role of headwater streams in forest nutrient storage and cycling along with hydrological processes.展开更多
Dear Editor,Numerous aspects of ecosystem ecology are influenced by insects(Prasad,2022).Herbivory of plant organs by insects may influence the biogeochemistry of forests by changing the speed of litter decomposition(...Dear Editor,Numerous aspects of ecosystem ecology are influenced by insects(Prasad,2022).Herbivory of plant organs by insects may influence the biogeochemistry of forests by changing the speed of litter decomposition(Schowalter,2022).Cycas micronesica K.D.Hill is the only native gymnosperm in the Mariana Islands.The once-abundant tree experienced no known lethal threats prior to the 2003 invasion of Guam by the scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi(Marler,2012).This insular case study has been the subject of abundant research(Marler et al.,2021).Changes to leaf litter chemistry improved litter quality following A.yasumatsui infestations(Marler and Dongol,2016),but the prediction of increased decomposition speed has not been confirmed with experimental incubations.展开更多
Background:Forest soils in tropical and subtropical areas store a significant amount of carbon.Recent framework to assess soil organic matter(SOM)dynamics under evolving global conditions suggest that dividing bulk SO...Background:Forest soils in tropical and subtropical areas store a significant amount of carbon.Recent framework to assess soil organic matter(SOM)dynamics under evolving global conditions suggest that dividing bulk SOM into particulate and mineral-associated organic matter(POM vs.MAOM)is a promising method for identifying how SOM contributes to reducing global warming.Soil macrofauna,earthworms,and millipedes have been found to play an important role in facilitating SOM processes.However,how these two co-existing macrofaunae impac the litter decomposition process and directly impact the formation of POM and MAOM remains unclear.Methods:Here,we set up a microcosm experiment,which consisted of 20 microcosms with four treatments earthworm and litter addition(E),millipedes and litter addition(M),earthworm,millipedes,and litter addition(E+M),and control(only litter addition)in five replicates.The soil and litter were sterilized prior to beginning the incubation experiment to remove any existing microbes.After incubating the samples for 42 days,the litte properties(mass,C,and N contents),soil physicochemical properties,as well as the C and N contents,and POM and MAOM^(13)C abundance in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layers were measured.Finally,the relative influences o soil physicochemical and microbial properties on the distribution of C and N in the soil fractions were analyzed Results:The litter mass,C,and N associated with all four treatments significantly decreased after incubation especially under treatment E+M(litter mass:-58.8%,litter C:-57.0%,litter N:-75.1%,respectively),while earthworm biomass significantly decreased under treatment E.Earthworm or millipede addition alone showed no significant effects on the organic carbon(OC)and total nitrogen(TN)content in the POM fraction,but join addition of both significantly increased OC and TN regardless of soil depth.Importantly,all three macrofauna treatments increased the OC and TN content and decreased the^(13)C abundance in the MAOM fraction.More than65%of the total variations in the distribution of OC and TN throughout the two fractions can be explained by a combination of soil physicochemical and microbial properties.Changes in the OC distribution in the 0–5 cm soi layer are likely due to a decrease in soil pH and an increase in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF),while those in the 5–10 cm layer are probably caused by increases in soil exchangeable Ca and Mg,in addition to fungi and gram-negative(GN)bacteria.The observed TN distribution changes in the 0–5 cm soil likely resulted from a decrease in soil pH and increases in AMF,GN,and gram-negative(GP)bacteria,while TN distribution changes in the 5–10 cm soil could be explained by increases in exchangeable Mg and GN bacteria.Conclusions:The results indicate that the coexistence of earthworms and millipedes can accelerate the litte decomposition process and store more C in the MAOM fractions.This novel finding helps to unlock the processe by which complex SOM systems serve as C sinks in tropical forests and addresses the importance of soil mac rofauna in maintaining C-neutral atmospheric conditions under global climate change.展开更多
We studied the cycles of reproduction and fat bodies of a blue-tailed skink population of an undescribed species of the Plestiodon brevirostris group.Sexual maturity is attained by females and males as they both reach...We studied the cycles of reproduction and fat bodies of a blue-tailed skink population of an undescribed species of the Plestiodon brevirostris group.Sexual maturity is attained by females and males as they both reach about 59 mm of SVL.Vitellogenesis started in June-July,with ovulation occurring during late-October to mid-November,and parturition in mid-spring.Litter size varied from two to six,with a mean of 3.86±0.15 embryos in uterus,and showed a positive correlation with female body mass and SVL.During gestation,a significant increase in the average wet mass of embryos in uterus was evident.In comparison,there were no notable changes in the average dry mass.Juvenile growth data suggest that sexual maturity,both males and females,is reached at 16-17 months of age.Testicles and epididymides exhibited maximal weight during August-September.Testicular regression occurred in September.Mating apparently takes place from mid-summer to early fall.Lipids stored in female fat bodies are used for vitellogenesis and for nutrition during the winter months.In males,the stored lipids appear to be used in reproductive activities during the mating season.展开更多
基金support received by the University of South Africa for a conducive research environment。
文摘Water resources are vital for all living beings and should be managed properly to ensure the safety and well-being of humankind.Surface water bodies are constantly faced with serious contamination risks generated primarily by human activities and urbanization.The problem of waste littering and dumping in developing countries like Nigeria is increasingly affecting environmental resources such as air and water.Several studies have revealed alarming levels of heavy metals that exceed the World Health Organization(WHO)standards.Plastic waste represents a substantial portion of litter,affecting water quality.Pollution results in the depletion of aquatic ecosystems and an increase in water-related diseases.This review aims to assess the impact of waste littering and dumping on surface water quality in Nigeria.In this review,the findings of various studies on surface water bodies in Nigeria,particularly those under the influence of urbanization and waste disposal,were compiled.This review compared numerous physical and chemical parameters like pH,dissolved oxygen,and heavy metals,and microbiological properties such as total coliforms.The water quality index(WQI)was also computed in these studies to ascertain the suitability of the water samples for human consumption.Review results showed that numerous water bodies in Nigeria have significantly diverse water quality levels,with some samples meeting or exceeding the WHO guidelines for microbiological,chemical,and physical characteristics.Notably,levels of heavy metals,turbidity,and pH frequently exceeded permissible limits,pointing to contamination from agricultural and industrial sources.The WQI results for multiple locations revealed that the majority of surface water sources were classified as“bad”to“very bad”,meaning they were unfit for human consumption.The results emphasized the critical need for immediate action to prevent further harm and deterioration of surface water bodies in Nigeria.Recommendations include strengthening waste management policies,promoting recycling initiatives,fostering collaborations among stakeholders,developing littering penalties and enforcing fines to curb the challenge,and raising educational awareness from the primary level.This review emphasizes the need for proactive measures to protect the environment and surface water quality in Nigeria.
文摘A baseline survey was carried out at four beaches along Ghana’s Accra-Tema coastline over a period of sixteen weeks to determine beach quality, seawater quality and the perception of beach users towards littering. A total of 18,241 items of marine debris which weighed 297.59 kg were collected. Plastic materials were the dominant debris, accounting for 63.72% of total debris. Land-based marine debris formed the largest proportion of debris collected (93% of items/m<sup>2</sup> and 85 kg/m<sup>2</sup>). Water quality analysis revealed high mean levels of coliforms and E. coli above World Health Organization (WHO) levels on all four beach locations. A social survey that targeted beach users and some stakeholders revealed a habit of littering and beach users as the main source of litter generation on Ghana’s beaches. Intensive education, continuous monitoring and the enforcement of appropriate policy initiatives remain vital to addressing beach and water quality issues along Ghana’s coastline.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32072655 and 32272792)。
文摘Cover cropping is a diversifying agricultural practice that can improve soil structure and function by altering the underground litter diversity and soil microbial communities.Here,we tested how a wheat cover crop alters the decomposition of cucumber root litter.A three-year greenhouse litterbag decomposition experiment showed that a wheat cover crop accelerates the decomposition of cucumber root litter.A microcosm litterbag experiment further showed that wheat litter and the soil microbial community could improve cucumber root litter decomposition.Moreover,the wheat cover crop altered the abundances and diversities of soil bacterial and fungal communities,and enriched several putative keystone operational taxonomic units(OTUs),such as Bacillus sp.OTU1837 and Mortierella sp.OTU1236,that were positively related to the mass loss of cucumber root litter.The representative bacterial and fungal strains B186 and M3 were isolated and cultured.In vitro decomposition tests demonstrated that both B186 and M3 had cucumber root litter decomposition activity and a stronger effect was found when they were co-incubated.Overall,a wheat cover crop accelerated cucumber root litter decomposition by altering the soil microbial communities,particularly by stimulating certain putative keystone taxa,which provides a theoretical basis for using cover crops to promote sustainable agricultural development.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42177272,32201404,32401430,32301441)the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(Grant No.2025ZD006)the Junma Program of the Inner Mongolia University(Grant No.10000-23112101/159).
文摘Litter decomposition drives grassland biogeochemical cycles,yet the distinct roles of leaf and root litter identity,richness,and functional traits in regulating soil microbial diversity and decomposition remain poorly resolved.Using a 120-day mesocosm experiment with leaf and root litter of the dominant species in Inner Mongolia grassland,we assessed how litter type(leaf vs.root),richness(1,2,4 species),and identity(root or leaf litter of 4 dominant species)modulate microbial diversity and soil carbon(C)and nitrogen(N)release.We found that litter type and identity more strongly influenced microbial biomass than species richness,and root litter supported higher bacterial alpha diversity but lower microbial biomass and fungal beta diversity compared to leaf litter.Root litter identity primarily affected the overall beta diversity patterns of both bacterial and fungal communities,while greater leaf litter richness significantly suppressed soil C release.Mechanistically,root litter identity associated with the resource-conservative strategy directly controlled soil C release and indirectly regulated N retention via bacterial beta diversity.Conversely,leaf litter type characterized by the resource-acquisitive strategy primarily affected soil C release by altering microbial alpha diversity,and could also enhance N release by directly increasing soil microbial biomass.Our results underscore the significant influence of litter type,identity,and richness on soil microbial diversity and C and N release,supporting the strategic use of litter identity to modulate C and N release and the enhancement of C sequestration through increased leaf litter richness in grassland restoration efforts.
基金Sponsored by The National Natural Science Foundation of China(32271848).
文摘Soil organic carbon(SOC)from different sources and with distinct chemical properties exhibit variations in their accumulation mechanisms.Exploring the effects of different litter treatments on SOC storage is of great significance for understanding the formation and accumulation mechanisms of the SOC pool.The feedback mechanisms of new and old SOC in response to tree species and litter treatments were quantitatively analyzed by the C3 plant/C4 soil replacement method.The litter treatments included no litter,aboveground litter,belowground forest litter,and aboveground+belowground litter,totaling four treatments.The results showed that in the first year,cork oak(Quercusvariabilis)exhibited the highest net SOC content increment and net new SOC increment,but the values declined rapidly from the second year onward.The net increment in SOC content was positive at all sample sites,while the priming effect was not significant at any site.Litter treatments had a significant impact on both SOC content and net SOC increment.Compared with aboveground litter,belowground litter was more effective in increasing SOC Content and net SOC increment.
基金supported by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(No.2025A1515011004)the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(No.JCYJ20220530150015035)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42367035)the Chinese Scholarship Council(No.202306380142).
文摘Symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation(SNF and ANF),two forms of biological nitrogen(N)fixation,are the main pathways for external N inputs into natural terrestrial ecosystems.However,the regulatory mechanisms of SNF and ANF,particularly in response to changing environmental conditions,remain poorly understood.Here,we investigated changes in SNF and ANF rates along two altitudinal gradients in two subtropical forests on soils with granite and slate parent materials.Our results revealed distinct patterns for SNF and ANF rates.SNF rates consistently declined with increasing altitude,whereas ANF rates initially increased at lower altitudes but declined at higher altitudes.These contrasting trends were attributed to divergent regulatory mechanisms of SNF and ANF rates.Specifically,the decrease in SNF rates was primarily driven by increased soil N availability and decreased air temperature.However,the drivers of ANF rates shifted from soil properties(e.g.,phosphorus,iron,and moisture)at lower altitudes to climatic factors(e.g.,air temperature)at higher altitudes.We also observed opposite trends of SNF and ANF between forests on granite and slate,demonstrating that lithology is an important driver of both SNF and ANF.Collectively,our findings highlight the divergent mechanisms regulating SNF and ANF in subtropical forests,which contribute to improving the mechanistic representation of biological N fixation in Earth system models.
基金financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFF1305500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32022056,32101509,and 32171641)。
文摘Climate warming has intensified the global hydrological cycle,amplifying the differences in precipitation and soil moisture between arid and humid areas.Such a change under regional drought may alter nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)releases during litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems,but how these biogeochemical processes respond to drought differently between arid and humid areas remains unclear.Here,we compiled 259 and 138 paired observations(with and without drought conditions)to assess the global variations in the drought effects on N and P releases during litter decomposition between arid(aridity index<0.5)and humid(aridity index>0.5)areas.Litter N release increased under drought in both arid(0.35%)and humid(3.62%)areas,and P release decreased by 7.32%in arid areas but increased by 2.22%in humid areas under drought.These changes in N and P releases from decomposing litter were positively correlated with drought duration in arid areas,dependent on microclimate,edaphic factors,and litter quality.Our findings highlight the contrasting effects of drought on litter N and P releases between arid and humid ecosystems,and this differential influence will greatly improve our capability to evaluate and forecast nutrient cycling during litter decomposition under different precipitation patterns.
基金funded by the Kenya National Research Fund(NRF-Kenya,2018).
文摘The study determined the carbon stocks and litter nutrient concentration in tropical forests along the ecological gradient in Kenya.This could help understand the potential of mitigating climate change using tropical forest ecosystems in different ecological zones,which are being affected by climate change to a level that they are becoming carbon sources instead of sinks.Stratified sampling technique was used to categorize tropical forests into rain,moist deciduous and dry zone forests depending on the average annual rainfall received.Simple random sampling technique was used to select three tropical forests in each category.Modified consistent sampling technique was used to develop 10 main 20 m×100 m plots in each forest,with 202 m×50 m sub-plots in each plot.Systematic random sampling technique was used in selecting 10 sub-plots from each main plot for inventory study.Non-destructive approach based on allometric equations using trees’diameter at breast height(DBH),total height and species’wood specific gravity were used in estimating tree carbon stock in each forest.Soil organic carbon(SOC)and litter nutrient concentration(total phosphorus and nitrogen)were determined in each forest based on standard laboratory procedures.The results indicated that,whilst trees in rain forests recorded a significantly higher(p<0.001)DBH(20.36 cm)and total tree height(12.1 m),trees in dry zone forests recorded a significantly higher(p<0.001)specific gravity(0.67 kg m^(−3)).Dry zone tropical forests stored a significantly lower amount of total tree carbon of 73 Mg ha^(−1),compared to tropical rain forests(439.5 Mg ha^(−1))and moist deciduous tropical forests(449 Mg ha^(−1)).The SOC content was significantly higher in tropical rainforests(3.9%),compared to soils from moist deciduous(2.9%)and dry zone forests(1.8%).While litter from tropical rain forests recorded a significantly higher amount of total nitrogen(3.4%),litter from dry zone forests recorded a significantly higher concentration of total phosphorus(0.27%).In conclusion,ecological gradient that is dictated by the prevailing temperatures and precipitation affects the tropical forests carbon stock potential and litter nutrient concentration.This implies that,the changing climate is having a serious implication on the ecosystem services such as carbon stock and nutrients cycling in tropical forests.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32122059)the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFD2200402)+5 种基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences Young Talents Programthe LiaoNing Revitalization Talents Program (XLYC2007016) to QWW2024 Joint Fund Project Funding Program (2023-MSBA-137) to JJDChinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative (2022VCA0010)the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (KAKENHI,17F17403) to QWW and HKAcademy of Finland Project(324555) to TMR
文摘Photodegradation is considered as a universal contributing factor to litter decomposition and carbon(C)cycling within the Earth’s biomes.Identifying how solar radiation modifies the molecular structure of litter is essen-tial to understand the mechanism controlling its decom-position and reaction to shifts in climatic conditions and land-use.In this study,we performed a spectral-attenuation experiment following litter decomposition in an understory and gap of a temperate deciduous forest.We found that short-wavelength visible light,especially blue light,was the main factor driving variation in litter molecular struc-ture of Fagus crenata Blume,Quercus crispula Blume,Acer carpinifolium Siebold&Zuccarini and Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,explaining respectively 56.5%,19.4%,66.3%,and 16.7%of variation in its chemical composition.However,the variation also depended on canopy openness:Only in the forest gap was lignin aromatic C negatively associated with C-oxygen(C–O)bonding in polysaccharides receiv-ing treatments containing blue light of the full spectrum of solar radiation.Regardless of species,the decomposition index of litter that explained changes in mass and lignin loss was driven by the relative content of C–O stretching in poly-saccharides and lignin aromatic C.The results suggest that the availability of readily degradable polysaccharides pro-duced by the reduction in lignin aromatic C most plausibly explains the rate of litter photodegradation.Photo-products of photodegradation might augment the C pool destabilized by the input of readily degradable organic compounds(i.e.,polysaccharides).
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFC2604500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32171662,32471753 and 32171666)the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning(2020-MS-199).
文摘Exotic plant invasions and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2))concentration have been determined to independently affect soil nematodes,a key component of soil biota.However,little is known about the long-term effects of these two global change factors and their interactive effects.Over three consecutive years,we cultivated invasive alien plant Xanthium strumarium and its two phylogenetically related natives under both ambient(aCO_(2))and elevated(eCO_(2))atmospheric CO_(2)concentrations,and determined the effects of the invader and natives on soil nematodes under different CO_(2)concentrations and the relevant mechanism.The abundance of total soil nematodes and that of the dominant trophic group(herbivores)were significantly affected by plant species and CO_(2)concentration,and these effects were dependent on the experimental duration,however,the Shannon-diversity of nematodes was not affected by these factors.Under aCO_(2),both invasive and native species significantly increased the total nematode abundance and that of the dominant trophic group with increasing experimental duration,and the amplitude of the increase was greater under the invader relative to the natives.The eCO_(2)increased total nematode abundance(second year)and that of the dominant trophic group(third year)under the invader,but not under the natives(or even decreased)with increasing experimental duration.Root litter had greater effects on soil nematode abundance than leaf litter and root exudates did.This study indicates that eCO_(2)would aggravate effects of invasive plants on soil nematodes by increasing abundance,and these effects would vary with the duration.
基金Supported by the fund of the Henan Province Science and Technology Research Project(No.242102210213).
文摘Addressing the challenges in detecting surface floating litter in artificial lakes,including complex environments,uneven illumination,and susceptibility to noise andweather,this paper proposes an efficient and lightweight Ghost-YOLO(You Only Look Once)v8 algorithm.The algorithmintegrates advanced attention mechanisms and a smalltarget detection head to significantly enhance detection performance and efficiency.Firstly,an SE(Squeeze-and-Excitation)mechanism is incorporated into the backbone network to fortify the extraction of resilient features and precise target localization.This mechanism models feature channel dependencies,enabling adaptive adjustment of channel importance,thereby improving recognition of floating litter targets.Secondly,a 160×160 small-target detection layer is designed in the feature fusion neck to mitigate semantic information loss due to varying target scales.This design enhances the fusion of deep and shallow semantic information,improving small target feature representation and enabling better capture and identification of tiny floating litter.Thirdly,to balance performance and efficiency,the GhostConv module replaces part of the conventional convolutions in the feature fusion neck.Additionally,a novel C2fGhost(CSPDarknet53 to 2-Stage Feature Pyramid Networks Ghost)module is introduced to further reduce network parameters.Lastly,to address the challenge of occlusion,a newloss function,WIoU(Wise Intersection over Union)v3 incorporating a flexible and non-monotonic concentration approach,is adopted to improve detection rates for surface floating litter.The outcomes of the experiments demonstrate that the Ghost-YOLO v8 model proposed in this paper performs well in the dataset Marine,significantly enhances precision and recall by 3.3 and 7.6 percentage points,respectively,in contrast with the base model,mAP@0.5 and mAP 0.5:0.95 improve by 5.3 and 4.4 percentage points and reduces the computational volume by 1.88MB,the FPS value hardly decreases,and the efficient real-time identification of floating debris on the water’s surface can be achieved costeffectively.
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(41771108 and 31570479)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi,China(20212ACB215002)the Double Thousand Plan of Jiangxi Province(jxsq2018106044).
文摘In riparian forests,litter decay provides essential energy and nutrients for both terrestrial and fluvial ecosystems.Litter mixing effects(LMEs)are crucial in regulating litter decay and nutrient dynamics,yet how LMEs change over time is unclear in riparian forests.In this study,leaf litter of three common species(Alnus sibirica Fisch.ex Turcz,Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,and Betula fruticosa Pall.)were mixed in an equal mass ratio and LMEs were measured for mass and nitrogen(N)remaining in whole litter mixtures over a 3-year period in a boreal riparian forest,northeastern China.LMEs were also assessed for component litter mass and N remaining by separating litter mixtures by species.During the decay of litter mixtures,antagonistic effects on mass and N remaining were dominant after one and two years of decay,whereas only additive effects were observed after three years.LMEs correlated negatively with functional diversity after the first and two years of decay but disappeared after three years.When sorting litter mixtures by species,non-additive LMEs on mass and N remaining decreased over incubation time.Moreover,non-additive LMEs were more frequent for litter of both B.platyphylla and B.fruticosa with lower N concentration than for A.sibirica litter with higher N concentration.These results indicate that incubation time is a key determinant of litter mixing effects during decay and highlight that late-stage litter mixture decay may be predicted from single litter decay dynamics in boreal riparian forests.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870435)the European Union's Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Postdoctoral Fellowship(101061660)the China Scholarship Council(202106180060).
文摘The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on edaphic parameters and grassland productivity has been extensively studied,while its decomposition processes and relevant mechanisms in this area remain poorly understood.We conducted a three-year litter decomposition experiment in the Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,an alpine meadow ecosystem on the QTP,to investigate changes in litter enzyme activities and bacterial and fungal communities,and clarify how these critical factors regulated the decomposition of dominant plant Elymus nutans(E.nutans)litter.The results showed that cellulose and hemicellulose,which accounted for 95%of the initial lignocellulose content,were the main components in E.nutans litter decomposition.The litter enzyme activities ofβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG),β-1,4-xylosidase(BX),andβ-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)decreased with decomposition while acid phosphatase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phenol oxidase increased with decomposition.We found that both litter bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly with decomposition.Furthermore,bacterial communities shifted from copiotrophic-dominated to oligotrophic-dominated in the late stage of litter decomposition.Partial least squares path model revealed that the decomposition of E.nutans litter was mainly driven by bacterial communities and their secreted enzymes.Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were important producers of enzymes BG,BX,and CBH,and their relative abundances were tightly positively related to the content of cellulose and hemicellulose,indicating that Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria are the main bacterial taxa of the decomposition of E.nutans litter.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that bacterial communities are the main driving forces behind the decomposition of E.nutans litter,highlighting the vital roles of bacterial communities in affecting the ecosystem functions of the QTP by regulating dominant plant litter decomposition.
基金supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M741742)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFD1501600)+1 种基金Jiangsu Funding Program for Excellent Postdoctoral Talent,China(No.2023ZB122)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32371626)。
文摘Plant roots and their associated mycorrhizal fungi critically mediate the decomposition of soil organic carbon(C),but the general patterns of their impacts over a broad geographical range and the primary mediating factors remain unclear.Based on a synthesis of 596 paired observations from both field and greenhouse experiments,we found that living roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi increased organic C decomposition by 30.9%,but low soil nitrogen(N)availability(i.e.,high soil C:N ratio)critically mitigated this promotion effect.In addition,the positive effects of living roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi on organic C decomposition were higher under herbaceous and leguminous plants than under woody and non-leguminous plants,respectively.Surprisingly,there was no significant difference between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi in their effects on organic C decomposition.Furthermore,roots and/or mycorrhizal fungi significantly enhanced the decomposition of leaf litter but not root litter.These findings advance our understanding of how roots and their symbiotic fungi modulate soil C dynamics in the rhizosphere or mycorrhizosphere and may help improve predictions of soil global C balance under a changing climate.
文摘In this study,we investigated how tree species affect N mineralization in connection to some soil properties and seconder metabolite levels of litter,in the soil of the old-est native forest communities.In the oldest pure communi-ties of Pinus nigra(PN),Fagus orientalis(FO),and Abies bornmuelleriana(AB)in the mountain range of Mount Uludağ,Bursa,Turkey,annual net yield and N mineraliza-tion in the 0-5-and 5-20-cm soil layers were determined in a field incubation study over 1 year.Sampling locations were chosen from 1300 to 1600 m a.s.l.,and moisture content(%),pH,water-holding capacity(%),organic C,total N,and C/N ratio,and annual net mineral N yield of the soil and hydro-lyzed tannic acid and total phenolic compounds in litter were compared for these forest communities.F.orientalis had the highest annual net Nmin yield(43.9±4.8 kg ha^(-1) a^(-1)),P.nigra the lowest(30.5±4.2 kg ha^(-1) a^(-1)).Our findings show that in the oldest forest ecosystems,the seasonal soil moisture content and tree species play an essential role in N cycling and that hydrolyzed tannic acids and total phenolic compounds effectively control N turnover.Tannic acid and total phenolics in the litter were found to inhibit nitrification,but total phenolics were found to stimulate ammonification.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32271633)founded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32201342)+1 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province(2022J01642)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32171641)。
文摘The forest headwater streams are important hubs for connecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,with plant litter and sediments as the major carriers for material migrations;however,until now we knew little about the dynamics of trace elements such as iron(Fe)and aluminum(Al)in forest headwater streams.Here,we quantitatively identified the spatiotemporal dynamics of Fe and Al storages in plant litter and sediments and their influencing factors in a subtropical forest headwater stream,and assessed the potential pollution risk.The results showed that:(1)the mean concentrations of Fe and Al in plant litter(sediments)were 5.48 and 8.46(7.39 and 47.47)g·kg^(-1),and the mean storages of Fe and Al in plant litter(sediments)were 0.26 and 0.43(749.04 and 5030.90)g·m^(-2),respectively;(2)the storages of Fe and Al in plant litter and sediments significantly fluctuated from January to December,and showed a decreasing pattern from the source to mouth;and(3)storages of Fe and Al had no significant correlation with riparian forest type and the present of tributary and the Fe and Al storages in plant litter were mainly affected by water temperature and water alkalinity,and their storages in sediments were mainly affected by water temperature and frequency of rainfall;and(4)there were no anthropogenic pollution in Fe and Al in the forest headwater stream.Our study revealed the primary factors of concentrations and storages of Fe and Al in plant litter and sediments in a forest headwater stream,which will improve our understanding of the role of headwater streams in forest nutrient storage and cycling along with hydrological processes.
文摘Dear Editor,Numerous aspects of ecosystem ecology are influenced by insects(Prasad,2022).Herbivory of plant organs by insects may influence the biogeochemistry of forests by changing the speed of litter decomposition(Schowalter,2022).Cycas micronesica K.D.Hill is the only native gymnosperm in the Mariana Islands.The once-abundant tree experienced no known lethal threats prior to the 2003 invasion of Guam by the scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi(Marler,2012).This insular case study has been the subject of abundant research(Marler et al.,2021).Changes to leaf litter chemistry improved litter quality following A.yasumatsui infestations(Marler and Dongol,2016),but the prediction of increased decomposition speed has not been confirmed with experimental incubations.
基金supported by the GuangDong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2022A1515110439)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32101393)+1 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M7339832023M743547)。
文摘Background:Forest soils in tropical and subtropical areas store a significant amount of carbon.Recent framework to assess soil organic matter(SOM)dynamics under evolving global conditions suggest that dividing bulk SOM into particulate and mineral-associated organic matter(POM vs.MAOM)is a promising method for identifying how SOM contributes to reducing global warming.Soil macrofauna,earthworms,and millipedes have been found to play an important role in facilitating SOM processes.However,how these two co-existing macrofaunae impac the litter decomposition process and directly impact the formation of POM and MAOM remains unclear.Methods:Here,we set up a microcosm experiment,which consisted of 20 microcosms with four treatments earthworm and litter addition(E),millipedes and litter addition(M),earthworm,millipedes,and litter addition(E+M),and control(only litter addition)in five replicates.The soil and litter were sterilized prior to beginning the incubation experiment to remove any existing microbes.After incubating the samples for 42 days,the litte properties(mass,C,and N contents),soil physicochemical properties,as well as the C and N contents,and POM and MAOM^(13)C abundance in the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layers were measured.Finally,the relative influences o soil physicochemical and microbial properties on the distribution of C and N in the soil fractions were analyzed Results:The litter mass,C,and N associated with all four treatments significantly decreased after incubation especially under treatment E+M(litter mass:-58.8%,litter C:-57.0%,litter N:-75.1%,respectively),while earthworm biomass significantly decreased under treatment E.Earthworm or millipede addition alone showed no significant effects on the organic carbon(OC)and total nitrogen(TN)content in the POM fraction,but join addition of both significantly increased OC and TN regardless of soil depth.Importantly,all three macrofauna treatments increased the OC and TN content and decreased the^(13)C abundance in the MAOM fraction.More than65%of the total variations in the distribution of OC and TN throughout the two fractions can be explained by a combination of soil physicochemical and microbial properties.Changes in the OC distribution in the 0–5 cm soi layer are likely due to a decrease in soil pH and an increase in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF),while those in the 5–10 cm layer are probably caused by increases in soil exchangeable Ca and Mg,in addition to fungi and gram-negative(GN)bacteria.The observed TN distribution changes in the 0–5 cm soil likely resulted from a decrease in soil pH and increases in AMF,GN,and gram-negative(GP)bacteria,while TN distribution changes in the 5–10 cm soil could be explained by increases in exchangeable Mg and GN bacteria.Conclusions:The results indicate that the coexistence of earthworms and millipedes can accelerate the litte decomposition process and store more C in the MAOM fractions.This novel finding helps to unlock the processe by which complex SOM systems serve as C sinks in tropical forests and addresses the importance of soil mac rofauna in maintaining C-neutral atmospheric conditions under global climate change.
基金funded by the Biology Major of the Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza,Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México(UNAM)Scientific collecting permit issued by Semarnat(SGPA/DGVS 12013/12)。
文摘We studied the cycles of reproduction and fat bodies of a blue-tailed skink population of an undescribed species of the Plestiodon brevirostris group.Sexual maturity is attained by females and males as they both reach about 59 mm of SVL.Vitellogenesis started in June-July,with ovulation occurring during late-October to mid-November,and parturition in mid-spring.Litter size varied from two to six,with a mean of 3.86±0.15 embryos in uterus,and showed a positive correlation with female body mass and SVL.During gestation,a significant increase in the average wet mass of embryos in uterus was evident.In comparison,there were no notable changes in the average dry mass.Juvenile growth data suggest that sexual maturity,both males and females,is reached at 16-17 months of age.Testicles and epididymides exhibited maximal weight during August-September.Testicular regression occurred in September.Mating apparently takes place from mid-summer to early fall.Lipids stored in female fat bodies are used for vitellogenesis and for nutrition during the winter months.In males,the stored lipids appear to be used in reproductive activities during the mating season.
