Plant litter decomposition and microbial characteristics in volcanic soils (Mt Etna,Sicily) at different stages of development |
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Authors: | D W Hopkins L Badalucco L C English S M Meli J A Chudek A Ioppolo |
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Institution: | (1) Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, FK9 4LA Stirling, Scotland, UK;(2) Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, DD2 5DA Dundee, Scotland, UK;(3) Dipartimento ITAF, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze 13, 90128 Palermo, Italy;(4) Dipartimento di ACPA, Università di Catania, Via S. Sofia 98, 95100 Catania, Italy;(5) School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, DD1 4HN Dundee, Scotland, UK |
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Abstract: | Soils at different developmental stages were sampled from eight sites on the slopes of Mt Etna, Sicily (Italy) and characterized
for total C, microbial biomass and microbial respiration. The values of these parameters were greatest for the most developed
soils, but differences in recent management and site characteristics limited analysis of trends with soil development across
the eight sites. The decomposition kinetics of both intact leaf litter and the water-insoluble fraction of leaf litter from
three common species on Etna Etnean broom (Genista aetnensis), European chestnut (Castanea sativa), and Corsican pine (Pinus nigra)] were determined in four of the soils (the two with the smallest and the two with the largest organic C contents) in a laboratory
experiment over 168 days to test two hypotheses. First, that the readily mineralized fraction of added plant C is greater
when the plant material decomposes in well-developed soils compared to less developed soils, and second, that the microbial
communities in less developed soils are less efficient at mineralizing C from low quality plant residues. The first hypothesis
held for Genista and Pinus litter, but not Castanea litter. The second hypothesis was supported for the Castanea and Pinus litter, but not for the Genista litter. Thus, the general applicability of the hypotheses was dependent on the precise source and characteristics of the
litter. |
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Keywords: | Biomass Carbon Castanea sativa Decomposition Genista aetnensis Litter quality Pinus nigra Respiration |
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