Abstract
Background and aims
Marcescence, the phenomenon in which plants hold their leaves after senescence, is common in nature. To date, the ecological relevance of marcescent leaves has been highlighted predominantly in arid ecosystems, where the photodegradation of recalcitrant compounds in such leaves facilitates their subsequent decomposition once shed. Marcescence, however, is widespread also in temperate ecosystems, where photodegradation is expected to be less pronounced, while other factors such as leaching or limited access of decomposers may be more important.
Methods
To provide insights into the impact of marcescence on leaf chemistry and potential consequences for decomposition and nutrient cycling in temperate ecosystems, we collected marcescent and shed senescent leaves of the tree genera Quercus L. and Fagus L. throughout two consecutive dormant seasons. We analysed these leaves for carbon and nitrogen, extracted lignin and water-extractable organic matter, and performed Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic analyses.
Results
Our results indicate that marcescent leaves were richer in nitrogen, perhaps, due to a dominance of abiotic processes acting on these leaves (e.g., leaching of carbon), and had decreased lignin contents, likely due to photodegradation, which could subsequently release easily utilisable compounds via breakdown of lignocellulose complexes.
Conclusion
Marcescent leaves may be more bioavailable as compared to leaves directly shed after senescence, with potential consequences for nutrient and carbon cycling in temperate ecosystems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angst G, Mueller KE, Kögel-Knabner I et al (2017a) Aggregation controls the stability of lignin and lipids in clay-sized particulate and mineral associated organic matter. Biogeochemistry 132:307–324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-017-0304-2
Angst Š, Cajthaml T, Angst G et al (2017b) Retention of dead standing plant biomass (marcescence) increases subsequent litter decomposition in the soil organic layer. Plant Soil 418:571–579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-017-3318-6
Austin AT, Ballaré CL (2010) Dual role of lignin in plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107:4618–4622. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0909396107
Austin AT, Méndez MS, Ballaré CL (2016) Photodegradation alleviates the lignin bottleneck for carbon turnover in terrestrial ecosystems. Proc Natl Acad Sci 113:4392–4397. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516157113
Balaria A, Johnson CE (2013) Compositional characterization of soil organic matter and hot-water-extractable organic matter in organic horizons using a molecular mixing model. J Soils Sediments 13(6):1032–1042. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0690-6
Berg B, McClaugherty C (2008) Plant litter decomposition, humus formation,carbon sequestration. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Heidelberg
Brandt LA, King JY, Milchunas DG (2007) Effects of ultraviolet radiation on litter decomposition depend on precipitation and litter chemistry in a shortgrass steppe ecosystem. Glob Chang Biol 13:2193–2205. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01428.x
Cepáková Š, Tošner Z, Frouz J (2016) The effect of tree species on seasonal fluctuations in water-soluble and hot water-extractable organic matter at post-mining sites. Geoderma 275:19–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.04.006
Chin YP, Alken G, O’Loughlin E (1994) Molecular weight, polydispersity, and spectroscopic properties of aquatic humic substances. Environ Sci Technol 28:1853–1858. https://doi.org/10.1021/es00060a015
Filley TR, Boutton TW, Liao JD, Jastrow JD, Gamblin DE (2008) Chemical changes to nonaggregated particulate soil organic matter following grassland-to-woodland transition in a subtropical savanna. J Geophys Res 113(G3). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JG000564
Frouz J, Cajthaml T, Mudrák O (2011) The effect of lignin photodegradation on decomposability of Calamagrostis epigeios grass litter. Biodegradation 22:1247–1254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-011-9479-8
Gallo ME, Sinsabaugh RL, Cabaniss SE (2006) The role of ultraviolet radiation in litter decomposition in arid ecosystems. Appl Soil Ecol 34:82–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2005.12.006
Gallo ME, Porras-Alfaro A, Odenbach KJ, Sinsabaugh RL (2009) Photoacceleration of plant litter decomposition in an arid environment. Soil Biol Biochem 41:1433–1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.03.025
Hansen K, Vesterdal L, Schmidt IK et al (2009) Litterfall and nutrient return in five tree species in a common garden experiment. For Ecol Manag 257:2133–2144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.02.021
Hedges JI, Ertel JR (1982) Characterization of lignin by gas capillary chromatography of cupric oxide oxidation products. Anal Chem 54(2):174–178. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00239a007
Henry HAL, Brizgys K, Field CB (2008) Litter decomposition in a California annual grassland: interactions between photodegradation and litter layer thickness. Ecosystems 11:545–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9141-4
Huang G, Zhao H mei, Li Y (2017) Litter decomposition in hyper-arid deserts: Photodegradation is still important. Sci Total Environ 601–602:784–792. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.213
Kaiser K, Guggenberger G, Haumaier L, Zech W (2001) Seasonal variations in the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter in organic forest floor layer leachates of old-growth scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in northeastern Bavaria, Germany. Biogeochemistry:103–143. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010694032121
Kalbitz K, Kaiser K, Bargholz J, Dardenne P (2006) Lignin degradation controls the production of dissolved organic matter in decomposing foliar litter. Eur J Soil Sci 57:504–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2006.00797.x
Karberg NJ, Scott NA, Giardina CP (2008) Methods for estimating litter decomposition. In: Hoover CM (ed) Field measurements for forest carbon monitoring–a landscape scale approach. Springer, New York, pp 103–111
Landgraf D, Leinweber P, Makeschin F (2006) Cold and hot water-extractable organic matter as indicators of litter decomposition in forest soils. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 169:76–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.200521711
Maillard A, Diquélou S, Billard V et al (2015) Leaf mineral nutrient remobilization during leaf senescence and modulation by nutrient deficiency. Front Plant Sci 6:1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.00317
McDowell WH, Likens GE (1988) Origin composition and flux of dissolved organic carbon in the Hubbard Brook Valley. Ecol Monogr 58(3):177–195. https://doi.org/10.2307/2937024
Michalzik B, Kalbitz K, Park J et al (2001) Fluxes and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen–a synthesis for temperate forests. Biogeochemistry 52:173–205. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1006441620810
Neumann M, Ukonmaanaho L, Johnson J et al (2018) Quantifying carbon and nutrient input from Litterfall in European forests using Field observations and modeling. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 32:784–798. https://doi.org/10.1029/2017GB005825
Potter BB (2003) EPA-Method-415.3. Usepa 1–56
R Core Team (2021) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/
Rodríguez FJ, Schlenger P, García-Valverde M (2016) Monitoring changes in the structure and properties of humic substances following ozonation using UV-Vis, FTIR and 1H NMR techniques. Sci Total Environ 541:623–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.09.127
Staaf H (1982) Plant nutrient changes in beech leaves during senescence as influenced by site characteristics. Acta Oecol 3:161–170
Talbot JM, Treseder KK (2012) Interactions between lignin, cellulose, and nitrogem drive litter chemistry - decay relationships. Ecology 93:345–354. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-0843.1
Taylor BR, Parkinson D, Parsons WFJ (1989) Nitrogen and lignin content as predictors of litter decay rates: a microcosm test. Ecology 70:97–104. https://doi.org/10.2307/1938416
Tláskal V, Voříšková J, Baldrian P (2016) Bacterial succession on decomposing leaf litter exhibits a specific occurrence pattern of cellulolytic taxa and potential decomposers of fungal mycelia. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 92:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/iw177
Uchida Y, Nishimura S, Akiyama H (2012) The relationship of water-soluble carbon and hot-water-soluble carbon with soil respiration in agricultural fields. Agric Ecosyst Environ 156:116–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2012.05.012
Uselman SM, Snyder KA, Blank RR, Jones TJ (2011) UVB exposure does not accelerate rates of litter decomposition in a semi-arid riparian ecosystem. Soil Biol Biochem 43:1254–1265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.016
Veselá H, Mudrák O, Frouz J (2018) The role of dead standing biomass of Calamagrostis epigejos in nutrient turnover during spontaneous succession. Sci Total Environ 644:717–724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.032
Veselá H, Lhotáková Z, Albrechtová J, Frouz J (2021) Seasonal changes in tree foliage and litterfall composition at reclaimed and unreclaimed post-mining sites. Ecol Eng. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106424
Voříšková J, Baldrian P (2013) Fungal community on decomposing leaf litter undergoes rapid successional changes. ISME J 7:477–486. https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2012.116
Wang J, Liu L, Wang X et al (2017) High night-time humidity and dissolved organic carbon content support rapid decomposition of standing litter in a semi-arid landscape. Funct Ecol 31:1659–1668. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12854
Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (2021) https://www.zamg.ac.at/cms/de/klima/klima-aktuell/klimamonitoring/?station=1920¶m=t&period=period-y-2018&ref=3 Accessed 10 June 2021
Acknowledgements
This study was funded by the Czech Science Foundation (grant numbers 21-18623S and 19-00533Y). We thank Stanislav Cepák for help with collecting the litter.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Luca Bragazza.
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
ESM 1
(XLSX 11 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Angst, Š., Veselá, H., Bartuška, M. et al. Changes in the quality of marcescent and shed senescent leaves during the dormant season. Plant Soil 474, 373–382 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05341-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05341-4