Effects of snow depth on acid-unhydrolyzable residue and acid-hydrolyzable carbohydrates degradation rates during foliar litter decomposition of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica

Abstract

Differences in snow depth induced by climate change alter the microenvironments under snowpack, which affect litter decomposition. The degradation of acid-unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) and acid-hydrolyzable carbohydrates (ACID) is a key factor controlling soil organic matter formation. However, how snow depth affects the degradation is poorly understood. A snow depth manipulation experiment with snow-addition, snow-removal, and control treatments was conducted in Northeast China. Foliar litter of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica was placed on top of the ground in each treatment and sampled for six times from November 2014 to October 2015. AUR and ACID degradation rates decreased with the reduction of snow depth during the snow-covered season because of the insulating effect provided by snowpack; this relationship was reversed during the snow-free season due to more labile carbon remaining after the snowmelt. During the snow-covered season, AUR and ACID degradation rates were positively correlated to the sum of degree days above 0 °C. In contrast, AUR and ACID degradation rates were positively correlated with litter microbial biomass carbon during the snow-free season. Snow depth plays an important role in determining litter AUR and ACID degradation rates, but the effects on degradation rates differed between the snow-covered and snow-free seasons.