Abstract

Seasonal snowfall, a sensitive climate factor and the main form of precipitation in arid areas, is important for forest material circulation and surface processes and profoundly impacts litter decomposition and element turnover. However, how the thickness and duration of snow cover affect litter decomposition and element release remain unclear. Thus, to understand the effects of snow on litter decomposition, fiber degradation and their relationships with soil properties, a field litterbag experiment was conducted under no, thin, medium, and thick snow cover in a Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana) forest gap in the Tianshan Mountains. The snow cover period exhibited markedly lower rates of decomposition than the snow-free period. The litter lignin, cellulose and N concentrations in the pregrowing season and middle growing season were significantly higher than those in the deep-freeze period, and the litter C and P concentrations were significantly higher during the onset of the freeze–thaw period, deep-freeze period and thaw period than in the late growing season. The litter cellulose, C and N concentrations were significantly higher under thick snow cover than under no snow cover in most stages. Moreover, the correlations among litter mass, cellulose, lignin/cellulose and soil bulk density varied with snow cover depth. The temporal variations and snow cover depth affected the decomposition process significantly. The former affected lignin, cellulose and P, and the latter affected cellulose, C and N and changed the litter-soil properties relationship. These differences provide references for understanding how winter conditions affect material cycling and other ecological processes under climate change.

Highlights

  • Seasonal snowfall, a sensitive climate factor and the main form of precipitation in arid areas, is important for forest material circulation and surface processes and profoundly impacts litter decomposition and element turnover

  • These results indicated that winter forest litter decomposition is vital to the entire decomposition process, and differences in snow cover may significantly impact litter decomposition

  • We chose a litterbag field experiment to investigate changes in the characteristics of lignin, cellulose, C, N, and P in litter leaves under seasonal snow cover, including the effects of the decomposition period, snow depth and their interaction on litter decomposition, and we explored the relationship between litter and soil

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Summary

Introduction

A sensitive climate factor and the main form of precipitation in arid areas, is important for forest material circulation and surface processes and profoundly impacts litter decomposition and element turnover. The temporal variations and snow cover depth affected the decomposition process significantly The former affected lignin, cellulose and P, and the latter affected cellulose, C and N and changed the litter-soil properties relationship. These differences provide references for understanding how winter conditions affect material cycling and other ecological processes under climate change. Snow patches with different depths and durations from the middle of a gap to the understory can be formed in forest ecosystems due to the effects of canopy shelter, flow collection and wind, which are accompanied by different freeze–thaw patterns that profoundly affect litter decomposition 18. Few studies have focused on the response of litter decomposition to snow cover in arid mountainous areas

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