Abstract
Photodegradation of plant litter exposed to solar radiation appears to be important for carbon cycling in arid ecosystems. We measured how initial concentrations of ultraviolet (UV)-absorbing phenolics and epidermal UV-transmittance influenced abiotic photodecomposition of Artemisia tridentata ssp. Wyomingensis (Wyoming big sagebrush) leaves exposed to ultraviolet radiation in a laboratory setting. These leaves were collected from standing vegetation along a 1053-m elevation gradient in North-central Wyoming that represented a natural ecocline in UV-screening effectiveness in sagebrush. After 310 d, sagebrush litter lost 6.0–9.4% of its initial mass and abiotic decomposition rates were linear, rather than exponential. Initial concentrations of both UV-A and UV-B absorbing phenolics were strong predictors for litter mass remaining, with coefficients of determination (r2) values being −0.70 and −0.62, respectively. It appears that foliar biochemistry and epidermal UV-screening effectiveness may influence photodegradation by reducing UV flux into interior portions of plant litter.
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