How long does it take to decompose all litter in Brazilian savanna forest?

Ribeiro, Fabiana Piontekowski; Oliveira, Alexsandra Duarte de; Bussinguer, Angela Pereira; Rodrigues, Maísa Isabela; Cardoso, Mikaela Soares Silva; Lustosa Junior, Ilvan Medeiros; Valadão, Marco Bruno Xavier; Gatto, Alcides

doi:10.1590/01047760202228012819

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Ecology • CERNE 28 • 2022 • https://doi.org/10.1590/01047760202228012819 copy

How long does it take to decompose all litter in Brazilian savanna forest?

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

Background:

Litter is an important component of ecosystems, and its characteristics (e.g., production, decomposition, and nutrient and carbon content) are relevant for the ecological maintenance of different ecosystems. Previous studies on decomposition patterns have focused only on short time periods. Furthermore, there is no information regarding the actual decomposition time of organic matter in the Brazilian savanna biome known as the Cerrado. Thus, analysis of the total decomposition time can provide reliable estimates for other models. This study aimed to evaluate total litter decomposition (100%) and its relationship with seasonality and floristic composition in the savanna forest (Cerradão) formation in central Brazil. Litter bags were randomly distributed over the soil, with 10 samples collected per quarter from August 2014 to May 2020. Single- and double-entry linear regression models were used to analyze the total litter decomposition.

Results:

The half-life (time for which 50% of the litter was decomposed) occurred at 360 days, and 100% of litter decomposition occurred at 2070 days. The single-entry model was more satisfactory for estimating the decomposition speed. There was a positive correlation between litter decomposition and precipitation, and the floristic composition helped to explain the litter decomposition trends.

Conclusion:

Litter decomposition in the Cerradão is related to floristic diversity (quality of the material) and to the synergism of factors that occur mainly in the rainy season. Thus, the results of this study can contribute to conservation initiatives.

Keywords:
Decomposition models; floristic diversity; seasonality; litter bags

HIGHLIGHTS

In Cerrado vegetation, it takes over five years to decompose 100% of the litter.

Long-term studies can help to obtain answers about soil management practices.

The simple-entry model is suitable for estimating litter decomposition in the Cerrado.

Litter decomposition time is directly related to forest species.

Variables	units	values
Organic matter	g kg ^-1	34.97
pH	H ₂O	5.10
P ¹	mg dm ^-3	1.52
Al	cmol _c dm ^-3	2.29
Ca	cmol _c dm ^-3	0.10
K	cmol _c dm ^-3	0.53
Mg	cmol _c dm ^-3	0.43
H+Al	cmol _c dm ^-3	9.06
S ²	cmol _c dm ^-3	1.06
CEC ³	cmol _c dm ^-3	10.12
BS ⁴	%	10.47
Fe	mg L ^-1	141.67
Mn	mg L ^-1	10.67
B	mg L ^-1	0.50
Zn	mg L ^-1	0.48
Sand	%	13
Silt	%	27
Clay	%	63

Days	Remaining mass (g)
0	20	a
90	16.9	ab
180	14.5	bc
270	11.7	cd
360	9.3	de
450	8.4	def
540	7.3	def
630	6.3	defg
720	5.8	efghi
810	4.6	efghi
900	4.3	efghij
990	3.9	efghij
1,080	3.5	efghij
1,170	3.2	efghij
1,260	2.6	fghij
1,350	2.1	fghij
1,440	1.8	fghij
1,530	1.4	ghij
1,620	1.2	ghij
1,710	1.0	hij
1,800	0.8	hij
1,890	0.7	ij
1,980	0.5	j
2,070	0.0	l

	P	p
Dry season litter loss	-0.1228	0.8440
Rainy season litter loss	0.7996	<0.0005

Species	Family	DA	DR	FA	FR	DoA	DoR	IVI
Miconia pohliana Cogn.	Melastomataceae	290	15.61	100	2.92	3.12	18.45	36.98
Qualea grandiflora Mart.	Vochysiaceae	161	8.67	100	2.92	2.59	15.31	26.90
Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart.	Annonaceae	171	9.20	100	2.92	1.41	8.32	20.45
Miconia albicans (Sw.) Triana	Malastomataceae	230	12.38	100	2.92	0.83	4.92	20.22
Alibertia edulis (Rich.) A. Rich. ex DC.	Apiaceae	137	7.37	100	2.92	0.42	2.50	12.80
Kielmeyera cf. coriacea	Calophyllaceae	121	6.51	100	2.92	0.54	3.21	12.65
Qualea cf. parviflora Mart	Vochysiaceae	24	1.29	80	2.34	1.05	6.20	9.83
Emmotum cf. nitens (Benth.) Miers	Icacinaceae	45	2.42	100	2.92	0.70	4.15	9.50
Xylopia brasiliensis var. brasiliensis Spreng.	Annonaceae	76	4.09	100	2.92	0.37	2.19	9.20
Astronium fraxinifolium Schott	Anacardiaceae	56	3.01	100	2.92	0.48	2.86	8.80
Curatella americana L.	Dillenaceae	34	1.83	90	2.63	0.62	3.69	8.15
Amaioua guianensis Aubl.	Rubiaceae	31	1.67	90	2.63	0.51	3.04	7.34
Rudgea viburnoides (Cham.) Benth.	Rubiaceae	40	2.15	100	2.92	0.30	1.76	6.84
Byrsonima pachyphylla A. Juss.	Malpighiaceae	32	1.72	100	2.92	0.21	1.24	5.89
Terminalia argentea Mart.	Combretaceae	23	1.24	70	2.05	0.42	2.47	5.76
Eriotheca pubescens (Mart. & Zucc.) Schott & Endl.	Bombacaceae	12	0.65	70	2.05	0.33	1.97	4.66
Davila elliptica A.St.-Hil.	Dilleniaceae	24	1.29	80	2.34	0.17	0.99	4.62
Simarouba versicolor A.St.-Hil.	Simaroubaceae	20	1.08	80	2.34	0.19	1.13	4.55
Schefflera macrocarpa (Cham. & Schlechtd.) Frodin	Araliaceae	16	0.86	80	2.34	0.18	1.04	4.24
Piptocarpha rotundifolia subsp. Hatschbachii G. Lom. Smith	Asteraceae	19	1.02	70	2.05	0.12	0.71	3.78

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[1] ^✤Corresponding author
e-mail: fbn2.ribeiro@gmail.com

	Four periods
	Olson (1963)	Plante and Parton (2007)
Equation	\[ \begin{equation} X_t=20.08e^{-0.0019} \end{equation} \]	\[ \begin{equation} y=9.2e^{-0.0019}+10.87e^{-0.0019} \end{equation} \]
k*	0.0019	0.0019	0.0019
Time ½* (days)	365	365	365
Time 0,95* (days)	1,579	1,579	1,579
	Eight periods
	Olson (1963)	Plante and Parton (2007)
Equation	\[ \begin{equation} X_t=20.09e^{-0.0019} \end{equation} \]	\[ \begin{equation} y=18.52e^{-0.0019}+1.67e^{-1.35E^{-12}} \end{equation} \]
k*	0.0019	0.0022	1.351E-12
Time ^½* (days)	365	315	513,062,309,815
Time ^0,95* (days)	1,579	1,364	2,220,577,350,111