The synergistic effects of a leaf mixture on decomposition change with a period of terrestrial exposure prior to immersion in a stream.

The effect of mixing litter on decomposition has received considerable attention in terrestrial and aquatic (but rarely in both) ecosystems, with a striking lack of consensus in the obtained results. We studied the decomposition of a mixture of poplar and alder in three terrestrial: aquatic exposures to determine (1) if the effect of mixing litter on mass loss, associated decomposers (fungal biomass, sporulation rates, and richness), and detritivores (abundance, biomass, and richness of invertebrate shredders) differs between the stream (fully aquatic exposure) and when litter is exposed to a period of terrestrial exposure prior to immersion and (2) the effect of the mixture across exposure scenarios. The effect of the mixture was additive on mass loss and synergistic on decomposers and detritivores across exposure scenarios. Within scenarios, mass loss and decomposers showed synergistic effects only in the fully aquatic exposure, detritivores showed synergistic effects only when the period of terrestrial was shorter than the period of aquatic exposure, and when the period of terrestrial was equal to the period of aquatic exposure the effect of the mixture was additive on mass loss, decomposers, and detritivores. The species-specific effects also differed among exposure scenarios. Alder affected poplar only when there was a period of terrestrial exposure, with increased sporulation rates and fungal richness in exposure 25:75, and increased mass loss in exposure 50:50. Poplar affected alder only under fully aquatic exposure, with increased mass loss. In conclusion, the synergistic effects of the mixture changed with a period of terrestrial exposure prior to immersion. These results provide a cross-boundary perspective on the effect of mixing litter, showing a legacy effect of exposure to terrestrial decomposition on the fate of plant litter in aquatic ecosystems and highlighting the importance of also assessing the effect of mixing litter on the associated biota and not only on mass loss.

Effects of the fungicide pyrimethanil on biofilm and organic matter processing in outdoor lentic mesocosms.

The effect of the fungicide pyrimethanil (0.7 mg L(−1)) on biofilm development and alder leaf litter decomposition in aquatic ecosystems was assessed in outdoor lentic mesocosms immediately and 274 days after pyrimethanil application. Pyrimethanil decreased ergosterol concentrations (an indicator of fungal biomass) and the abundance and richness of the macroinvertebrate community associated with decomposing leaves. However, because neither fungi nor macroinvertebrates were main factors contributing to decomposition in this particular system, organic matter processing rates were not affected. After 274 days, pyrimethanil concentration in the water column was ≤0.004 mg L(−1) but richness, biomass and composition of the invertebrate community associated with decomposing leaf-litter still showed the effect. The comparison of ergosterol (a molecule existing on both algae and fungal cell membranes), with chlorophyll (an indicator of algal biomass) associated with biofilm suggests that pyrimethanil may decrease fungal biomass and alter the relative abundance of algae and fungi on biofilm developing in control- and treated-mesocosms.

Decomposition of leaf litter from a native tree and an actinorhizal invasive across riparian habitats.

Dynamics of nutrient exchange between floodplains and rivers have been altered by changes in flow management and proliferation of nonnative plants. We tested the hypothesis that the nonnative, actinorhizal tree, Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), alters dynamics of leaf litter decomposition compared to native cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni) along the Rio Grande, a river with a modified flow regime, in central New Mexico (U.S.A.). Leaf litter was placed in the river channel and the surface and subsurface horizons of forest soil at seven riparian sites that differed in their hydrologic connection to the river. All sites had a cottonwood canopy with a Russian olive-dominated understory. Mass loss rates, nutrient content, fungal biomass, extracellular enzyme activities (EEA), and macroinvertebrate colonization were followed for three months in the river and one year in forests. Initial nitrogen (N) content of Russian olive litter (2.2%) was more than four times that of cottonwood (0.5%). Mass loss rates (k; in units of d(-1)) were greatest in the river (Russian olive, k = 0.0249; cottonwood, k = 0.0226), intermediate in subsurface soil (Russian olive, k = 0.0072; cottonwood, k = 0.0031), and slowest on the soil surface (Russian olive, k = 0.0034; cottonwood, k = 0.0012) in a ratio of about 10:2:1. Rates of mass loss in the river were indistinguishable between species and proportional to macroinvertebrate colonization. In the riparian forest, Russian olive decayed significantly faster than cottonwood in both soil horizons. Terrestrial decomposition rates were related positively to EEA, fungal biomass, and litter N, whereas differences among floodplain sites were related to hydrologic connectivity with the river. Because nutrient exchanges between riparian forests and the river have been constrained by flow management, Russian olive litter represents a significant annual input of N to riparian forests, which now retain a large portion of slowly decomposing cottonwood litter with a high potential for N immobilization. As a result, retention and mineralization of litter N within these forests is controlled by hydrologic connectivity to the river, which affects litter export and in situ decomposition.