Effects of fire frequency on litter decomposition as mediated by changes to litter chemistry and soil environmental conditions.

ABSTRACT: Litter quality and soil environmental conditions are well-studied drivers influencing decomposition rates, but the role played by disturbance legacy, such as fire history, in mediating these drivers is not well understood. Fire history may impact decomposition directly, through changes in soil conditions that impact microbial function, or indirectly, through shifts in plant community composition and litter chemistry. Here, we compared early-stage decomposition rates across longleaf pine forest blocks managed with varying fire frequencies (annual burns, triennial burns, fire-suppression). Using a reciprocal transplant design, we examined how litter chemistry and soil characteristics independently and jointly influenced litter decomposition. We found that both litter chemistry and soil envir

SUBMITTER: Ficken CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5638519 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature