Large herbivores influence plant litter decomposition by altering soil properties and plant quality in a meadow steppe.

ABSTRACT: Large herbivores act as a major driver of plant litter decomposition in grasslands. The modifications of soil biotic and abiotic properties, as well as the changes in quality (C/N ratio) of plant litter, are two key pathways by which large herbivores can affect litter decomposition. Yet we know little about the relative role of these two mechanisms in mediating decomposition. Here, by combining a large-scale and a small-scale field manipulative experiment, we examined how livestock (cattle and sheep) grazing affects standing litter decomposition of a dominant grass, Leymus chinensis in grasslands in northeast China. We found that livestock grazing affected litter decay rate both by its influences on soil property (soil moisture, nutrient content, and microbial communities) and on plant lit

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6002471 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature