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Arid Land Geography >

2023 , Vol. 46 >Issue 6: 949 - 957

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.434

Ecology and Environment

Decomposition characteristics of two desert plant leaf under natural light and shade environment

  • Jianian WANG ,
  • Xiangyi LI ,
  • Chengdao LI ,
  • Ailin ZHANG ,
  • Lisha LIN
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  • 1. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Desert Plant Roots Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    2. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
    3. Cele National Field Research Station for Desert Steppe Ecosystems, Qira 848300, Xinjiang, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, China

Received date: 2022-09-04

  Revised date: 2022-12-13

  Online published: 2023-07-24

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Abstract

In the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, the environmental conditions are harsh, the soil nutrient content is deficient, the plant community structure and composition are relatively simple. The impact of various environmental factors on litter decomposition is complex and specific. To explore the decomposition characteristics of litter in extremely arid areas, we conducted a study using litter decomposition bags to analyze the leaf litter of two dominant desert plant species, Alhagi sparsifolia and Karelinia caspia, under natural light and shade treatments. We investigated the mass loss and release characteristics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in leaf litter. The results were as follows: (1) The mass loss process of both plant litter samples followed an exponential decay model. (2) After nine months of decomposition, the mass loss rates of the Alhagi sparsifolia and Karelinia caspia leaf litter samples were 39.81%, 45.43%, 22.22%, and 20.06% under natural light and shade treatments, respectively. The decomposition rate of litter under light conditions was significantly higher than that under shade conditions (P<0.05). (3) Throughout the decomposition process, the C content of both plant litter samples was in a state of release, whereas the N content exhibited different release states. The N content of Alhagi sparsifolia leaf litter exhibited an enrichment-release-enrichment state, whereas that of Karelinia caspia leaf litter exhibited an enrichment state. In conclusion, our study suggests that light radiation is the primary driving factor affecting litter decomposition in extremely arid areas.

Key words： extreme drought; mass loss; litters decomposition; photodegradation; nutrient release

Cite this article

Jianian WANG , Xiangyi LI , Chengdao LI , Ailin ZHANG , Lisha LIN . Decomposition characteristics of two desert plant leaf under natural light and shade environment[J]. Arid Land Geography, 2023 , 46(6) : 949 -957 . DOI: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2022.434

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