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542 results for “leaf litter”
Leaf Litter Moisture Content at Harvard Forest HEM and LPH Towers 2006
Leaf litter was collected at the time of soil respiration measurements and its moisture content was measured in order to determine the contribution of leaf litter decomposition to measurements of total soil respiration including the litter layer. Leaf litter moisture has been shown to strongly affect CO2 release from organic soil layers (Borken et al. 2003).
Temporal patterns of leaf litter inputs into a stream over a four-year period (2011-2014), Arbúcies, Catalonia, Spain.
Data based on estimations of leaf litter inputs from riparian trees into a stream reach over a 4 years period (2011-2014). Data was collected in Arbucies, Barcelona is a forested stream with no human pressure (i.e., pristine). Data contains values from 4 riparian tree species: AL (alder), AS (ash), BL (Black Locust) and BP (Black Poplar). Units are in mg. Estimations were extracted from sampling leaf litter input into the stream during the study period (30 samplings per year) and fitting Gaussian-type models (P<0.001, r2>0.60). Data also includes daily-basis discharge flow estimations based on discrete measure of flow using salt dilution technique and water level sensor data.
Leaf litter cover data on 1m x 1m plots from the long-term Small Mammal Exclusion Study (SMES) at Jornada Basin LTER, 1995-2020
This data package contains leaf litter cover data from plots with various levels of herbivore exclusion on the Jornada Experimental Range. Study sites were established in 1995; one in black grama grassland and the other in creosotebush shrubland to compare the impact of herbivores on ecosystem processes between these vegetation types. Parallel studies were established at the Sevilleta LTER site (New Mexico, USA) and Mapimi Biosphere Reserve (Durango, Mexico). Each study site is 1 km by 0.5 km in area. Four replicate experimental blocks were randomly located at the grassland study site to measure vegetation responses using exclusion treatments including a) all mammalian herbivores, including cattle, lagomorphs, and rodents, b) lagomorphs and cattle only, c) cattle only, and d) control accessible to all herbivores. Because grazing cattle are excluded from the entire creosote site, only three replicate experimental blocks were randomly located there including a) all mammalian herbivores, including lagomorphs, and rodents, b) lagomorphs only, and c) control accessible to all herbivores. Thirty-six sampling points were positioned at 5.8-meter intervals on a systematically located 6 by 6 point grid within each plot. A permanent one-meter by one-meter vegetation measurement quadrat is located at each of the 36 points. Each year in spring and fall from 1995-2005, the total percent cover of leaf litter in each quadrat was estimated by summing the percent of each 10 cm square within a quadrat (including 100 10-cm squares) containing leaf litter (See methods for a detailed explanation). After 2005, sampling frequency changed to every 5 years. This study is ongoing.
Forest Transition Experiment - Leaf Litter in a Coastal Virginia Forest
Leaf litter collected in basket-based litter traps in forest transition plots
Data for a leaf litter decomposition study and soil density fractionation analysis at a whole-watershed fertilization experiment in a temperate forest
To assess how elevated N deposition influences leaf litter decomposition dynamics and soil organic matter formation in a temperate deciduous forest, we coupled a reciprocal transplant leaf litter decomposition study with an analysis of the distribution of soil organic matter in mineral associated and particulate organic matter fractions at a long-term, whole-watershed, N fertilization experiment. We found that nearly 30 years of N additions slowed decay rates by about 11% for leaf litter decomposed in the fertilized watershed, regardless of the watershed from which the initial litter was collected. An apparent consequence of the altered rates of decomposition was that the soil in the fertilized watershed had about a 40% greater fraction of SOM in light particulate organic matter compared to the reference watershed, which was positively correlated with the bulk soil carbon to nitrogen ratio. Collectively, our results suggest that under conditions of N saturation, the physical transfer pathway of SOM formation is favored, which can have important implications for the future of the soil organic matter stock and nutrient cycling.
The role of riparian functional and phylogenetic diversity on leaf litter processing in rivers
While taxonomic diversity mediates changes in ecosystem function is well-studied, how deeper dimensions of biodiversity, specifically phylogenetic and functional, independent of taxonomic diversity, drive important processes is understudied. The overarching goal of this work was to determine the role of these dimensions of biodiversity independently and/or interactively explain carbon processing in rivers. Here, we explicitly link community structure and subsequent traits of riparian forests to adjacent ecosystem processing of carbon (e.g., leaf litter). This was accomplished by examining how forests are actually structured in addition to experimental manipulations of phylogenetic and functional diversities of riparian forest community inputs of leaf litter to streams. Experimental field manipulations were carried out in three Piedmont headwater streams to answer the following questions: (1) Does existing variation in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of riparian communities differentially drive decomposition in rivers? And (2) Independent of taxonomic diversity, how does functional and phylogenetic diversity of leaf litter assemblages influence rates of decomposition in rivers? We observed significant interspecific variation in breakdown among 30 riparian tree species, in addition to significant relationships between breakdown rate and important foliar tissue chemistries. Breakdown of mixtures that reflected the composition of the riparian species composition did not vary with functional nor phylogenetic diversity, but breakdown of litter mixtures was higher than that of single species. In a separate study, when manipulated independently, functional and phylogenetic diversity were positively related to breakdown, and explained similar degrees of variation. These results are important to understand in light of deepening knowledge of the role different dimensions of biodiversity take in explaining ecosystem function, as well as how these measures can b
Mangrove Leaf Litter Carbon and Nutrients from the Shark River Slough, Everglades National Park (FCE), South Florida, USA, January 2019 - ongoing
Mangrove litterfall dynamics have been monitored in all Shark River sites (SRS-4, SRS-5, SRS-6) since January 2001 using the same collection method stated in Castañeda-Moya et al. 2013 (metadata: knb-lter-fce.1195) and Danielson et al. 2017. Briefly, litterfall was collected monthly at all sites (10 baskets per site) using permanent 0.25 m2 wooden baskets supported approximately 1.3 m above the soil surface and lined with 1 mm mesh screening. Litterfall from each basket was sorted, dried, and weighed by leaf species, reproductive parts by species, and woody material. Leaf litter data from different years (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023) were selected for each site to identify species-specific foliar carbon and nutrient (N and P) content. Monthly leaf litter samples were analyzed separately by species for all years after grinding with a Wiley Mill to pass through a 40-µm mesh screen. Total leaf litter C and N contents were determined with a Carlo-Erba NA-1500 elemental analyzer (Fisons Instruments Inc., Danvers, MA, USA). Total leaf litter P was extracted using an acid-digest (HCl) extraction, and concentrations of SRP were determined by spectrophotometric analysis (Methods 365.4 and 365.2, USA EPA 1983). Litterfall data collection is ongoing every year since 2001, while C and nutrients analyses are performed every other year after 2021. See also Shark River mangrove litterfall data (knb-lter-fce.1195) on the FCE LTER website's data catalog or in the EDI repository (https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-fce&identifier=1195). References: Castañeda-Moya, E., Twilley, R. R., & Rivera-Monroy, V. H. (2013). Allocation of biomass and net primary productivity of mangrove forests along environmental gradients in the Florida Coastal Everglades, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 307, 226-241. Danielson, T.M., V.H. Rivera-Monroy, E. Castaneda-Moya, H. Briceno, R. Travieso, B.D. Marx, E. Gaiser, and L.M. Farfan. 2017. Assessment of Everglades mangrove forest re
Leaf litter collected using baskets over the middle of the channel in Prieta arm B and Gatos
This is a long-term monitoring of leaf litter inputs into Prieta Stream, arm B, and into the Gatos stream. The monitoring is conducted using litter traps similar tho those used in other LTER project. Baskets are suspended over the channel and are emptied every other week. All material is dried and identified. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
StreamFRE: Downstream leaf litter exports in Prieta and lateral and vertical leaf litter inputs.
StreamFRE: Downstream leaf litter exports in Prieta and lateral and vertical leaf litter inputs. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
Leaf litter decomposition experiment In QPA and QPB - 2017-2019
We ran a leaf litter decomposition experiment over a seven-week period in each of three different years: 2017, 2018, and 2019. To assess leaf decomposition rates, we incubated leaf packs of freshly abscised Tabonuco (Dacryodes excelsa) leaves in pools in each of our two study stream reaches, and retrieved them at intervals over a seven-week period. We attempted to run experiments before onset of heavy rains which often occur in September-December. We chose to use leaves of Tabonuco for experimental leaf packs because it is a dominant riparian tree species along both of our study reaches. This dataset can be used to asses ecosystem function within tropical headwater streams. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
Leaf Litter Decomposition Experiment in QPA and QPB – Insects - 2019
Macroinvertebrates collected from Tabonuco leaf packs associated with 50-day in-situ leaf litter decomposition experiment from 2019-07-1 – 2019-08-20 in Quebrada Prieta A and Quebrada Prieta B. This data may be used to examine insect colonization of leaf packs within streams. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
leaf litter decomposition experiment In QPA and QPB - visual shrimp observations 2019
Visual shrimp observations from pools associated with 2019 in-situ leaf litter decomposition experiment. Shrimp abundance was recorded over two-minute intervals within pools in Quebrada Prieta A and Quebrada Prieta B. Support for this work was provided by grants BSR-8811902, DEB-9411973, DEB-9705814 , DEB-0080538, DEB-0218039 , DEB-0620910 , DEB-1239764, DEB-1546686, and DEB-1831952 from the National Science Foundation to the University of Puerto Rico as part of the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Program. Additional support provided by the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service.
Leaf litter quality induces morphological changes in wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) metamorphs, Oakland University Biological Preserve (MI, USA) 2010.
For organisms that exhibit complex life cycles, resource conditions experienced by individuals before metamorphosis can strongly affect phenotypes later in life. Such resource-induced effects are known to arise from variation in resource quantity, yet little is known regarding effects stemming from variation in resource quality (e.g., chemistry). For larval anurans, we hypothesized that variation in resource quality will induce a gradient of effects on metamorph morphology. We conducted an outdoor mesocosm experiment in which we manipulated resource quality by rearing larval wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) under 11 leaf litter treatments. The litter species represented plant species found in open- and closed-canopy wetlands and included many plant species of current conservation concern (e.g., green ash, common reed). Consistent with our hypothesis, we found a gradient of responses for nearly all mass-adjusted morphological dimensions. Hindlimb dimensions and gut mass were positively associated with litter nutrient content and decomposition rate. In contrast, forelimb length and head width were positively associated with concentrations of phenolic acids and dissolved organic carbon. Limb lengths and widths were positively related with the duration of larval period, and we discuss possible hormonal mechanisms underlying this relationship. There were very few, broad differences in morphological traits of metamorphs between open- and closed-canopy litter species or between litter and no-litter treatments. This suggests that the effects of litter on metamorph morphology are litter species-specific, indicating that the effects of changing plant community structure in and around wetlands will largely depend on plant species composition.
Bottom-up meets top-down: Leaf litter inputs influence predator-prey interactions in wetlands, 2011.
While the common conceptual role of resource subsidies is one of bottom-up nutrient and energy supply, inputs can also alter the structural complexity of environments. This can further impact resource flow by providing refuge for prey and decreasing predation rates. However, the direct influence of different organic subsidies on predator–prey dynamics is rarely examined. In forested wetlands, leaf litter inputs are a dominant energy and nutrient resource and they can also increase benthic surface cover and decrease water clarity, which may provide refugia for prey and subsequently reduce predation rates. In outdoor mesocosms, we investigated how inputs of leaf litter that alter benthic surface cover and water clarity influence the mortality and growth of gray treefrog tadpoles (Hyla versicolor) in the presence of free-swimming adult newts (Notophthalmus viridiscens), which are visual predators. To manipulate surface cover, we added either oak (Quercus spp.) or red pine (Pinus resinosa) litter and crossed these treatments with three levels of red maple (Acer rubrum) litter leachate to manipulate water clarity. In contrast to our predictions, benthic surface cover had no effect on tadpole survival while darkening the water caused lower survival. In addition, individual tadpole mass was lowest in the high maple leachate treatments, suggesting an interaction between bottom-up effects of leaf litter and topdown effects of predation risk that altered mortality and growth of tadpoles. Our results indicate that realistic changes in forest tree composition, which cause concomitant changes in litter inputs to wetlands, can substantially alter community interactions.
Cross-site decomposition of leaf litter in terrestrial and aquatic habitats, CWT and LUQ, 2000 (species Buchenavia capitata, Dacryodes excelsa, Guarea guidonia, Quercus prinus).
Comparison of decomposition and nutrient losses from three species of leaf litter in terrestrial and aquatic habitats at CWT and LUQ LTER sites. Overall hypothesis is that macro-consumers have different patterns and impacts on decomposition rates than microbial decomposers, and that these patterns are magnified in litters of low vs. high qualities over the two years of the experiment.
Litterfall on the elevational gradient (Group 2) focusing on Rhododendrum leaf litter from the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory from 1994 to 1995
Null Hypothesis: Litterfall weights not statistically different between plots on the altitudinal gradient.
Measurements of leaf litter Carbon and Nitrogen from the Coweeta LTER Terrestrial Gradient sites, Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory, Otto, NC
This project was started by Haines and Crossley in 1992 to compare leaf litter weights among the five gradient plots (though data from the first collections were not included in this dataset because the original dataset did not represent a complete quarter of collection). Litter is collected from ten 91.4 x 91.4 cm leaf collectors within each of the gradient plots. Litter is collected on a quarterly basis (monthly in the autumn). The litter is then separated by category, dried, weighed, and processed in a Wiley mill for later carbon and nitrogen analyses. Since the project first started, the collection process has expanded to include non-leaf litter (e.g., lichens, bark, and seeds), fine twigs (0-2.5 cm diameter), and medium twigs (2.5-10 cm diameter).
Leaf litter, soil, and periphyton gene expression along freshwater to marine gradients in Everglades National Park (FCE LTER), Florida, USA, January 2021 and April 2021
We collected leaf litter, periphyton, and soil along freshwater to marine gradients at SRS-2, SRS-4, SRS-6, TS/PH-2, TS/Ph-3, TS/Ph-7a, and TS/Ph-10. Samples were collected in January and April of 2021 to understand how microbial communities respond to and influence the breakdown of organic matter along freshwater to marine transects. Data collection for this project is complete. For each site and litter pair we collected a subset of 2-3 g wet mass of litter, a grab sample of soil, and a grab sample of periphyton for each site. All subsamples were preserved at -20°C until extraction, which took place up to a year after initial collection. Samples were sent to Novogene (Novogene Co. Ltd., Beijing, China) for the total RNA extraction followed by metatranscriptome sequencing. We selected n = 12 genes/gene families encoding for focal enzymes to investigate which are important to the breakdown of organic matter: Dioxygenases (associated with aerobic respiration), Sulfatases (associated with the release of sulfates from complex molecules), sulfite reductases (associated with sulfite reduction), methyl coenzyme M reductase and formylmethanofuran (associated with methanogenesis), nitrite reductases (associated with nitrite reduction), cellobiosidase, glucosidase, and xylosidase (associated with cellulose breakdown), phenol oxidase (associated with lignin breakdown), acid phosphatase (associated with phosphate acquisition in acidic environments), and alkaline phosphatase (associated with phosphate acquisition in basic environments). For each gene/family of interest, we searched all annotated transcripts for all entries corresponding to that gene/family and combined all values for a total expression. We selected n = 6 monophyletic microbial functional groups, representing sulfate reducers, sulfate oxidizers, methane oxidizers, methanogens, nitrite oxidizers, and ammonia oxidizers associated with sulfate and methane cycling. We filtered all annotated transcripts for all specie
Multiple Element Limitation in Northern Hardwood Ecosystems (MELNHE): Leaf Litter Decomposition 2012-2014
Decomposition of leaf litter is a major source of nutrient transfer from vegetation to soils and an important carbon flux. In northern hardwood forests, litter decomposition might be affected by nutrient availability, species composition, stand age or structure, or access by soil decomposers. We investigated these factors in four stands at the Bartlett Experimental Forest in New Hampshire that have had nitrogen and phosphorus added in full factorial design since 2011. Leaf litter of early and late successional species was collected in 2012 and deployed in bags of two mesh sizes (63 µm and 2 mm) in two young and two mature stands and collected three times over the next 2 years. Decomposition was evaluated by fitting mass loss as an exponential function of time represented by growing degree days. Litter decomposed more quickly in the small mesh bags (p < 0.001), which excluded mesofauna. This result was surprising, but might be explained by the greater rigidity of the large mesh material making poor contact with the soil. The litter with a species composition characteristic of our young stands decomposed more quickly than the litter representing mature stands (p = 0.01 for species mix in the full model). The environment in which is was placed was not as important: Neither the age of the stand in which it was placed (p = 0.31), nor N addition (p = 0.59), P addition (p = 0.41), or the interaction of N and P addition (p = 0.13) were significant predictors of the decomposition rate, defined by fitting an exponential decay constant. Additional detail on the MELNHE project, including a datatable of site descriptions and a pdf file with the project description and diagram of plot configuration can be found in this data package: https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?scope=knb-lter-hbr&identifier=344 Litter was collected by Rick Bicher and sorted by species by middle school students. Litterbags were made, filled, and weighed by middle school students. Gracie Gilcrist
Data from: Trechus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of Appalachia: A phylogenetic insight into the history of high elevation leaf litter communities
<p>Elevation gradients provide a wealth of habitats for a wide variety of organisms. The southern Appalachian Mountains in eastern United States are known for their high biodiversity and rates of endemism in arthropods, including in high-elevation leaf-litter taxa that are often found nowhere else on earth. Trechus Clairville (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a genus of litter inhabitants with a near-global distribution and over 50 Appalachian species. These span two subgenera, Trechus s. str. and Microtrechus Jeannel, largely restricted to north and south of the Asheville basin, respectively. Understanding the diversification of these 3–5 mm flightless beetles through geological time can provide insights into how the litter-arthropod community has responded to historical environments, and how they may react to current and future climate change. We identified beetles morphologically and sequenced six genes to reconstruct a phylogeny of the Appalachian Trechus. We confirmed the Asheville Basin as a biogeographical barrier with a split between the north and south occurring towards the end of the Pliocene. Finer scale biogeography, including mountain-range occupancy, was not a reliable indication of relatedness, with group ranges overlapping and many instances of species-, species group-, and subgeneric sympatry. This may be because of the recent divergence between modern species and species groups. Extensive taxonomic revision of the group is required for Trechus to be useful as a bioindicator, but their high population density and speciose nature make them worth additional time and resources.</p>
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
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