Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bragazza, Luca
• Iacumin, Paola
• Siffi, Chiara
• Gerdol, Renato

Titel

Seasonal variation in nitrogen isotopic composition of bog plant litter during 3 years of field decomposition

Ist Teil von

• Biology and fertility of soils, 2010-10, Vol.46 (8), p.877-881

Ort / Verlag

Berlin/Heidelberg: Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag

Erscheinungsjahr

2010

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• In this study, we describe the seasonal variation in ¹⁵N abundance in the litter of two Sphagnum species and four vascular plant species during 3 years of field decomposition in an Italian Alpine bog. Litter bags were periodically retrieved at the end of summer and winter periods, and the δ¹⁵N in residual litter was related to mass loss, litter chemistry, and climatic conditions. In Sphagnum litter, higher rates of decomposition during summer months were associated with an increase of δ¹⁵N probably due to the incorporation of microbial organic compounds rich in ¹⁵N. The litter of Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex rostrata was characterized by a decrease of δ¹⁵N, so that the final signature was significantly lower than in initial litter. On the other hand, the residual litter of Potentilla erecta and Calluna vulgaris was characterized by a final δ¹⁵N higher than in initial litter. Our data reported a seasonality of ¹⁵N abundance in the residual litter of Sphagnum species, but not in that of vascular plant species, thus highlighting the role of differences in litter chemistry.