Leaf litter diversity positively affects the decomposition of plant polyphenols

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 419; no. 1/2; pp. 305 - 317
• Main Authors: Ristok, Christian, Leppert, Katrin N., Franke, Katrin, Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael, Niklaus, Pascal A., Wessjohann, Ludger A., Bruelheide, Helge
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer 01-10-2017; Springer International Publishing; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biodegradation; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chemical properties; Decomposition; Ecology; Environmental aspects; Environmental conditions; High-performance liquid chromatography; Leaf litter; Leaves; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Nutrient cycles; Observations; Phenols; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant species; Polyphenols; Regular Article; Soil Science & Conservation; Species richness; Tannins; Wildlife conservation; BEF-China; leaf polyphenols; tannins; HPLC; litter species richness; leaf litter decomposition
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-017-3340-8

Background and Aims Leaf litter decomposition is closely linked to nutrient cycling and driven by environmental conditions, species-specific leaf chemistry, and here in particular by polyphenols composition. However, not much attention has been paid on the decomposition of polyphenols themselves. We hypothesized that phenolics and tannin decomposition rates are species-specific and positively affected by litter species richness. Methods Leaf litter of three Chinese tree species was exposed to field decomposition conditions, aggregated in mixtures of different species richness (1-, 2-, 3species mixtures). We sampled litter five times over the course of 171 days, calculated species-specific total phenolics and total protein precipitable tannin decomposition rates, assessed changes in polyphenol composition using HPLC, and tentatively identified compounds by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Results Leaf litter richness effects on phenolics and tannin decomposition rates were positive, except for Sap indus-specific tannins, and differed between leaf litter species. Decomposition duration changed polyphenol compositions, and significantly interacted with leaf litter species richness with increasing effects of litter richness with time. Conclusions Litter diversity effects on polyphenol decomposition are crucial for whole leaf litter decomposition. The contrasting dependencies of phenolics and tannin decomposition rates on leaf litter richness may provide explanations for equivocal results in leaf litter mixture experiments.