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Article

Decomposition of Foliar Litter from Dominant Plants of Desert Riparian Forests in Extremely Arid Regions

by
Xuewei Jiang
1,†,
Fei Chen
1,†,
Jingjing Yang
1,
Zhengli Zhou
1,2,
Lu Han
2,3 and
Ruiheng Lyu
1,2,*
1
College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
2
Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Biological Resource in Tarim Basin, Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps, Alar 843300, China
3
College of Agriculture, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Forests 2024, 15(6), 949; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060949
Submission received: 8 April 2024 / Revised: 23 May 2024 / Accepted: 25 May 2024 / Published: 30 May 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Ecophysiology and Biology)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Litter decomposition is important for understanding the effects of habitat on nutrient cycling. In this study, we investigated the decomposition characteristics, decomposition variability, and regulatory factors restricting the decomposition rates of leaf litter in three different habitats: a flood disturbance habitat, an arid habitat, and a high-salinity habitat. The litter decomposition rates of the habitats decreased in the following order: flood disturbance habit > arid habitat > high-salinity habitat. The organic carbon, total nitrogen, and lignin residues of the litter during the decomposition period were highest in the high-salinity habitat. The litter quality was the main regulator of the release of phosphorus and cellulose residues, which exhibited different release processes and patterns in these three habitats. The litter decomposition coefficient was negatively correlated with litter carbon residue in the flood disturbance habitats, the lignocellulose index in the arid habitats, and soil urease in the high-salinity habitats. It was positively correlated with the lignocellulose index in flood disturbance habitats and litter carbon residue in high-salinity habitats. The litter quality in the flood disturbance area played a significant role in litter decomposition, while environmental quality and litter quality were the dominant factors under arid and high-salt conditions. Litter quality in the flood disturbance area played a significant role in litter decomposition, while both environmental quality and litter quality were the dominant factors under arid and salt conditions.

1. Introduction

Litter decomposition is a key step in carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, providing the main sources of plant nutrition, soil microbial nutrients, and energy. Litter decomposition has a positive effect on the structural stability of ecosystems and maintains soil fertility [1,2,3,4]. Conventional studies have shown that climatic variables (precipitation, temperature, and actual evaporation) and litter quality (etc., N, phosphorus (P), and lignin content) are the main factors that determine the litter turnover rate, C cycling, and nutrient cycling on global and regional scales [5,6].
Globally, ecosystems in arid areas occupy more than 30% of the land, and most are relatively fragile. However, the litter decomposition mechanism in arid regions is not fully understood. Cornwell et al. [7] showed that litter quality has little impact on litter decomposition in arid regions. Austin [8] suggested that climatic variables and litter quality cannot explain litter turnover rates in the classical models of litter decomposition in arid ecosystems. Instead, photodegradation is the dominant factor in litter decomposition aboveground. Studies have shown that light radiation, vegetation coverage, and human disturbance have positive effects on litter decomposition and nutrient turnover in arid areas [6,8]. These factors increase the heterogeneity of biological communities and the complexity of litter decomposition mechanisms in arid regions. Contradictory results have been obtained regarding the factors controlling litter decomposition in arid regions because of the variability in habitat conditions, chemical characteristics, and the biological composition of the litter [6,8]. Studies have been conducted on litter decomposition mechanisms in arid areas, but the influence of habitat on the decomposition mechanism and the factors affecting litter decomposition in different habitats are not fully understood.
The Tarim Basin belongs to an extremely arid area. It is an extremely arid region with strong light radiation, high evaporation, low precipitation, simple vegetation structures, and fragile ecological environments. The Populus euphratica community is the main type of desert vegetation in Xinjiang. In recent years, in the context of global climate change, the continuous deterioration of Populus euphratica communities caused by the irrational use of water and soil resources has exacerbated the heterogeneity of desert vegetation habitats [9,10]. Different desert vegetation habitats are formed due to disparities in soil moisture, salt, light radiation, and vegetation continuity. Habitat variations, in turn, have great impacts on soil physical and chemical properties, litter decomposition, and C and N cycling in ecosystems [11,12]. Soils in arid regions are usually deficient in organic nutrients, making vegetation litter decomposition an essential ecological process in biogeochemical cycles in the environment.
Understanding the changes in litter decomposition in response to global climate change is important for fully comprehending the formation of soil organic matter and C and N cycling in ecosystems [13]. Moreover, understanding litter decomposition processes on the habitat scale helps researchers accurately assess ecosystem nutrient cycling processes. In view of the environmental conditions in arid and extremely arid regions, different factors affect litter decomposition in various types of habitats. Many scholars have focused on the impacts of factors such as fertilizers, UV-B radiation, and water gradient changes on litter decomposition [14,15] and have found that constraint factors are disparate in different microenvironments. Therefore, in this study, we chose the dominant plants Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima in the Tarim Basin as model plants to evaluate the impacts of three disturbances, namely flooding, drought, and salt, on litter decomposition. We proposed the following hypotheses: (1) there are disparities in the characteristic parameters and release rates of plant litter decomposition under different habitat conditions in extremely arid regions, and (2) the constraint factors controlling litter decomposition differ based on habitat quality.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Experimental Sites and Plant Species

This study was conducted in the Aksu area of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which has a warm temperate continental arid climate. This area experiences 2750–3029 h of sunshine annually. The average annual temperature is 9.5–11.5 °C, the average annual precipitation is less than 100 mm, and the annual evaporation is 1643–2202 mm. The main vegetation in the study area is Populus euphratica, and associated plants include Tamarix ramosissima, Halimodendron halodendron, Halostachys caspica, Karelinia caspica, Glycyrrhiza inflata, and Apocynum venetum. The soil types in this area for the Populus euphratica community mainly include brown desert soil, takyr solonetzs, and relic solonchaks. The experiments were performed at three locations: Alar (seasonal flood disturbance habitat, DF, where the flooding period is from July to September), Wensu (high-salinity habitat, SH), and Shaya (arid habitat, AH) (Figure 1). For each location, three plots measuring 50 m × 50 m were set up for the experiments.
Through the investigation of plant diversity and soil physicochemical properties, the growth status and habitat conditions of the Populus euphratica community were determined. In every quadrat, a hundred subquadrats are systematically organized utilizing the contiguous grid quadrat method. An investigation was conducted on the plant species in each quadrat, and their dominance was calculated individually to determine the dominant species in each habitats as shown in Table 1. The soil type was determined in each quadrate by randomly selecting three points and excavating the soil profile. We measured the growth status of Populus euphratica in different habitats with a DBH gauge, Blume-Leiss Model CEQ-1 ALTIMeter, measuring tape, and an unmanned aerial vehicle, and the results are listed in Table 2. During the experiment, we determined the soil physical and chemical properties, and the specific methods are listed in Section 2.3. These results are summarized in Table 2 and Table 3.

2.2. Experimental Design

In mid-November 2015, fresh litter of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima was collected at the experimental sites and sent back to our laboratory for further analyses, where the samples were washed and then dried using an oven at 80 °C until a constant weight was reached. Dry litter from each plant was placed into well-marked nylon mesh bags. The weight of the litter in each bag was 10.00 g with an error of less than 0.01 g. The specifications of the nylon mesh bags were as follows: the bags measured 12 cm × 12 cm with a mesh size of 0.3 mm [16]. The total number of bags containing Populus euphraticam and Tamarix ramosissima litter placed in each habitat was 288, respectively. A total of 1728 bags were placed.
The litter bags were randomly placed in the Populus euphratica community plots in the three habitats. The litter bags were placed under the canopy and they did not overlap with each other. The bags were closely attached to the ground, fixed with iron wires and strings, and marked well.
From 28 November 2015, the dry litter samples were tested every 90 days, and the sample displacement period was 720 d, for a total of 8 samplings. Three litter bags of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima were collected each time from each habitat, respectively. The samples were washed to remove the sediment and dried to a constant weight using an oven at 80 °C, then the litter was removed from the bag. The quality of the litter was recorded by an electronic balance. After being crushed and passed through a 100-mesh sieve, the litter was then stored for further use.
Each time we retrieve the litter bag to measure the litter quality, its is retrieved to measure the temperature and humidity of the soil at a depth of 0–10 cm using a geothermometer (Jixing instrument factory, Tianjin, China) and a drying method [17], respectively. Three 10 cm3 soil samples were collected by digging soil profiles at a depth of 0–10 cm and stored for further analysis after being dried and passed through a 2 mm mesh sieve.

2.3. Litter and Soil Properties

The measured litter qualities were organic C, total N, total P, lignin, and cellulose contents. Organic C was measured following the potassium dichromate–sulfuric acid volumetric diluted heat method, and total N and total P contents were determined via the Kjeldahl sulfuric acid–perchloric acid digestion method and the molybdenum antimony colorimetric method, respectively [18]. The lignin and cellulose contents were determined following the methods described by Tong et al. [19].
Soil properties, namely total salt (residue drying method), K+ (flame photometry), Na+ (flame photometry), Ca2+ (EDTA titration), Mg2+ (EDTA titration), SO42− (EDTA titration), CO32− (double indicator neutralization titration), HCO3− (double indicator neutralization titration), and Cl− (nitrate titration), were measured. The activities of soil enzymes, namely catalase (KMnO4 colorimetry), urease (C6H5ONa-NaClO colorimetry), polyphenol oxidase (catechol method), alkaline phosphatase (catechol method), and cellulose (DNS method), were measured according to previously described methods [20,21].

2.4. Data Processing and Analyses

The residual litter mass rate (MR, %) was determined according to the following equation:
MR = Mt/M0
where M0 is the initial litter mass (g) and Mt is the litter residue (g) after time t (years).
The litter decomposition dynamics were described using the Olson exponential decay model [22]:
Mt/M0 = e − kt
where k is the decomposition coefficient of the litter.
The inter-annual variability in k was calculated using the following formula:
k = [(kt1 − kt0) × 365]/(t1 − t0)
The lignocellulose index (LCI) was calculated using the following formula [23]:
LCI = lignin/[lignin + holocellulose]
The times required for 50% (t0.5) and 95% (t0.95) of the litter to decompose were calculated as follows:
t0.5 = ln0.5/(−k), t0.95 = ln0.05/(−k)
where k is the decomposition coefficient of the litter.
Soil samples were collected at the same time as litter sampling, and the same sample was measured three times. Soil enzymes, eight major ions, soil temperature, and humidity were measured, and the average values were calculated using Duncan’s multiple range test (p < 0.05) (SPSS 20.0). The leaf litter in the DF, AH, and SH habitats, the litter mass residue rate, the decomposition coefficient (k), t0.5, t0.95, C, total N, total P, lignin, cellulose content, and LCI were analyzed using Origin 9.1 software. Heatmap analyses were performed to measure the relationships between the litter decomposition coefficients and litter and habitat quality using an R script. Redundancy was analyzed using an R script.

3. Results

3.1. Nutrient Release Patterns of Litter in Different Habitats

As shown in Figure 1, after 720 d of decomposition, the residual mass rates of Populus euphratica leaf litter in the DF, AH, and SH habitats were 26.23, 53.07, and 73.73%, respectively, while those of T. ramosissima were 16.23, 53.18, and 82.76%, respectively. The litter mass residue rates were significantly different among the three habitats (p < 0.05). Starting from 270 d after placement (28 June), the leaf litter residues under DF showed significant disparities compared with those in the AH and SH habitats. Mass loss was highest between 270 and 360 d, reaching 20.00 and 19.73% for Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima, respectively. This displacement period belonged to the flood receding period, and the decomposition was relatively fast. In the AH and SH habitats, disparities in litter residues began to appear 360 d after the displacement of the T. ramosissima leaf litter, while a significant difference was observed after the Populus euphratica litter decomposed for 720 d.
In these three habitats, the decomposition coefficients (k) of the T. ramosissima litter had the following order: DF > AH > SH. The changes in t0.5 and t0.95 showed the opposite trend. The inter-annual variability in k, t0.5, and t0.95 was significant (p < 0.05). Different from the decomposition process of the T. ramosissima litter, after 0.99 years of exposition, the k of the Populus euphratica leaf litter had the following order: DF > SH > AH. Moreover, k, t0.5, and t0.95 in the SH and AH habitats were not significantly different. After 1.97 years of exposure, k had the following order: DF > AH > SH. The inter-annual variability in k, t0.5, and t0.95 in these three habitats was significant. According to the Olson exponential decay model, the fitting of the decomposition coefficients in these three habitats was great for both plants, which showed an extremely significant difference (p < 0.01).

3.2. Dynamic Changes in Total C, Total N, Total P, Cellulose, and Lignin Contents

As shown in Figure 2, at 720 d after litter displacement, the C, N, and lignin residues in Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima were significantly higher in the SH habitat than in the AH and DF habitats (p < 0.05). However, the P residues in the litters of these two plants showed different results; the P residue of T. ramosissima was highest in the DF habitat, and the P residue of Populus euphratica was highest in the SH habitat. The P residues in the three habitats were significantly different (p < 0.05). The lignin residue of T. ramosissima was highest in the SH habitat, and the lignin residue of Populus euphratica was highest in the AH habitat.
As shown in Figure 3, During the decomposition period, the N residues of the leaf litter in the SH, DF, and AH habitats were 279.12%, 106.69%, and 93.40%, respectively, for Populus euphratica and 231.08%, 53.25%, and 82.13%, respectively, for T. ramosissima. The N in the leaf litter of Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima exhibited an alternate accumulation-release pattern in the flood disturbance habitat, which was different from those in the two other habitats.
Figure 3 shows that the P residues in the leaf litter of Populus euphratica were 53.95%, 32.38%, and 43.31% in the SH, DF, and AH habitats, respectively. The P residues in the leaf litter of Populus euphratica in the SH, DF, and AH habitats showed a net release mode but followed different release patterns. The P residues in the leaf litter of T. ramosissima were 43.17%, 129.40%, and 28.17% in the SH, DF, and AH habitats, respectively. The pattern of P release from the leaf litter of T. ramosissima in the SH and AH habitats showed rapid release in the early period and a slow fluctuation between accumulation and release in the late period, while an accumulation-release-accumulation pattern was observed for P release in the DF habitat.
At 720 d after litter displacement, the residual rates of C in the Populus euphratica leaf litter were 71.96%, 49.53%, and 27.23% under SH, AH, and DF disturbances, respectively, and the residual rates of the C elements in the T. ramosissima leaf litter were 118.17%, 66.96%, and 22.31%, respectively. The release of C showed an accumulation-release pattern for both plants in the SH habitat, which was different from that of the other two habitats.
The release of lignin showed an accumulation-release pattern for Populus euphratica in all three habitats and for T. ramosissima in the SH and AH habitats. The lignin content was gradually released in the DF habitat for T. ramosissima. After 720 d of decomposition, the lignin content followed a net release mode, and the lowest release rates were 28.35% and 37.20% in the SH habitat for Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima, respectively. The highest release rates were observed under the DF habitat, with release rates of 64.25% and 90.53%, respectively.
The residual cellulose rates of the leaf litter of Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima showed an alternating release-accumulation pattern and an accumulation-release pattern in the AH and SH habitats, respectively. Under the disturbance of flooding, the release mode manifested as a gradual release pattern in the leaf litter of Populus euphratica but changed to an accumulation-release pattern. The cellulose release from the Populus euphratica leaf litter followed a net release pattern in all three habitats. For the leaf litter of T. ramosissima, cellulose release exhibited a net accumulation pattern in the SG habitat and a net release pattern in the AH and DF habitats.

3.3. Comprehensive Analysis of Factors Affecting Litter Decomposition in Different Habitats

Correlation analyses showed that the litter C residue had an extremely significant negative relationship and decomposition had a positive relationship with the lignocellulose index under the DF habitat (Figure 4). The lignocellulose index in the AH habitats showed an extremely significant negative relationship with the litter C residue, while the decomposition coefficient showed an extremely significant positive relationship with the litter C residue and a negative relationship with soil urease in the SH habitat. Figure 5 shows that the contributions of habitat and litter quality accounted for 67.15% and 47.32% of litter decomposition, respectively, indicating that habitat quality plays a major role in litter decomposition in desert vegetation communities.

4. Discussion

4.1. Effect of Habitat Variability on the Characteristics and Release Processes of Litter Decomposition

Populus euphratica is a typical vegetation type in the Tarim Basin and is widely distributed in a variety of habitats. In arid and semi-arid regions, water and salinity are considered the predominant regulators affecting plant growth, plant productivity, and the maintenance mechanisms of the nutrition structure. They are also considered the main regulatory factors that cause the spatial heterogeneity of desert vegetation [8,10,22]. Previous studies have shown that the most important determinants of the litter decomposition rate are the chemical properties of the decomposed materials (litter quality), the availability of nutrients at the decomposition site, and the activities of the decomposers (habitat quality). Habitat variability affects litter decomposition by changing these factors [23,24,25]. Tang et al. [18] demonstrated that litter decomposition rates (k) in the major forest ecosystems of China ranged from 0.13 to 1.80, with an average value of 0.574. In this study, we determined the litter decomposition rates (k) for Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima in AH (0.208 and 0.320, respectively) and SH (0.155 and 0.096, respectively). The litter decomposition coefficients were far lower than the average decomposition coefficient reported previously, especially in the high-salinity habitats. Under the disturbances of flooding, drought, and salt, there were significant differences in the litter mass residues and decomposition characteristic parameters (k1.973, t0.5, and t0.95). The decomposition rate decreased among the habitats in the following order: flood disturbance habit > arid habitat > high-salinity habitat. Due to the disparities between habitats and plant species, the release processes and release patterns of the litter compositions also differed. Compared with flood disturbance habitats, the degradation cycle of the litter composition was relatively long in the arid and high-salinity habitats. In addition, as the decomposition coefficient increased, soil urease was inhibited, while litter C residue was promoted. Numerous studies have shown that drought and salinity reduce the decomposition rate by inhibiting soil enzyme activity and microbial metabolism. Easily decomposed litter is more effective in improving soil fertility and productivity, while longer-lasting litter helps C fixation [26,27]. The conversion of litter to soil C components is more efficient [28]. Lignin is a key component of the soil organic C pool, and flooding promotes the conversion of litter to soil C components. Litter C residues were significantly negatively correlated with LCI, whereas the decomposition coefficients in arid habitats were negatively correlated with LCI. Studies have indicated that regional environmental factors play an important role in the process of lignin degradation [16] and that arid habitats lead to reductions in the main drivers of lignin decomposition [29]. High-salinity and arid areas are widely distributed in southern Xinjiang. From the perspective of litter decomposition, the existence of vegetation in arid and high-salinity habitats has a positive effect on C and N fixation. Affected by litter quality, the variations in the P and cellulose residues in a habitat are not the same. The litters of different vegetation types have different elements and contents. Compared to Populus euphratica, T. ramosissima is a salt-producing plant. T. ramosissima is thus more adaptive to environmental changes because the soluble salts in leaf litter have a significant impact on litter decomposition [30,31,32].

4.2. Effect of Habitat Variability on Factors Controlling Litter Decomposition

The primary factors controlling litter decomposition can vary due to the disparities in habitats. Seasonal floods promoted litter decomposition, and lignin and cellulose contents became its main limiting factors. Under such conditions, the vegetation coverage was high and the water conditions were moderate, which was conducive to the enhancement of the activities of degrading organisms, thereby promoting litter decomposition. Therefore, abiotic factors were not the main regulators of litter decomposition in this habitat [33]. Similar to other non-water-deficient areas, litter quality plays a leading role in litter decomposition. In arid and high-salinity habitats, litter and habitat quality were believed to be the primary contributors to litter decomposition. In the arid habitat, the dominant factors hindering the decomposition of Populus euphratica and T. ramosissima litter were litter P residues and soil Cl−. Soil P is mainly derived from the weathering of rocks and is not replenishable once discharged from ecosystems. Phosphorus is an important participant in the activities of litter decomposers as well as microbial metabolism; insufficient P greatly impacts litter decomposition [3,34]. In the arid habitats, the dominant soil salt was SO42−, but the Cl− content was low. Appropriate amounts of Cl− can increase the availability of soil nutrients and accelerate the decomposition of litter [35]. Under high-salt conditions, plant N residues and soil Na+ became the main factors inhibiting the decomposition of plant litter. The average Na+ content in the high-salinity habitat was 43.18 g/kg. Studies have shown that soil salt content is a primary regulator that shapes the structure and diversity of soil microbial communities in deserts. Salt accumulation inhibits the activities of many microorganisms, thereby impeding litter decomposition [36]. Studies have also indicated that the total salt content of the soil surface can be increased to 11–18 dSm−1, which might become the main factor inhibiting litter decomposition, instead of litter quality or soil humidity, by affecting the activities of scavengers in the soil [37].

5. Conclusions

This study demonstrated that the decomposition rates of leaf litter in extremely arid habitats decreased in the following order: flood disturbance habitat (DF) > arid habitat (AH) > high-salinity habitat (SH). This was mainly due to drought and salinity inhibiting soil enzyme activity and microbial metabolism. The variation in residual P and cellulose in the same habitat was not consistent, which may have been due to the high soluble salt content of the T. ramosissima leaf litter. These results help us understand the effects of litter and habitat quality on the litter decomposition process. Our results also suggest that habitat quality affects litter residue. The residues of C, N, and lignin in the litter were highest in the high-salinity habitat, highlighting the necessity of measuring the role of habitat quality in litter decomposition. In our experiment, the fastest rate of leaf litter decomposition was observed under flood disturbance. This suggests that the decomposition rates of leaf litter in extremely arid areas are mainly affected by habitat quality. From the perspective of litter decomposition, desert vegetation in extremely arid regions plays a major regulatory role in C and N fixation in the context of global climate change. Therefore, by increasing the amount and frequency of ecological water replenishment, we can promote the fixation of nutrients and C in the soils of desert riparian forests in extremely arid areas, which will more effectively improve soil fertility and the C fixation capacity.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, Z.Z.; Methodology, J.Y.; Validation, Z.Z.; Investigation, J.Y.; Data curation, L.H.; Writing—original draft, X.J. and F.C.; Writing—review & editing, F.C.; Visualization, L.H.; Project administration, R.L.; Funding acquisition, R.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by the Plan for tackling key scientific and technological problems in key areas of the Xinjiang Production & Construction Corps grant number [2021AB022], the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant number [31360109], the President’s Fund of Tarim University grant number [TDZKBS202303]. And The APC was funded by [Tarim University first-class undergraduate major].

Data Availability Statement

Data is contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Figure 1. The map of different habitats in the study area. Red circle represents the arid habitat; red pentagon represents the high-salinity habitat; and red square represents the arid habitat.
Figure 1. The map of different habitats in the study area. Red circle represents the arid habitat; red pentagon represents the high-salinity habitat; and red square represents the arid habitat.
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Figure 2. Masses of Tamarix ramosissima (a) and Populus euphratica (b) foliar litter remaining in different habitats. DF represents the flood disturbance habit; SH represents the high-salinity habitat; AH represents the arid habitat. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences between values, according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
Figure 2. Masses of Tamarix ramosissima (a) and Populus euphratica (b) foliar litter remaining in different habitats. DF represents the flood disturbance habit; SH represents the high-salinity habitat; AH represents the arid habitat. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences between values, according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
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Figure 3. Change processes of chemical compositions of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima litter in three habitats. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences between values, according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
Figure 3. Change processes of chemical compositions of Populus euphratica and Tamarix ramosissima litter in three habitats. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences between values, according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05).
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Figure 4. Heatmaps of correlations between soil habitat quality and litter quality for flood disturbance (a), arid (b), and high-salinity (c) habitats. * indicates 0.01 < p < 0.05, ** indicates 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01, and *** indicates p ≤ 0.001. S_C—soil CO32−, k—decomposition coefficient, S_Cl—soil Cl−, S_Ca—soil Ca2+, S_Mg—soil Mg2+, S_K—soil K+, S_Na—soil Na+, TS—soil total salt, ST—soil temperature, S_H—soil moisture, CAT—soil catalase, UE—soil urease, AKP—alkaline phosphatase, CL—cellulase, PPO—soil polyphenol oxidase, CR—litter carbon residue, NR—litter nitrogen residues, PR—litter phosphorus residues, LigR—lignin residues, CeR—cellulose residues, and LCI—lignocellulose index.
Figure 4. Heatmaps of correlations between soil habitat quality and litter quality for flood disturbance (a), arid (b), and high-salinity (c) habitats. * indicates 0.01 < p < 0.05, ** indicates 0.001 < p ≤ 0.01, and *** indicates p ≤ 0.001. S_C—soil CO32−, k—decomposition coefficient, S_Cl—soil Cl−, S_Ca—soil Ca2+, S_Mg—soil Mg2+, S_K—soil K+, S_Na—soil Na+, TS—soil total salt, ST—soil temperature, S_H—soil moisture, CAT—soil catalase, UE—soil urease, AKP—alkaline phosphatase, CL—cellulase, PPO—soil polyphenol oxidase, CR—litter carbon residue, NR—litter nitrogen residues, PR—litter phosphorus residues, LigR—lignin residues, CeR—cellulose residues, and LCI—lignocellulose index.
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Figure 5. A redundancy analysis plot of soil habitat and litter quality. Blue lines represent soil habitat qualities, and red lines represent litter qualities. S_C—soil CO32−, S_Cl—soil Cl−, S_Ca—soil Ca2+, S_Mg—soil Mg2+, S_K—soil K+, S_Na—soil Na+, TS—soil total salt, ST—soil temperature, S_H—soil moisture, CAT—soil catalase, UE—soil urease, AKP—alkaline phosphatase, CL—cellulase, PPO—soil polyphenol oxidase, k—decomposition coefficient, CR—litter carbon residue, NR—litter nitrogen residues, PR—litter phosphorus residues, LigR—lignin residues, CeR—cellulose residues, and LCI—lignocellulose index.
Figure 5. A redundancy analysis plot of soil habitat and litter quality. Blue lines represent soil habitat qualities, and red lines represent litter qualities. S_C—soil CO32−, S_Cl—soil Cl−, S_Ca—soil Ca2+, S_Mg—soil Mg2+, S_K—soil K+, S_Na—soil Na+, TS—soil total salt, ST—soil temperature, S_H—soil moisture, CAT—soil catalase, UE—soil urease, AKP—alkaline phosphatase, CL—cellulase, PPO—soil polyphenol oxidase, k—decomposition coefficient, CR—litter carbon residue, NR—litter nitrogen residues, PR—litter phosphorus residues, LigR—lignin residues, CeR—cellulose residues, and LCI—lignocellulose index.
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Table 1. Dominant species of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats and their locations.
Table 1. Dominant species of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats and their locations.
HabitatsLocationDominant Species
LongitudeLatitude
DF81°19′13″36°56′84″P. euphratica + T. ramosissima + Glycyrrhiza inflata
SH80°57′4″41°1′17″P. euphratica + T. ramosissima + Halostachys caspica
AH82°0′18″40°41′6″P. euphratica + T. ramosissima + Alhagi sparsifolia
DF represents the flood disturbance habit; SH represents the high-salinity habitat; and AH represents the arid habitat.
Table 2. Growth status and habitat conditions of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats.
Table 2. Growth status and habitat conditions of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats.
IndexesDBH
(cm)		Height of Populus euphratica
(cm)		Crown Width (m)CanopyGround Water
(m)		pHSOC
(g/kg)		Total N
(g/kg)		Total P
(g/kg)
Habitats E-WN-S
DF15.268.233.153.130.76---8.39 ± 0.2319.59 ± 7.001.19 ± 0.640.21 ± 0.05
SH42.9910.568.027.620.532.238.66 ± 0.205.06 ± 1.67 1.39 ± 0.20 0.41 ± 0.02
AH45.0211.4310.847.310.465.787.88 ± 0.23 7.35 ± 0.38 1.22 ± 0.56 0.14 ± 0.08
DF represents the flood disturbance habit; SH represents the high-salinity habitat; AH represents the arid habitat; DBH represents the diameter at breast height; and SOC represents the soil organic carbon.
Table 3. Soil physical and chemical properties of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats.
Table 3. Soil physical and chemical properties of Populus euphratica communities in different habitats.
HabitatsCO32−
g/kg		Cl−
g/kg		SO42−
g/kg		Na+
g/kg		TS
g/kg		ST
°C		S-H
%
AH0.01 ± 0.00 1.12 ± 0.65 23.59 ± 2.45 3.69 ± 2.00 24.34 ± 9.46 13.92 ± 13.83 1.48 ± 1.01
(28.18%) a (58.19%) a (10.45%) (54.23%) a (38.85%) a (99.32%) a (67.91%) a
SH0.02 ± 0.02 8.44 ± 9.19 17.82 ± 9.09 43.18 ± 24.18 72.91 ± 20.75 13.76 ± 9.80 14.01 ± 5.06
(87.26%) b (108.85%) b (50.99%) (55.99%) b (28.46%) b (71.24%) a (36.15%) b
DF0.01 ± 0.00 0.70 ± 0.24 ----2.48 ± 0.82 20.06 ± 7.82 11.56 ± 9.02 15.98 ± 4.81
(10.12%) a (34.78%) a ----(33.03%) a (38.97%) a (78.05%) a (30.10%) b
The numbers in parentheses are the coefficients of variation, and different lowercase letters within a column indicate significant differences between values, according to Duncan’s test (p ≤ 0.05). DF represents the flood disturbance habit; SH represents the high-salinity habitat; AH represents the arid habitat; CO32− represents the soil carbonate ion; Cl− represents the soil chloride ion; SO42− represents the soil sulfate ion; Na+ represents the soil sodium ion; TS represents the total soil salt amount; ST represents the soil temperature; S-H represents the soil humidity; and ---- means not detected.
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Jiang, X.; Chen, F.; Yang, J.; Zhou, Z.; Han, L.; Lyu, R. Decomposition of Foliar Litter from Dominant Plants of Desert Riparian Forests in Extremely Arid Regions. Forests 2024, 15, 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060949

AMA Style

Jiang X, Chen F, Yang J, Zhou Z, Han L, Lyu R. Decomposition of Foliar Litter from Dominant Plants of Desert Riparian Forests in Extremely Arid Regions. Forests. 2024; 15(6):949. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060949

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jiang, Xuewei, Fei Chen, Jingjing Yang, Zhengli Zhou, Lu Han, and Ruiheng Lyu. 2024. "Decomposition of Foliar Litter from Dominant Plants of Desert Riparian Forests in Extremely Arid Regions" Forests 15, no. 6: 949. https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060949

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