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Decomposition of leaf litter mixtures in streams: effects of component litter species and current velocity

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Abstract

The effects of mixing different leaf litter species on litter decomposition in streams have received considerable attention in recent years. However, contrasting results have been reported and the mechanisms behind the effects of litter diversity have been poorly examined. We compared the decomposition rates and associated fungi for two contrasting litter species, when incubated individually and in mixture, at two different current velocities. Coarse-mesh bags with alder litter individually, oak litter individually and with a mixture of both were incubated in a forest headwater stream over 32 days, under fast or slow current velocities. We determined litter decomposition rates, microbial oxygen consumption rates, and aquatic hyphomycete sporulation rates, species richness and community composition; litter species in the mixture were processed individually. Our results provided weak evidences for diversity effects on leaf litter decomposition. Generally, litter decomposition was unaffected by mixing contrasting litter species, with litter species in the mixture decomposing at the same rate as when incubated individually at both current velocities. The same pattern was observed for microbial variables. Decomposition rates and microbial colonization and activity depended primarily on the traits of the target litter species and were not affected by those of the companion species. However, litter-mixing effects were detected on oak litter at late decomposition stages under fast current velocity conditions, suggesting that both current velocity and the incubation time might influence diversity effects on litter decomposition in streams. This finding contributes to explain the lack of litter-mixing effects reported previously by many studies.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the strategic project UIDP/04292/2020 granted to MARE. Financial support granted by the FCT to VF (IF/00129/2014 and CEECIND/02484/2018) is also acknowledged. Additional support was provided by projects SPACESTREAM (CGL2017-88640-C2-2-R) and from the Catalan Government (Consolidated Research Group: Forestream 2018 SGR976). The authors would like to thank Cristina Salgado for field assistance, Manuel Graça and Isabel Muñoz for valuable comments and suggestions during the experimental design of this study, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BETA Technological Center, TECNIO Network, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Carrer de la Laura 13, 08500, Vic, Spain

    Meritxell Abril

  2. Departament BEECA, Secció Ecologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avinguda Diagonal, 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Meritxell Abril & Margarita Menéndez

  3. MARE, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martins de Freitas, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal

    Verónica Ferreira

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  1. Meritxell Abril
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  2. Margarita Menéndez
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Correspondence to Meritxell Abril.

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Abril, M., Menéndez, M. & Ferreira, V. Decomposition of leaf litter mixtures in streams: effects of component litter species and current velocity. Aquat Sci 83, 54 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-021-00810-x

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