Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/10316/98686
Title: | Biotic and abiotic variables influencing plant litter breakdown in streams: a global study | Authors: | Boyero, Luz Pearson, Richard G. Hui, Cang Gessner, Mark O. Perez, Javier Alexandrou, Markos A. Graça, Manuel A. S. Ferreira, Verónica et al. |
Keywords: | decomposition; latitudinal gradient; climate; litter quality; biodiversity; detritivore shredders | Issue Date: | 2016 | Project: | 7980-06 | Serial title, monograph or event: | Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences | Volume: | 283 | Issue: | 1829 | Abstract: | Plant litter breakdown is a key ecological process in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Streams and rivers, in particular, contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes. However, there is little information available on the relative roles of different drivers of plant litter breakdown in fresh waters, particularly at large scales. We present a global-scale study of litter breakdown in streams to compare the roles of biotic, climatic and other environmental factors on breakdown rates. We conducted an experiment in 24 streams encompassing latitudes from 47.88 N to 42.88 S, using litter mixtures of local species differing in quality and phylogenetic diversity (PD), and alder (Alnus glutinosa) to control for variation in litter traits. Our models revealed that breakdown of alder was driven by climate, with some influence of pH, whereas variation in breakdown of litter mixtures was explained mainly by litter quality and PD. Effects of litter quality and PD and stream pH were more positive at higher temperatures, indicating that different mechanisms may operate at different latitudes. These results reflect global variability caused by multiple factors, but unexplained variance points to the need for expanded global-scale comparisons. | URI: | https://hdl.handle.net/10316/98686 | DOI: | 10.1098/rspb.2015.2664 | Rights: | openAccess |
Appears in Collections: | FCTUC Ciências da Vida - Artigos em Revistas Internacionais |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boyero&al2016_ProcRSocB.pdf | 514.03 kB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
SCOPUSTM
Citations
74
checked on Nov 9, 2022
WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations
76
checked on May 2, 2023
Page view(s)
136
checked on Aug 28, 2024
Download(s)
64
checked on Aug 28, 2024
Google ScholarTM
Check
Altmetric
Altmetric
Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.