Litter mixing promoted decomposition rate through increasing diversities of phyllosphere microbial communities

Jiaying Liu; Changjun Ding; Weixi Zhang; Yawei Wei; Yongbin Zhou; Wenxu Zhu

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1009091

Litter mixing promoted decomposition rate through increasing diversities of phyllosphere microbial communities

Front Microbiol. 2022 Nov 8:13:1009091. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1009091. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Jiaying Liu^{1

2

3}, Changjun Ding^{2

4}, Weixi Zhang^{2

4}, Yawei Wei^{1

3}, Yongbin Zhou^{1

3}, Wenxu Zhu^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ College of Forestry, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.
³ Research Station of Liaohe-River Plain Forest Ecosystem, Chinese Forest Ecosystem Research Network (CFERN), Shenyang Agricultural University, Tieling, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Decomposition of forest litter is an essential process for returning nutrients to the soil, which is crucial for preserving soil fertility and fostering the regular biological cycle and nutrient balance of the forest ecosystem. About 70% of the land-based forest litter is made up primarily of leaf litter. However, research on the complex effects and key determinants of leaf litter decomposition is still lacking. In this study, we examined the characteristics of nutrient release and microbial diversity structure during the decomposition of three types of litter in arid and semi-arid regions using 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing technology as well as nutrient content determination. It was revealed that the nutrient content and rate of decomposition of mixed litters were significantly different from those of single species. Following litter mixing, the richness and diversity of the microbial community on leaves significantly increased. It was determined that there was a significant correlation between bacterial diversity and content (Total N, Total P, N/P, and C/P). This study provided a theoretical framework for investigating the decomposition mechanism of mixed litters by revealing the microbial mechanism of mixed decomposition of litters from the microbial community and nutrient levels.

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica; Populus × canadensis Moench; litter leaf; microbial community; mixed decomposition.