Decomposition Flashcards
What are the factors driving decomposition rate?
(1) Temperature
(2) Moisture
(3) Litter quality
Nutrient cycling
The movement of nutrients through an ecosystem from living to dead to decomposition and back to living
Litterbag method
Litter samples are left to decay in mesh bags, periodically harvested and measured in terms of mass loss through time
How can you measure decomposition rates?
Litterbag method, from which the decomposition constant k can be calculated from the mass loss data
How can you calculate the decomposition constant?
k = -ln(Mt/Mo)/t
where M=mass of litter, t=time (typically years)
What is the shape of mass loss over time?
Exponential decay
LTER
Long-Term Ecological Research
What does a higher value of k (decomposition constant) represent?
Faster rate of decomposition
LIDET
Long-Term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team.
LIDET is comprised of researchers collaborating to understand the effect of substrate quality and macroclimate on long-term decomposition and nutrient dynamics over 10 years across 28 sites in North America. LIDET is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Long-Term Experiment Research Network (LTER).
Evapotranspiration
Transpiration + Evaporation. The total amount of water leaving the ground (or other surface) and going back into the atmosphere.
Potential evapotranspiration
The total amount of evapotranspiration that would take place if there were enough water available.
AET
Evapotranspiration
PET
Potential evapotranspiration
CDI
Climate decomposition indices. Describes the effect of variation of both temperature and water stress on decomposition at coarse spatial scales.
allochthonous inputs
Inputs that originate outside of a system (e.g. falling leaves that fall into the stream)
