Litter decomposition in fragile ecosystems:A review  

作　　者：Hao Qu XueYong Zhao XiaoAn Zuo ShaoKun Wang XuJun Ma Xia Tang XinYuan Wang Eduardo Medina-Roldán 

机构地区：[1]Urat Desert-grassland Research Station,Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou,Gansu 730000,China [2]Naiman Desertification Research Station,Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou,Gansu 730000,China [3]Ecological Environmental Supervision and Administration Bureau of Gansu Province,Lanzhou,Gansu 730020,China [4]Institute of BioEconomy−National Research Council(IBE-CNR),Sesto Fiorentino 50019,Italy

出　　处：《Research in Cold and Arid Regions》2022年第3期151-161,共11页寒旱区科学（英文版）

基　　金：supported by the Key Research and Development Plan of Ning Xia Province,China(Grant No.2020BBF02003);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41877540);the Visiting Scholar Research Program of China Scholarship Council(Grant No.201804910131);the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research program(2019QZKK0305).

摘　　要：As a linkage between plants and soil,litter decomposition and its effect on nutrient recirculation have an important ecolog‐ical significance as they contribute to soil structure improvement and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.Fragile eco‐systems in arid regions(both hot and cold)are depleted in soil organic matter,and as a result of various factors their circu‐lation of material and energy is slower.Here we discuss how litter decomposition is necessary to maintain the stability of fragile ecosystems.We reviewed research on litter decomposition carried out in arid regions.Our objective in this review is to outline how litter decomposition,and the subsequent buildup of organic matter in soil,is a key process determining the stability of fragile ecosystems.Our review shows that existing studies have focused on the influence of single ecologi‐cal factors on litter decomposition and nutrient cycling,and highlights how the exploration of interactions among factors determining litter decomposition is still lacking.This interaction is a key aspect,since in the real world,decomposition and nutrient return to soil of litter products is affected by multiple factors.We propose a network setup on a cross-regional scale using standardized methods(e.g.,the tea bag method)to understand litter decomposition and nutrient return in frag‐ile ecosystems.Such a unique network could contribute to establish predictive models suitable for litter decomposition and nutrient return in these areas,and thus could provide theoretical and practical support for regional ecological protec‐tion and high-quality development.

关 键 词：litter mass loss fragile ecosystems ARID SEMI-ARID hot-deserts cold-deserts 

分 类 号：X171[环境科学与工程—环境科学]