TY - EJOU
AU - Wang, Xianyan
AU - Guo, Yan
AU - Yang, Nan
AU - Ouyang, Shengnan
AU - Duan, Honglang
AU - Wang, Jie
AU - Guo, Qiqiang
AU - Tie, Liehua
AU - Ding, Guijie
TI - Drought Effects on Pine Litter Decomposition and Metal Nutrient Release Are Moderated by Mixed Understory Vegetation Litter
T2 - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany
PY -
VL -
IS -
SN - 1851-5657
AB - Understory vegetation-mediated forest litter decomposition and nutrient release processes are critical for biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem sustainability. Drought-dominated global change significantly affects relevant processes, but its impact on metal element release from mixed litters of overstory trees and understory vegetation remains unclear. Here, we conducted an 18-month in situ decomposition experiment in a Pinus massoniana–Camellia oleifera mixed forest under three precipitation regimes: control (CK), low-intensity reduction (R30), and high-intensity reduction (R60). Both R30 and R60 treatments significantly inhibited P. massoniana litter mass loss by 4.85% and 6.22%, respectively. Only R60 treatment significantly reduced the mass loss in C. oleifera and mixed litters. The release of K and Mg from P. massoniana litter was suppressed by R30 and R60 treatments, and only R60 treatment significantly impeded K and Mg release from the mixed litter. Furthermore, R60 treatment significantly reduced Ca release from C. oleifera litter and Mn release from both single-species litters. These results suggest that mixed understory litter may partially alleviate the inhibitory effects of moderate drought on litter decomposition and metal nutrient release. These findings provide new insights for understanding understory vegetation-mediated forest litter decomposition processes under ongoing climate change.
KW - Reduced precipitation; litter decomposition; element release; metal nutrient cycling; Pinus massoniana; Camellia oleifera
DO - 10.32604/phyton.2026.084022