Search results for " litter"

Root-induced decomposer growth and plant N uptake are not positively associated among a set of grassland plants

2007

Abstract It is known that plant species can induce development of different soil decomposer communities and that they differ in their influence on organic matter decomposition and N mineralization in soil. However, no study has so far assessed whether these two observations are related to each other. Based on the hypothesis that root-induced growth of soil decomposers leads to accelerated decomposition of SOM and increased plant N availability in soil, we predicted that (1) among a set of grassland plants the abundance of soil decomposers in the plant rhizosphere is positively associated with plant N uptake from soil organic matter. To test this, we established grassland microcosms consisti…

Do interactions with soil organisms mediate grass responses to defoliation?

2008

Abstract Defoliation-induced changes in grass growth and C allocation are known to affect soil organisms, but how much these effects in turn mediate grass responses to defoliation is not fully understood. Here, we present results from a microcosm study that assessed the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and soil decomposers in the response of a common forage grass, Phleum pratense L., to defoliation at two nutrient availabilities (added inorganic nutrients or no added nutrients). We measured the growth and C and N allocations of P. pratense plants as well as the abundance of soil organisms in the plant rhizosphere 5 and 19 d after defoliation. To examine whether defoliation affected…

Home advantage? Decomposition across the freshwater-estuarine transition zone varies with litter origin and local salinity

2015

Expected increases in the frequency and intensity of storm surges and river flooding may greatly affect the relative salinity of estuarine environments over the coming decades. In this experiment we used detritus from three contrasting environments (marine Fucus vesiculosus; estuarine Spartina anglica; terrestrial Quercus robur) to test the prediction that the decomposition of the different types of litter would be highest in the environment with which they are associated. Patterns of decomposition broadly fitted our prediction: Quercus detritus decomposed more rapidly in freshwater compared with saline conditions while Fucus showed the opposite trend; Spartina showed an intermediate respon…

Litter contribution to soil organic carbon in the processes of agriculture abandon

2015

The mechanisms of litter decomposition, translocation and stabilization into soil layers are fundamental processes in the functioning of the ecosystem, as they regulate the cycle of soil organic matter (SOM) and CO2 emission into the atmosphere. In this study the contribution of litters of different stages of Mediterranean secondary succession on carbon sequestration was investigated, analyzing the role of earthworms in the translocation of SOM into the soil profile. For this purpose the δ13C difference between meadow C4-C soil and C3-C litter was used in a field experiment. Four undisturbed litters of different stages of succession (45, 70, 100 and 120 since agriculture abandon) were colle…

Cetacean presence and distribution in the central Mediterranean Sea and potential risks deriving from plastic pollution

2021

Abstract The Sardinian and Sicilian Channels are considered hotspots of biodiversity and key ecological passages between Mediterranean sub-basins, but with significant knowledge gaps about marine mammal presence and potential threats they face. Using data collected between 2013 and 2019 along fixed transects, inter and intra-annual cetacean index of abundance was assessed. Habitat suitability, seasonal hot spots, and risk exposure for plastic were performed using the Kernel analysis and the Biomod2 R-package. 661 sightings of 8 cetacean species were recorded, with bottlenose and striped dolphins as the most sighted species. The north-eastern pelagic sector, the coastal waters and areas near…

3D-Reconstruction of a Giant Posidonia oceanica Beach Wrack (Banquette): Sizing Biomass, Carbon and Nutrient Stocks by Combining Field Data With High…

2022

Beach wracks are temporary accumulations of vegetal detritus that can be found along coastlines all over the world. Although beach wracks are often perceived as a nuisance for beach users, they play a crucial ecological role in carbon and nutrient connectivity across ecosystem boundaries, especially when they reach a relevant size, as in the case of the wedge-shaped seagrass accumulations called banquette. In this study, three-dimensional mapping of a giant Posidonia oceanica banquette was carried out for the first time using high-resolution UAV photogrammetry combined with field sampling and compositional and chemical analysis. The combined approach allowed a reliable estimation of the amo…

Seagrass detritus as marine macroinvertebrates attractor

2022

Seagrasses colonise coastal areas worldwide. Despite their high primary production, a considerable proportion becomes detritus that can be used as food, physical habitat and occasional or permanent shelter by several benthic macroinvertebrates. In turn, macroinvertebrates can contribute to regulating seagrass decomposition, and represent an important trophic link between primary producers and higher consumers. Nonetheless, several factors could modify colonizer responses to this habitat. In this study, we tested if colonisation of the seagrass detritus of Zostera noltei Hornemann, 1832 was related to substrate availability rather than food and whether the colonising assemblages were similar…

Indoor spectroradiometric characterization of plastic litters commonly polluting the Mediterranean Sea: toward the application of multispectral image…

2020

AbstractAround 350 million tonnes of plastics are annually produced worldwide. A remarkable percentage of these products is dispersed in the environment, finally reaching and dispersed in the marine environment. Recent field surveys detected microplastics’ concentrations in the Mediterranean Sea. The most commonly polymers found were polyethylene, polypropylene and viscose, ethylene vinyl acetate and polystyrene. In general, the in-situ monitoring of microplastic pollution is difficult and time consuming. The main goals of this work were to spectrally characterize the most commonly polymers and to quantify their spectral separability that may allow to determine optimal band combinations for…

Relazioni trofiche dell’epifauna colonizzatrice del detrito fogliare di Posidonia oceanica

2010

Recensione a Leonis Baptiste ALBERTI De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, a cura di M. Regoliosi, 2 voll., Firenze 2021

2022

Recensione all'edizione critica: Leonis Baptiste ALBERTI De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, a cura di M. REGOLIOSI, 2 voll., Firenze 2021 Review of the critical edition: Leonis Baptiste ALBERTI De commodis litterarum atque incommodis, a cura di M. REGOLIOSI, 2 voll., Firenze 2021