Decomposition

¨1 Why is decomposition important?

¨ Methods for measuring decomposition
¨ Controls on decomposition

¨ Definition
¤ Breakdown of dead organic matter (detritus)
n Dead plants
n Dead animals
n Microbial material
Decomposition in context

NEP CO2
GPP
Oxidation
(Fire or UV) Ra
NPP Rh
Consumers (Re = Ra + Rh)
Accumulation
in biomass Detritus and
exudates
Decomposers
Accumulation in Not
sediments or soil decomposed
Organic C
Organic C import
export

What arrow is missing with regard to decomposers?

Why is decomposition important?
3
Large Detritus
¨ Sources
¤ Coarse Woody Debris: > 2” dbh
¤ Foliar: Needles and leaves

¤ Roots: Coarse and fine roots

¤ Dead Animals + Waste

¨ Ecological Functions
¤ Water & soil retention
¤ Slows overland flow

¤ Habitat structure and complexity

¤ Tree regeneration (nurse logs)

¨ Eaten by macroinvertebrates, fungi

Small Detritus
¨ Types
¤ Particles: Particulate Organic Matter (POM)
n Eaten by macroinvertebrates, fungi, some bacteria
¤ Cells: from dead animals, plants, and decomposers
n Eaten by bacteria, fungi
¤ Molecules: Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), other energy-
containing/reduced molecules
n Eaten by bacteria
¨ Ecological Functions
¤ Soil building: creating complex organic matter (humus)
¤ Nutrient cycling
n Mobilization/mineralization: making non-C atoms “available”, creating CO2
n Immobilization: incorporating available nutrients from the environment
Decomposition
Organic Matter Decomposition Inorganic material
6

Plant tissue
Animal tissue C mineralization CO2
Animal waste
Litter
Leaching N mineralization NH4+

PO43-
Fragmentation P mineralization
Microbes HPO42-
H2PO4-
Chemical alteration

Soil organic matter S mineralization SO42-

Decomposition: Leaching
¨7 Example: Spodosol
¤ Acid soils frequently in cool, moist coniferous forests
¨ Leaching
¤ Dissolved organic carbon (DOC)
¤ Al & Fe

¤ From E horizon to Bhs horizon

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/soilorders/spodosols_07.htm
Decomposition: Fragmentation
¨8 Aquatic macroinvertebrates
Decomposition: Fragmentation
¨9 Terrestrial macroinvertebrates
Chemical alteration
¨10 Bacteria and fungi
¤ 80-90% of decomposer biomass & respiration
¤ Need an e- acceptor: O2 (ideally), also NO3- & many others
¤ OM à CO2 + microbial biomass + complex OM (e.g. lignin)

¨ Fungi
¤ Larger POM, surface, shallower in soil
¤ Degrade wood, complex polymers

¨ Bacteria
¤ More efficient nutrient acquisition, dominate in low-nutrient conditions
¤ Direct uptake of DOC in aquatic systems

¨ Can be a food source to consumers

¤ Microbial biomass in detritus contributes to bioavailable C
¤ Action of microbial enzymes makes detritus more digestible
Energetics of decomposition
¨11 OM à microbial biomass + CO2
¤ A=P+R
¤ Εg = P/(P+R)

¨ Low growth efficiencies (10-50%)

¤ High R
¤ Low nutrient retention in microbial biomass

¨ Assimilation often requires nutrient inputs (immobilization)

¤ Combine detritus (high C:N) with available nutrients in environment
n Nutrient poor detritus: C:N > 20:1
¤ Wetlands clean nutrient pollution
12

Decomposition ESM 321 Week 4

Modeling decomposition
¨13 First-order model
¤ Rate of mass loss depends on remaining mass
¤ Mt = M0 e-kt
n Mt: mass at time t
n M0: initial mass
n k: decomposition constant
Controls on decomposition
¨14 Extrinsic factors
¤ Temperature: increases decomposition
¤ Moisture: limiting in terrestrial systems

¤ pH: low pH denatures microbial enzymes

¤ O2 availability: increases decomposition

¨ Intrinsic factors
¤ Structural material
n lignin
¤ Nutrient content
n C:N ≤ 20 for microbial survival
n C:N ≤ 10 for microbial growth

¤ Secondary compounds
n tannins
Controls on decomposition
15
Measuring soil respiration
Variation in Decomposition

NPP

Soil Respiration
Human Impacts
¨18 Biomass harvesting
¨ Stream restoration
¨ Increasing CO2
¤ More plant growth
¤ Increase C:N of plant litter

¨ Increasing global temp

¤ Higher decomposition rates
¤ OM → CO2

¨ Fertilization
¤ Higher decomposition rates
¤ OM → CO2
 These Microbes
Decomposition stoichiometry require 10 C (5
lost to respiration)
and 1 N to make 1
19
new unit of
biomass consisting
of 5 C and 1 N.
Ɛg = ?

What is an
example of
a substrate
for each
scenario?