Decomposition and nutrient dynamic of leaf litter and roots from palatable and unpalatable grasses in a semi-arid grassland
- Moretto, Alicia Susana
- Distel, Roberto Alejandro
- Didone, Nilda Graciela
DOIAbstract
A field experiment was conducted in a temperate semi-arid grassland of central Argentina to test the hypothesis that decomposition of and nutrient release from leaf litter and roots are faster in Poa ligularis and Stipa clarazii (high-nutrient, palatable grasses) than in S. tenuissima (low-nutrient, unpalatable grass). Leaf litter and roots of each species were incubated in 0.35 mm mesh bags for 21 months at their source sites. Leaf litter decomposition was faster (P0.05) among species in N and P release from the roots. The results on leaf litter support the hypothesis that decomposition and nutrient release are faster in the palatable than in the unpalatable grasses, whereas the results on roots did not support this hypothesis. Moreover, s...
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