Nutrient loss in leachate and surface runoff from surface-broadcast and subsurface-banded broiler litter.

PubMed

Lamba, Jasmeet; Srivastava, Puneet; Way, Thomas R; Sen, Sumit; Wood, C Wesley; Yoo, Kyung H

2013-09-01

Subsurface band application of poultry litter has been shown to reduce the transport of nutrients from fields in surface runoff compared with conventional surface broadcast application. Little research has been conducted to determine the effects of surface broadcast application and subsurface banding of litter on nutrients in leachate. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of subsurface band application and surface broadcast application of poultry litter on nutrient losses in leachate. Zero-tension pan and passive capillary fiberglass wick lysimeters were installed in situ 50 cm beneath the soil surface of an established tall fescue ( Schreb.) pasture on a sandy loam soil. The treatments were surface broadcast and subsurface-banded poultry litter at 5 Mg ha and an unfertilized control. Results of the rainfall simulations showed that the concentrations of PO-P and total phosphorus (TP) in leachate were reduced by 96 and 37%, respectively, in subsurface-banded litter treatment compared with the surface-applied litter treatment. There was no significant difference in PO-P concentration between control and subsurface-banded litter treatment in leachate. The trend in the loading of nutrients in leachate was similar to the trend in concentration. Concentration and loading of the nutrients (TP, PO-P, NH-N, and NO-N) in runoff from the subsurface-banded treatment were significantly less than for the surface-applied treatment and were similar to those from control plots. These results show that, compared with conventional surface broadcast application of litter, subsurface band application of litter can greatly reduce loss of P in surface runoff and leachate. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Rainfall timing effect on concentrations of testosterone and estradiol in surface runoff from broiler litter applied to grassed plots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broiler litter contains the sex hormones testosterone and estradiol, which may contaminate surface runoff following litter application to grasslands. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of runoff occurring at different times after litter application and under different environmental con...

Legacy phosphorus in calcareous soils: effects of long-term poultry litter application on phosphorus distribution in Texas Blackland Vertisol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sequential fractionation techniques, coupled with phosphatase hydrolysis, have allowed for greater understanding of manure/litter effects on soil phosphorus (P) distribution. We evaluated the effect of long-term (> 10 years) poultry litter (broiler and turkey litter) application at rates of 4.5, 6.7...

Soil microbial communities and enzyme activities under various poultry litter application rates.

PubMed

Acosta-Martínez, V; Harmel, R Daren

2006-01-01

The potential excessive nutrient and/or microbial loading from mismanaged land application of organic fertilizers is forcing changes in animal waste management. Currently, it is not clear to what extent different rates of poultry litter impact soil microbial communities, which control nutrient availability, organic matter quality and quantity, and soil degradation potential. From 2002 to 2004, we investigated the microbial community and several enzyme activities in a Vertisol soil (fine, smectitic, thermic, Udic Haplustert) at 0 to 15 cm as affected by different rates of poultry litter application to pasture (0, 6.7, and 13.4 Mg ha(-1)) and cultivated sites (0, 4.5, 6.7, 9.0, 11.2, and 13.4 Mg ha(-1)) in Texas, USA. No differences in soil pH (average: 7.9), total N (pasture: 2.01-3.53, cultivated: 1.09-1.98 g kg(-1) soil) or organic C (pasture average: 25-26.7, cultivated average: 13.9-16.1 g kg(-1) soil) were observed following the first four years of litter application. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) increased at litter rates greater than 6.7 Mg ha(-1) (pasture: MBC = >863, MBN = >88 mg kg(-1) soil) compared to sites with no applied litter (MBC = 722, MBN = 69 mg kg(-1) soil). Enzyme activities of C (beta-glucosidase, alpha-galactosidase, beta-glucosaminidase) or N cycling (beta-glucosaminidase) were increased at litter rates greater than 6.7 Mg ha(-1). Enzyme activities of P (alkaline phosphatase) and S (arylsulfatase) mineralization showed the same response in pasture, but they were only increased at the highest (9.0, 11.2, and 13.4 Mg ha(-1)) litter application rates in cultivated sites. According to fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis, the pasture soils experienced shifts to higher bacterial populations at litter rates of 6.7 Mg ha(-1), and shifts to higher fungal populations at the highest litter application rates in cultivated sites. While rates greater than 6.7 Mg ha(-1) provided rapid enhancement of the soil microbial populations and enzymatic activities, they result in P application in excess of crop needs. Thus, studies will continue to investigate whether litter application at rates below 6.7 Mg ha(-1), previously recommended to maintain water quality, will result in similar improved soil microbial and biochemical functioning with continued annual litter application.

Country report: Broiler industry and broiler litter-related problems in the southeastern United States.

PubMed

Paudel, Krishna P; McIntosh, Christopher S

2005-01-01

This report describes the development of the broiler litter problem in the southeastern United States, including the economic opportunity and environmental challenges brought to the region by the industry. Through an analysis applied to the State of Georgia, land application of litter as a disposal alternative is examined along with its associated benefits. The analysis indicates that litter could be transported economically up to 256 km for cropland application. Excessive broiler litter production in a few concentrated regions is expected to stimulate the development of alternative approaches to broiler litter management, such as electricity generation.

Growth of precommercially thinned loblolly pine 4 years following application of poultry litter

Treesearch

Scott D. Roberts; Alex L. Friend; Stephen H. Schoenholtz

2006-01-01

Application of poultry litter to southern pine stands represents a potentially attractive litter disposal option. Many pine stands are nutrient-limited and might respond positively to the added nutrients. However, the ability of pine stands to respond to nutrients contained in the litter, as well as contain the nutrients on site, has not been thoroughly investigated....

Biocrude oils from the fast pyrolysis of poultry litter and hardwood

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agblevor, F.A., E-mail: Fagblevo@vt.ed; Beis, S.; Kim, S.S.

2010-02-15

The safe and economical disposal of poultry litter is becoming a major problem for the USA poultry industry. Current disposal methods such as land application and feeding to cattle are now under pressure because of pollution of water resources due to leaching, runoffs and concern for mad cow disease contamination of the food chain. Incineration or combustion is potentially applicable to large scale operations, but for small scale growers and EPA non-attainment areas, this is not a suitable option because of the high cost of operation. Thus, there is a need for developing appropriate technologies to dispose poultry litter. Poultrymore » litters from broiler chicken and turkey houses, as well as bedding material were converted into biocrude oil in a fast pyrolysis fluidized bed reactor. The biocrude oil yields were relatively low ranging from 36 wt% to 50 wt% depending on the age and bedding material content of the litter. The bedding material (which was mostly hardwood shavings) biocrude oil yield was 63 wt%. The higher heating value (HHV) of the poultry litter biocrude oils ranged from 26 MJ/kg to 29 MJ/kg while that of the bedding material was 24 MJ/kg. The oils had relatively high nitrogen content ranging from 4 wt% to 8 wt%, very low sulfur (<1 wt%) content and high viscosity. The viscosities of the oils appeared to be a function of both the source of litter and the pyrolysis temperature. The biochar yield ranged from 27 wt% to 40 wt% depending on the source, age and composition of the poultry litter. The biochar ash content ranged from 24 wt% to 54 wt% and was very rich in inorganic components such as potassium and phosphorous.« less

Biocrude oils from the fast pyrolysis of poultry litter and hardwood.

PubMed

Agblevor, F A; Beis, S; Kim, S S; Tarrant, R; Mante, N O

2010-02-01

The safe and economical disposal of poultry litter is becoming a major problem for the USA poultry industry. Current disposal methods such as land application and feeding to cattle are now under pressure because of pollution of water resources due to leaching, runoffs and concern for mad cow disease contamination of the food chain. Incineration or combustion is potentially applicable to large scale operations, but for small scale growers and EPA non-attainment areas, this is not a suitable option because of the high cost of operation. Thus, there is a need for developing appropriate technologies to dispose poultry litter. Poultry litters from broiler chicken and turkey houses, as well as bedding material were converted into biocrude oil in a fast pyrolysis fluidized bed reactor. The biocrude oil yields were relatively low ranging from 36 wt% to 50 wt% depending on the age and bedding material content of the litter. The bedding material (which was mostly hardwood shavings) biocrude oil yield was 63 wt%. The higher heating value (HHV) of the poultry litter biocrude oils ranged from 26 MJ/kg to 29 MJ/kg while that of the bedding material was 24 MJ/kg. The oils had relatively high nitrogen content ranging from 4 wt% to 8 wt%, very low sulfur (<1 wt%) content and high viscosity. The viscosities of the oils appeared to be a function of both the source of litter and the pyrolysis temperature. The biochar yield ranged from 27 wt% to 40 wt% depending on the source, age and composition of the poultry litter. The biochar ash content ranged from 24 wt% to 54 wt% and was very rich in inorganic components such as potassium and phosphorous.

Reducing phosphorus runoff and inhibiting ammonia loss from poultry manure with aluminum sulfate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, P.A. Jr.; Daniel, T.C.; Edwards, D.R.

Applications of aluminum sulfate (Al{sub 2}(SO{sub 4}){sub 3} {center_dot} 14H{sub 2}O), commonly referred to as alum, to poultry litter have been shown to decrease P runoff from lands fertilized with litter and to inhibit NH{sub 3} volatilization. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of alum applications in commercial broiler houses on: (1) NH{sub 3} volatilization (in-house), (2) poultry production, (3) litter chemistry, and (4) P runoff following litter application. Two farms were used for this study: one had six poultry houses and the other had four. The litter in half of the houses at each farmmore » was treated with alum; the other houses were controls. Alum was applied at a rate of 1,816 kg/house, which corresponded to 0.091 kg/bird. Each year the houses were cleaned in the spring and the litter was broadcast onto paired watersheds in tall fescue at each farm. Results from this study showed that alum applications lowered the litter pH, particularly during the first 3 to 4 wk of each growout. Reductions in litter pH resulted in less NH{sub 3} volatilization, which led to reductions in atmospheric NH{sub 3} in the alum-treated houses. Broilers grown on alum-treated litter were significantly heavier than controls (1.73 kg vs. 1.66 kg). Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations in runoff from pastures fertilized with alum-treated litter averaged 73% lower than that from normal litter throughout a 3-yr period. These results indicate that alum-treatment of poultry litter is a very effective best management practice that reduces nonpoint source pollution while it increases agricultural productivity.« less

Assessment of frequent litter amendment application on ammonia emission from broilers operations.

PubMed

Li, Hong; Lin, Chongyang; Collier, Stephen; Brown, William; White-Hansen, Susan

2013-04-01

Litter amendments have been used to control the ammonia (NH3) emission from the broiler litter during the brooding period. One of the commercially available litter amendments, sodium bisulfate, was frequently applied on the litter with two different rates on weekly basis in a laboratory setup and with a single rate on biweekly basis under field conditions. Repeated application ofsodium bisulfate led to significant reduction in NH3 emissions from broilers. The magnitude of NH3 emission reduction increases with the application rate of sodium bisulfate. The reduction rates of cumulative emissions with 366 g/wk-m2 (75 lb/wk-1000 ft) rate (from 14% to 64.5%) were higher than the reduction rate of 183 g/wk-m2 (37.5 lb/wk-1000 ft2) rate (from 0% to 55%) from 28 to 61 days of age. The cumulative NH3 emission was reduced by 51.7% with 244 g/2 wk-m2 (50 lb/2 wk-1000 ft2) rate over a three-flockperiod (8-wk average grow-out per flock) under field production conditions. Sodium bisulfate application showed no significant difference on body weight and feed conversion efficiency. However, footpad quality was significantly improved by sodium bisulfate application. Litter pH and ammonia nitrogen level of the litter were decreased by sodium bisulfate application with both rates. Organic and total nitrogen contents in the litter were higher, whereas less nitrogen was emitted as NH3. The laboratory-scale findings of emission reduction by the additives should be considered to be preliminary if the additives are to be applied under commercial production settings. This work demonstrated that frequent litter amendment application can be used to reduce NH3 emissions from broiler houses, with no adverse effect on the animal production performances. The NH3 reduction rates could vary with different application frequencies and rates. Using litter amendment during broiler grow-out to lower NH3 emissions should be applicable to boiler production systems. The results of this study also contribute to the baseline data for improving the national air emissions inventory for livestock and poultry production facilities.

Subsurface application enhances benefits of manure redistribution

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sustainable nutrient management requires redistribution of livestock manure from nutrient-excess areas to nutrient-deficit areas. Field experiments were conducted to assess agronomic and environmental effects of different poultry litter application methods (surface vs. subsurface) and timings (fall ...

Long-term applications of untreated and alum-treated poultry litter drive soil nitrogen concentrations and associated microbial community dynamics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aluminum sulfate (alum)-treatment retains ammonia in poultry litter, potentially altering nitrogen cycling after application to soil. The objective of this research was to assess if eight and nine years of annual application of untreated or alum-treated poultry litters or ammonium nitrate have resul...

Ammonia volatilization from surface-applied poultry litter under conservation tillage management practices.

PubMed

Sharpe, R R; Schomberg, H H; Harper, L A; Endale, D M; Jenkins, M B; Franzluebbers, A J

2004-01-01

Land application of poultry litter can provide essential plant nutrients for crop production, but ammonia (NH(3)) volatilization from the litter can be detrimental to the environment. A multiseason study was conducted to quantify NH(3) volatilization rates from surface-applied poultry litter under no-till and paraplowed conservation tillage managements. Litter was applied to supply 90 to 140 kg N ha(-1). Evaluation of NH(3) volatilization was determined using gas concentrations and the flux-gradient gas transport technique using the momentum balance transport coefficient. Ammonia fluxes ranged from 3.3 to 24% of the total N applied during the winter and summer, respectively. Ammonia volatilization was rapid immediately after litter application and stopped within 7 to 8 d. Precipitation of 17 mm essentially halted volatilization, probably by transporting litter N into the soil matrix. Application of poultry to conservation-tilled cropland immediately before rainfall events would reduce N losses to the atmosphere but could also increase NO(3) leaching and runoff to streams and rivers.

Nutritional and physical properties of organic Beauregard sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.)] as influenced by broiler litter application rate

PubMed Central

Gichuhi, Peter N; Kpomblekou-A, Kokoasse; Bovell-Benjamin, Adelia C

2014-01-01

Organic farming has been on an upward trend in recent years. However, the manures used like broiler litter have variable nutrient content, making it important to establish optimal application rate, for maximum crop yield and quality. Additionally, some states like Alabama restricts the amount of broiler litter to control excessive nutrients accumulation which can lead to surface and ground water contamination. The current study evaluated the effect of broiler litter at rates 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 t ha−1 (treatments T0, T0.5, T1, T2, and T3), on the nutritional and physical properties of Beauregard sweet potato. Analyses were performed to determine moisture, ash, fiber, vitamin C, and β-carotene contents using oven, muffler furnace, dye, and spectrophotometric methods; texture; and color using compressive strength and L, a, b system, respectively. Ash content of the samples ranged from 0.9% to 1.4% with a very strong positive linear correlation (r = 0.9) to the broiler litter rate. However, vitamin C had a quadratic relationship with the broiler litter rate with a peaking at T0.5 (15.5 mg/100 g). The yellow color (b-value) also had a strong linear relationship with the broiler litter rate (r = 0.86). However, the other measures showed moderate, weak, or negligible correlations to the broiler litter level. T0.5 had the highest β-carotene (262.0 μg/g), dry matter contents and had the most firm (0.040 kN) sweet potatoes with the deepest orange color (L = 60.7). Based on the study's findings, 0.5 t ha−1 appeared to be appropriate level of broiler litter, which is consistent with Alabama's law and is also advantageous in terms of low cost of farming practices and water pollution reduction. PMID:25473490

Comparison of different methods for the in situ measurement of forest litter moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schunk, C.; Ruth, B.; Leuchner, M.; Wastl, C.; Menzel, A.

2015-06-01

Dead fine fuel (e.g. litter) moisture content is an important parameter for both forest fire and ecological applications as it is related to ignitability, fire behavior as well as soil respiration. However, the comprehensive literature review in this paper shows that there is no easy-to-use method for automated measurements available. This study investigates the applicability of four different sensor types (permittivity and electrical resistance measuring principles) for this measurement. Comparisons were made to manual gravimetric reference measurements carried out almost daily for one fire season and overall agreement was good (highly significant correlations with 0.792 ≦ r ≦ 0.947). Standard deviations within sensor types were linearly correlated to daily sensor mean values; however, above a certain threshold they became irregular, which may be linked to exceedance of the working ranges. Thus, measurements with irregular standard deviations were considered unusable and calibrations of all individual sensors were compared for useable periods. A large drift in the sensor raw value-litter moisture-relationship became obvious from drought to drought period. This drift may be related to installation effects or settling and decomposition of the litter layer throughout the fire season. Because of the drift and the in situ calibration necessary, it cannot be recommended to use the methods presented here for monitoring purposes. However, they may be interesting for scientific studies when some manual fuel moisture measurements are made anyway. Additionally, a number of potential methodological improvements are suggested.

An Application of the Phosphorus Consistent Rule for Environmentally Acceptable Cost-Efficient Management of Broiler Litter in Crop Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paudel, Krishna P.; Limaye, Ashutosh; Adhikari, Murali; Martin, Neil R., Jr.

2004-01-01

We calculated the profitability of using broiler litter as a source of plant nutrients using the phosphorus consistent litter application rule. The cost saving by using litter is 37% over the use of chemical fertilizer-only option to meet the nutrient needs of major crops grown in Alabama. In the optimal solution, only a few routes of all the possible routes developed were used for inter- and intra- county litter hauling. If litter is not adopted as the sole source of crop nutrients, the best environmental policy may be to pair the phosphorus consistent rule with taxes, marketable permits, and subsidies.flaws

Stable fly, house fly (Diptera: Muscidae), and other nuisance fly development in poultry litter associated with horticultural crop production.

PubMed

Cook, D F; Dadour, I R; Keals, N J

1999-12-01

Poultry litter usage in horticultural crop production is a contributor to nuisance fly populations, in particular stable flies (Stomoxys calcitrans L.) and house flies (Musca domestica L.). Extrapolation of adult emergence data suggests that approximately 1.5 million house flies and 0.2 million stable flies are emerging on average from every hectare of poultry litter applied as a preplant fertilizer for vegetable production in Perth, Western Australia. To a lesser extent, sideband applications to established crops may allow for the development of 0.5 million house flies and 45,000 stable flies per hectare. However, up to 1 million house flies, 0.45 million lesser house flies, Fannia cannicularis L., and 11,000 stable flies per hectare may be produced from surface dressings of poultry litter associated with turf production. Other nuisance flies present in poultry litter included the false stable fly, Muscina stabulans (Fallén), bluebodied blowfly, Calliphora dubia Hardy, black carrion fly, Hydrotaea rostrata Robineau-Desvoidy, Australian sheep blowfly, Lucilia cuprina Wiedemann, and flesh flies (Sarcophagidae). Only house flies developed in poultry litter for the first 4 d after application in the field. Stable flies were not present in poultry litter until 4-7 d after application, and were the only fly species developing in litter > 9 d after application.

Application of composted poultry litter as a fertilizer for landscape bedding plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Each year, over 16 million tons of poultry litter is produced in the U.S. Federal and state regulations now limit the amount of poultry litter that can be land-applied, making it difficult to store and dispose poultry litter. The objective of this study was to evaluate composted poultry litter (CPL)...

Influence of in-house composting of reused litter on litter quality, ammonia volatilisation and incidence of broiler foot pad dermatitis.

PubMed

Martins, R S; Hötzel, M J; Poletto, R

2013-01-01

1. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the residual effects of two windrow composting methods for reused litter on its quality (pH, moisture, ammonia), ammonia (NH3) volatilisation and the prevalence (scores 0-4) of foot pad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB) on d 1, 7, 14 and 21 of age in broilers. Litter was allowed to compost for 8 d within a 14-d interval between flocks. 2. The composting methods studied were with or without a PVC plastic sheet. The same procedures were applied for three consecutive flocks, with litter initially having been used for 12 flocks. Data were analysed with a mixed model of repeated measures of day, with main effects and interactions of day, composting method, litter age (block) and house nested within method. 3. At d 1, litter NH3 and NH3 volatilisation were higher in the covered litter method. Litter moisture increased to 45.3% as broilers aged. The incidence of FPD also increased with age. No signs of HB were found in any bird throughout the trials. 4. There was no effect of litter composting methods on the prevalence of FPD or body weight at any age. 5. Litter moisture should be controlled to avoid NH3 volatilisation reaching critical levels. Windrow composting of litter with a PVC plastic sheet may not be required when considering the broiler housing environment.

Soybean yield and nutrient utilization following long-term pelletized broiler litter application to cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broiler litter may have long-lasting plant growth benefits after application is terminated. A study was conducted to determine the residual effects of pelletized litter relative to inorganic fertilizer applied to cotton in previous years on growth and yield of soybean. Experimental design was a rand...

Effect of Fresh Poultry Litter and Compost on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carr, Stacy; Tsegaye, Teferi; Coleman, Tommy

1998-01-01

Application of poultry litter and compost as a substitute for fertilizer not only uses unwanted waste and decreases expenditures for commercial fertilizer, it adds nutrients to soil for plant uptake. The properties of soil affected by poultry litter were analyzed to determine the positive and negative aspects of using this substitute fertilizer. This study focused on changes associated with saturated hydraulic conductivity, bulk density, nitrate concentrations, and pH after application of varying concentrations of poultry litter and compost. Soil samples from Tennessee Valley Substation in Alabama were analyzed in a laboratory at Alabama A&M University. As a result of the application of fresh poultry litter and compost, we found that the saturated hydraulic conductivity increased and the bulk density decreased, while the pH was generally not affected. Using poultry litter and compost as an alternative commercial fertilizers could be adapted by the farming community to protect the sustainability of our environment. Unwanted waste is used productively and soil is enriched for farming.

Ammonia emissions factors from broiler litter in barns, in storage, and after land application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ammonia (NH3) emissions from poultry litter can cause high levels of NH3 in poultry rearing facilities, as well as atmospheric pollution. The objectives of this study were to: (1) measure NH3 emissions from litter in broiler houses, during storage and following land application, and (2) conduct a m...

Water quality benefits of subsurface-banded poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broiler chicken production is an important industry in Alabama and several other states. Broiler litter is commonly used as a fertilizer on pastures and cropland. This litter has commonly been land-applied near the broiler houses and this has resulted in long-term repeated application of litter to...

Microbial biomass and soil carbon after 8 and 9 years of field applications of alum-treated and untreated poultry litter and inorganic nitrogen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Amendment with aluminum sulfate (alum) is considered a best management practice for its benefits in poultry production and increased retention of nutrients in the litter. However, little is known about how long-term applications of alum-treated litter to soil will affect the microbial community and ...

Runoff quality from no-till cotton fertilized with broiler litter in subsurface bands.

PubMed

Adeli, A; Tewolde, H; Shankle, M W; Way, T R; Brooks, J P; McLaughlin, M R

2013-01-01

Surface broadcast of broiler litter to no-till row crops exposes the litter and its nutrients to risks of loss in runoff water and volatilization and may limit the potential benefit of litter to the crops. Subsurface banding of litter could alleviate these risks. A field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 on an upland Falkner silt loam soil to determine the effect of broiler litter placement on runoff nutrient losses from no-till cotton ( L.). Treatments included surface broadcast broiler litter applied manually, subsurface-banded litter applied by tractor-drawn equipment, and no broiler litter, all in combination with or without winter wheat ( L.) cover crop residue. Broiler litter rate was 5.6 Mg ha. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split-plot arrangement of treatments replicated three times. In 2008, simulated rainfall was used to generate runoff 27 d after litter application. Subsurface-banded litter reduced runoff total C, N, P, NH, NO, Cu, Zn and water-soluble P (WP) concentrations by 72, 64, 51, 49, 70, 36, 65, and 77%, respectively, compared with surface broadcast. The reductions were greater in 2009 where runoff occurred 1 d after litter application. Bacterial runoff was decreased by one log with subsurface-banded litter compared to surface broadcast. Except for C, NH, N, and WP, the presence of winter cover crop residue did not affect the load or runoff nutrient concentrations in either year. The results indicate that subsurface banding litter to no-till cotton substantially reduces nutrient and bacterial losses in runoff compared with surface broadcasting. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Demonstration of a Small Modular BioPower System Using Poultry Litter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John P. Reardon; Art Lilley; Jim Wimberly

2002-05-22

The purpose of this project was to assess poultry grower residue, or litter (manure plus absorbent biomass), as a fuel source for Community Power Corporation's small modular biopower system (SMB). A second objective was to assess the poultry industry to identify potential ''on-site'' applications of the SMB system using poultry litter residue as a fuel source, and to adapt CPC's existing SMB to generate electricity and heat from the poultry litter biomass fuel. Bench-scale testing and pilot testing were used to gain design information for the SMB retrofit. System design approach for the Phase II application of the SMB wasmore » the goal of Phase I testing. Cost estimates for an onsite poultry litter SMB were prepared. Finally, a market estimate was prepared for implementation of the on-farm SMB using poultry litter.« less

Soil with a short history of poultry litter fertilization remains superior to normally fertilized soil for cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Research has shown poultry litter is a superior fertilizer for cotton and other row crops. The productivity of soil that had received poultry litter as a fertilizer is not known after cessation of litter application and returning to conventional fertilization with inorganic fertilizers. This study ...

Bacterial content in runoff from simulated rainfall applied to plots amended with poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To evaluate potential bacterial runoff from poultry litter, litter was applied to test plots and exposed to simulated rainfall 1, 8 or 15 d after litter application. Runoff samples were tested for Salmonella and Campylobacter, two bacterial pathogens commonly associated with poultry, as well as com...

Hyperspectral remote sensing tools for quantifying plant litter and invasive species in arid ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nagler, Pamela L.; Sridhar, B.B. Maruthi; Olsson, Aaryn Dyami; Glenn, Edward P.; van Leeuwen, Willem J.D.; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Huete, Alfredo; Lyon, John G.

2012-01-01

Green vegetation can be distinguished using visible and infrared multi-band and hyperspectral remote sensing methods. The problem has been in identifying and distinguishing the non-photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) landscape components, such as litter and soils, and from green vegetation. Additionally, distinguishing different species of green vegetation is challenging using the relatively few bands available on most satellite sensors. This chapter focuses on hyperspectral remote sensing characteristics that aim to distinguish between green vegetation, soil, and litter (or senescent vegetation). Quantifying litter by remote sensing methods is important in constructing carbon budgets of natural and agricultural ecosystems. Distinguishing between plant types is important in tracking the spread of invasive species. Green leaves of different species usually have similar spectra, making it difficult to distinguish between species. However, in this chapter we show that phenological differences between species can be used to detect some invasive species by their distinct patterns of greening and dormancy over an annual cycle based on hyperspectral data. Both applications require methods to quantify the non-green cellulosic fractions of plant tissues by remote sensing even in the presence of soil and green plant cover. We explore these methods and offer three case studies. The first concerns distinguishing surface litter from soil using the Cellulose Absorption Index (CAI), as applied to no-till farming practices where plant litter is left on the soil after harvest. The second involves using different band combinations to distinguish invasive saltcedar from agricultural and native riparian plants on the Lower Colorado River. The third illustrates the use of the CAI and NDVI in time-series analyses to distinguish between invasive buffelgrass and native plants in a desert environment in Arizona. Together the results show how hyperspectral imagery can be applied to solve problems that are not amendable to solution by the simple band combinations normally used in remote sensing.

Application of gypsum to control P runoff from poultry litter fertilization of pasture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper will discuss the utilization of gypsum (CaSO4 .2H2O) to reduce P losses from surface runoff when poultry litter is used as a fertilizer source in agriculture. Utilization of poultry litter as a fertilizer source is common in regions with intense poultry production. While poultry litter ...

Evaluation of broiler litter transportation in northern Alabama, USA.

PubMed

Paudel, Krishna P; Adhikari, Murali; Martin, Neil R

2004-10-01

The profitability of using broiler litter as a source of crop nutrients was calculated using a phosphorus-consistent litter application rule. A ton of litter can cost effectively be transported up to 164 miles from the production facility. A cost-minimizing phosphorus-consistent transportation model developed to meet the nutrient needs of 29 counties in northern Alabama revealed that not all of the litter can be utilized in the region. The total cost increased when transportation of the litter out of the heavily surplus counties was prioritized. Total litter use was minimally affected by changes in chemical fertilizer prices. Shadow prices indicated the robustness of the model.

Litter composition effects on decomposition across the litter-soil interface

EPA Science Inventory

Background/Question/Methods Many studies have investigated the influence of plant litter species composition on decomposition dynamics, but given the variety of communities and environments around the world, a variety of consequences of litter-mixing have been reported. Litter ...

Microbiological and chemical properties of litter from different chicken types and production systems.

PubMed

Omeira, N; Barbour, E K; Nehme, P A; Hamadeh, S K; Zurayk, R; Bashour, I

2006-08-15

Chicken litter is produced in large quantities from all types of poultry raising activities. It is primarily used for land application, thus it is essential to analyze its properties before it is released to the environment. The objective of this study is to compare the microbiological and chemical properties of litter generated from layer and broiler chickens reared under intensive and free-range production systems. The microbiological analysis consisted of the enumeration of total bacteria, total coliforms, Staphylococcus species, Salmonella species and Clostridium perfringens. Chicken litter from layers reared under intensive and free range systems showed lower mean total bacterial count than the litter collected from chicken broilers reared under either of the two systems (P=0.0291). The litter from intensive layers had the lowest mean total coliform counts (P=0.0222) while the lowest Staphylococcus species count was observed in the litter from free-range layers (P=0.0077). The C. perfringens count was the lowest in chicken litter from intensively raised broilers and layers (P=0.0001). The chemical properties of litter from the different chicken types and production systems were compared based on determination of pH, electrical conductivity, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, cadmium and zinc. Litter from free-range broilers showed the highest pH value (P=0.0005); however, the electrical conductivity was higher in the litter from both intensive and free-range layers compared to the litter from both broiler production systems (P=0.0117). Chicken litter from intensive systems had higher nitrogen content than litter from free-range systems (P=0.0000). The total phosphorus was the lowest in free-range broiler litter (P=0.0001), while the total potassium was the lowest in litter from intensively managed broilers (P=0.0000). Zinc appeared higher in litter from layers compared to that from broilers (P=0.0101). The cadmium content was higher in the litter from free-range broilers and layers compared to that in the litter from intensively managed systems (P=0.0439). Staphylococcus species in the litter as well as cadmium concentrations seem to be the most critical parameters presenting risks on the environment and on human health. Based on the lowest coliform counts (an indication of water pollution), the high nutrient levels and the low cadmium values, litter from intensively managed layers appears as the most suitable for application on agricultural soils.

Economic analysis of anaerobic soil disinfestation treatments for tomato production in southwest and north Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The approach of anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) in Florida, a method for pre-plant soil treatment, consists of combining the application of the molasses (C source) with the application of composted poultry litter (CPL) as an organic amendment. However, CPL is not always available locally and is...

Nutrient loss in leachate and surface runoff from surface-broadcast and subsurface-banded broiler litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Subsurface band application of poultry litter has been shown to reduce the transport of nutrients from fields in surface runoff, compared to the conventional surface broadcast application. Little in situ research has been conducted to determine effects of surface broadcast application and subsurfac...

Residual effect of poultry litter applications on no-till cotton lint yield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In no-till cotton production systems, the potential residual benefits from prior years of poultry litter application are not well known. This study investigated the productivity of no-till cotton fertilized or unfertilized with synthetic N in years subsequent to the last application of suboptimal po...

Effect of surface incorporation of broiler litter applied to no-till cotton on runoff quality.

PubMed

Adeli, A; Shankle, M W; Tewolde, H; Brooks, J P; Sistani, K R; McLaughlin, M R; Rowe, D E

2011-01-01

Surface application of broiler litter to no-till cotton could lead to degradation of water quality. Incorporation of broiler litter into the top surface soil (0.05 m) could alleviate this risk. A 2-yr field study was conducted on a silt loam upland soil to determine the effect of incorporation of broiler litter into the soil surface on nutrient and bacterial transport in runoff. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four treatments and three replications. Treatments were (i) unfertilized control; (ii) surface-appliedbroiler litter at 7.8 Mg ha(-1) without incorporation; (iii) surface-applied broiler litter at 7.8 Mg ha(-1) with immediate incorporation; and (iv) inorganic fertilizer N (urea ammonium nitrate, 32% N) and inorganic fertilizer P (triple superphosphate) at the recommended rate. Phosphorus was surface appliedat 25 kg ha(-1) and N was injected at 101 kg ha(-1) into the soil using a commercial liquid fertilizer applicator. Runoff was collected from small runoff plots (2.4 m by 1.6 m) established at the bottom side of main plots (13.7 m by 6.0 m). Incorporation of broiler litter reduced total N (TN), NO3-N, water soluble P (WSP), and total P (TP) concentrations in runoffby 35, 25, 61, and 64%, respectively, and litter-associated bacteria by two to three orders of magnitude compared with unincorporated treatment. No significant difference in total suspended solids (TSS) in runoffwas obtained between incorporated and unincorporated treatments. Incorporation of broiler litter into the surface soil in the no-till system immediately after application minimized the potential risk for surface nutrient losses and bacteria transport in runoff.

Combination of different methods to assess the fate of lignin in decomposing needle and leave litter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klotzbücher, Thimo; Filley, Timothy; Kaiser, Klaus; Kalbitz, Karsten

2010-05-01

Lignin is a major component of plant litter. However, its fate during litter decay is still poorly understood. One reason is the difficult analysis. Commonly used methods utilize different methodological approaches and focus on different aspects, e.g., content of lignin and/or of lignin-derived phenols and the degree of oxidation. The comparability and feasibility of the methods has not been tested so far. Our aims were: (1) to compare different methods with respect to track lignin degradation during plant litter decay and (2) to evaluate possible advantages of combining the different results. We assessed lignin degradation in decaying litter by 13C-TMAH thermochemolysis and CuO oxidation (each combined with GC/MS) and by determination of acid-detergent lignin (ADL) combined with near infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, water-extractable organic matter produced during litter decay was examined for indicators of lignin-derived compounds by UV absorbance at 280 nm, fluorescence spectroscopy, and 13C-TMAH GC/MS. The study included litter samples from 5 different tree species (acer, ash, beech, pine, spruce), exposed in litterbags to degradation in a spruce stand for 27 months. First results suggested stronger lignin degradation in coniferous than in deciduous litter. This was indicated by complementary results from various methods: Conifer litter showed a more pronounced decrease in ADL content and a stronger increase in oxidation degree of side chains (Ac/Al ratios of CuO oxidation and 13C-TMAH products). Furthermore water extracted organic matter from needles showed a higher aromaticity and molecule complexity. Thus properties of water extractable organic matter seemed to reflect the extents of lignin degradation in solid litter samples. Contents of lignin-derived phenols determined with the CuO method (VSC content) hardly changed during decay of needles and leaves. These results thus not matched the trends found with the ADL method. Our results suggested that water-soluble phenolic acids that are included in the CuO oxidation products, accumulated during decay of litter with less stable lignin and then contributed to VSC contents and to the pool of water- extractable organic matter. By combining results from different methods we gained a better understanding about the differences in lignin degradation between the litter species.

Toxicity of iron oxide nanoparticles to grass litter decomposition in a sandy soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashid, Muhammad Imtiaz; Shahzad, Tanvir; Shahid, Muhammad; Imran, Muhammad; Dhavamani, Jeyakumar; Ismail, Iqbal M. I.; Basahi, Jalal M.; Almeelbi, Talal

2017-02-01

We examined time-dependent effect of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) at a rate of 2000 mg kg-1 soil on Cynodon dactylon litter (3 g kg-1) decomposition in an arid sandy soil. Overall, heterotrophic cultivable bacterial and fungal colonies, and microbial biomass carbon were significantly decreased in litter-amended soil by the application of nanoparticles after 90 and 180 days of incubation. Time dependent effect of nanoparticles was significant for microbial biomass in litter-amended soil where nanoparticles decreased this variable from 27% after 90 days to 49% after 180 days. IONPs decreased CO2 emission by 28 and 30% from litter-amended soil after 90 and 180 days, respectively. These observations indicated that time-dependent effect was not significant on grass-litter carbon mineralization efficiency. Alternatively, nanoparticles application significantly reduced mineral nitrogen content in litter-amended soil in both time intervals. Therefore, nitrogen mineralization efficiency was decreased to 60% after 180 days compared to that after 90 days in nanoparticles grass-litter amended soil. These effects can be explained by the presence of labile Fe in microbial biomass after 180 days in nanoparticles amendment. Hence, our results suggest that toxicity of IONPs to soil functioning should consider before recommending their use in agro-ecosystems.

Comparison of the abundance and composition of litter fauna in tropical and subalpine forests

Treesearch

G. Gonzalez; T.R. Seastedt

2000-01-01

In this study, we quantify the abundance and composition of the litter fauna in dry and wet tropical forests and north- and south-facing subalpine forests. We used the same litter species contained in litterbags across study sites to standardize for substrate conditions, and a single method of fauna extraction from the litter (Tullgren method). Fauna densities were...

Soil and foliar nutrient and nitrogen isotope composition (δ(15)N) at 5 years after poultry litter and green waste biochar amendment in a macadamia orchard.

PubMed

Bai, Shahla Hosseini; Xu, Cheng-Yuan; Xu, Zhihong; Blumfield, Timothy J; Zhao, Haitao; Wallace, Helen; Reverchon, Frédérique; Van Zwieten, Lukas

2015-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate the improvement in soil fertility and plant nutrient use in a macadamia orchard following biochar application. The main objectives of this study were to assess the effects of poultry litter and green waste biochar applications on nitrogen (N) cycling using N isotope composition (δ(15)N) and nutrient availability in a soil-plant system at a macadamia orchard, 5 years following application. Biochar was applied at 10 t ha(-1) dry weight but concentrated within a 3-m diameter zone when trees were planted in 2007. Soil and leaf samples were collected in 2012, and both soil and foliar N isotope composition (δ(15)N) and nutrient concentrations were assessed. Both soil and foliar δ(15)N increased significantly in the poultry litter biochar plots compared to the green waste biochar and control plots. A significant relationship was observed between soil and plant δ(15)N. There was no influence of either biochars on foliar total N concentrations or soil NH4 (+)-N and NO3 (-)-N, which suggested that biochar application did not pose any restriction for plant N uptake. Plant bioavailable phosphorus (P) was significantly higher in the poultry litter biochar treatment compared to the green waste biochar treatment and control. We hypothesised that the bioavailability of N and P content of poultry litter biochar may play an important role in increasing soil and plant δ(15)N and P concentrations. Biochar application affected soil-plant N cycling and there is potential to use soil and plant δ(15)N to investigate N cycling in a soil-biochar-tree crop system. The poultry litter biochar significantly increased soil fertility compared to the green waste biochar at 5 years following biochar application which makes the poultry litter a better feedstock to produce biochar compared to green waste for the tree crops.

Comparison of four sampling methods for the detection of Salmonella in broiler litter.

PubMed

Buhr, R J; Richardson, L J; Cason, J A; Cox, N A; Fairchild, B D

2007-01-01

Experiments were conducted to compare litter sampling methods for the detection of Salmonella. In experiment 1, chicks were challenged orally with a suspension of naladixic acid-resistant Salmonella and wing banded, and additional nonchallenged chicks were placed into each of 2 challenge pens. Nonchallenged chicks were placed into each nonchallenge pen located adjacent to the challenge pens. At 7, 8, 10, and 11 wk of age the litter was sampled using 4 methods: fecal droppings, litter grab, drag swab, and sock. For the challenge pens, Salmonella-positive samples were detected in 3 of 16 fecal samples, 6 of 16 litter grab samples, 7 of 16 drag swabs samples, and 7 of 16 sock samples. Samples from the nonchallenge pens were Salmonella positive in 2 of 16 litter grab samples, 9 of 16 drag swab samples, and 9 of 16 sock samples. In experiment 2, chicks were challenged with Salmonella, and the litter in the challenge and adjacent nonchallenge pens were sampled at 4, 6, and 8 wk of age with broilers remaining in all pens. For the challenge pens, Salmonella was detected in 10 of 36 fecal samples, 20 of 36 litter grab samples, 14 of 36 drag swab samples, and 26 of 36 sock samples. Samples from the adjacent nonchallenge pens were positive for Salmonella in 6 of 36 fecal droppings samples, 4 of 36 litter grab samples, 7 of 36 drag swab samples, and 19 of 36 sock samples. Sock samples had the highest rates of Salmonella detection. In experiment 3, the litter from a Salmonella-challenged flock was sampled at 7, 8, and 9 wk by socks and drag swabs. In addition, comparisons with drag swabs that were stepped on during sampling were made. Both socks (24 of 36, 67%) and drag swabs that were stepped on (25 of 36, 69%) showed significantly more Salmonella-positive samples than the traditional drag swab method (16 of 36, 44%). Drag swabs that were stepped on had comparable Salmonella detection level to that for socks. Litter sampling methods that incorporate stepping on the sample material while in contact with the litter appear to detect Salmonella in greater incidence than traditional sampling methods of dragging swabs over the litter surface.

Identification of a practical and reliable method for the evaluation of litter moisture in turkey production.

PubMed

Vinco, L J; Giacomelli, S; Campana, L; Chiari, M; Vitale, N; Lombardi, G; Veldkamp, T; Hocking, P M

2018-02-01

1. An experiment was conducted to compare 5 different methods for the evaluation of litter moisture. 2. For litter collection and assessment, 55 farms were selected, one shed from each farm was inspected and 9 points were identified within each shed. 3. For each device, used for the evaluation of litter moisture, mean and standard deviation of wetness measures per collection point were assessed. 4. The reliability and overall consistency between the 5 instruments used to measure wetness were high (α = 0.72). 5. Measurement of three out of the 9 collection points were sufficient to provide a reliable assessment of litter moisture throughout the shed. 6. Based on the direct correlation between litter moisture and footpad lesions, litter moisture measurement can be used as a resource based on-farm animal welfare indicator. 7. Among the 5 methods analysed, visual scoring is the most simple and practical, and therefore the best candidate to be used on-farm for animal welfare assessment.

Inorganic fertilizers after broiler litter amendment reduce surplus nutrients in orchardgrass soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The common producer practice to dispose of broiler litter at high rates to forage crops allow excessive accumulation of soil nutrients. A remediation study was developed to examine if inorganic fertilizer application over the residual fertility of broiler litter would reduce surplus soil nutrients i...

Runoff water quality from broiler litter-amended tall fescue in response to natural precipitation in the Ozark Highlands.

PubMed

Menjoulet, B C; Brye, K R; Pirani, A L; Haggard, B E; Gbur, E E

2009-01-01

The Arkansas poultry industry produced more than 1.2 billion broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) and generated approximately 1.3 million Mg of broiler litter in 2002. High transportation costs of relocating broiler litter have led to annual land applications near poultry houses, increasing concern for potential surface water contamination from runoff. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of broiler litter application rate on runoff water quality in response to natural precipitation. Six plots (1.5 by 6.0 m), located on a Captina silt loam (finesilty, siliceous, active, mesic Typic Fragiudult), were amended with fresh broiler litter at 0, 5.6, and 11.2 Mg ha(-1) (control, low, and high litter treatments, respectively) once annually for 4 yr (May 2003 through April 2007). Runoff collected after each runoff-producing event was analyzed for soluble nutrients and metals. Cumulative runoff did not differ among litter treatments over the 4-yr study. At times, flow-weighted mean (FWM) concentrations of As from all litter treatments exceeded the maximum contaminant level for drinking water (0.01 mg As L(-1)). Four-year FWM Fe concentrations and runoff losses were greater (P < 0.05) from the high than from the low litter treatment and unamended control, and the 4-yr FWM P concentration from the low litter treatment (3.0 mg L(-1)) was greater than that from the unamended control (1.8 mg L(-1)). Since precipitation is temporally variable, evaluating runoff water quality in response to natural precipitation over several years is key to ascertaining the long-term impacts of surface-applied soil amendments like broiler litter.

Using column experiments to examine transport of As and other trace elements released from poultry litter: Implications for trace element mobility in agricultural watersheds.

PubMed

Oyewumi, Oluyinka; Schreiber, Madeline E

2017-08-01

Trace elements are added to poultry feed to control infection and improve weight gain. However, the fate of these trace elements in poultry litter is poorly understood. Because poultry litter is applied as fertilizer in many agricultural regions, evaluation of the environmental processes that influence the mobility of litter-derived trace elements is critical for predicting if trace elements are retained in soil or released to water. This study examined the effect of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in poultry litter leachate on the fate and transport of litter-derived elements (As, Cu, P and Zn) using laboratory column experiments with soil collected from the Delmarva Peninsula (Mid-Atlantic, USA), a region of intense poultry production. Results of the experiments showed that DOC enhanced the mobility of all of the studied elements. However, despite the increased mobility, 60-70% of Zn, As and P mass was retained within the soil. In contrast, almost all of the Cu was mobilized in the litter leachate experiments, with very little retention in soil. Overall, our results demonstrate that the mobility of As, Cu, Zn and P in soils which receive poultry litter application is strongly influenced by both litter leachate composition, specifically organic acids, and adsorption to soil. Results have implications for understanding fate and transport of trace elements released from litter application to soil water and groundwater, which can affect both human health and the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A field study of tundra plant litter decomposition rate via mass loss and carbon dioxide emission: the role of biotic and abiotic controls, biotope, season of year, and spatial-temporal scale].

PubMed

Pochikalov, A V; Karelin, D V

2014-01-01

Although many recently published original papers and reviews deal with plant matter decomposition rates and their controls, we are still very short in understanding of these processes in boreal and high latiude plant communities, especially in permafrost areas of our planet. First and foremost, this is holds true for winter period. Here, we present the results of 2-year field observations in south taiga and south shrub tundra ecosystems in European Russia. We pioneered in simultaneous application of two independent methods: classic mass loss estimation by litter-bag technique, and direct measurement of CO2 emission (respiration) of the same litter bags with different types of dead plant matter. Such an approach let us to reconstruct intra-seasonal dynamics of decomposition rates of the main tundra litter fractions with high temporal resolution, to estimate the partial role of different seasons and defragmentation in the process of plant matter decomposition, and to determine its factors under different temporal scale.

Soil and leaf litter metaproteomics—a brief guideline from sampling to understanding

PubMed Central

Keiblinger, Katharina M.; Fuchs, Stephan; Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie; Riedel, Katharina

2016-01-01

The increasing application of soil metaproteomics is providing unprecedented, in-depth characterization of the composition and functionality of in situ microbial communities. Despite recent advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry, soil metaproteomics still suffers from a lack of effective and reproducible protein extraction protocols and standardized data analyses. This review discusses the opportunities and limitations of selected techniques in soil-, and leaf litter metaproteomics, and presents a step-by-step guideline on their application, covering sampling, sample preparation, extraction and data evaluation strategies. In addition, we present recent applications of soil metaproteomics and discuss how such approaches, linking phylogenetics and functionality, can help gain deeper insights into terrestrial microbial ecology. Finally, we strongly recommend that to maximize the insights environmental metaproteomics may provide, such methods should be employed within a holistic experimental approach considering relevant aboveground and belowground ecosystem parameters. PMID:27549116

No effect of Bt-transgenic rice litter on the meiobenthos community in field ditches.

PubMed

Liu, Yongbo; Jiang, Wanxiang; Liang, Yuyong; Zhao, Caiyun; Li, Junsheng

2017-06-01

The non-target effect of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to improve the present assessment of Bt-transgenic plants, particularly where crops are cultivated near aquatic ecosystems. We conducted decomposition experiments during two growing seasons to determine the effects of Bt-transgenic rice litter with and without insecticide application on the meiobenthos communities in a field ditch. The community composition of meiobenthos colonised on leaf litter was not significantly different between Bt and non-Bt rice. The abundance of meiobenthos colonising leaves differed between insecticide application and control, and this insecticide effect interacted with rice type. No Bt toxin was detected in field ditch water. Leaf decomposition and nutrient content were comparable for both Bt and non-Bt rice with or without insecticide application. Bt-transgenic rice litter had no effect on the meiobenthos community composition in field ditches, but the chronic persistence of transgenic litter in nature needs to be taken into account at large scales in aquatic ecosystems. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Detection and quantification of ionophore antibiotics in runoff, soil and poultry litter.

PubMed

Sun, Peizhe; Barmaz, Delphine; Cabrera, Miguel L; Pavlostathis, Spyros G; Huang, Ching-Hua

2013-10-18

Ionophore antibiotics (IPAs) are widely used as coccidiostats in poultry and other livestock industries to promote growth and prevent infections. Because most of the ingested IPAs are excreted in poultry litter, which is primarily applied as grassland fertilizer, a significant amount of IPAs can be released into the litter-soil-water environment. A robust analytical method has been developed to quantify IPAs (monensin (MON), salinomycin (SAL) and narasin (NAR)) in complex environmental compartments including surface runoff, soil and poultry litter, with success to minimize matrix interference. The method for water samples involves solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) post-clean up steps. The method for solid samples involves bi-solvent LLE. IPAs were detected by HPLC-MS, with optimized parameters to achieve the highest sensitivity. Nigericin (NIG), an IPA not used in livestock industry, is successfully applied and validated as a surrogate standard. The method recoveries were at 92-95% and 81-85% in runoff samples from unfertilized and litter-fertilized fields, respectively. For solids, the method recoveries were at 93-99% in soils, and 79-83% in poultry litter samples. SAL was detected at up to 22mg/kg and MON and NAR at up to 4mg/kg in broiler litter from different farms. Up to 183μg/kg of MON was detected in litter-fertilized soils. All three IPAs were detected in the rainfall runoff from litter-fertilized lands at concentrations up to 9μg/L. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental concerns of roxarsone in broiler poultry feed and litter in Maryland, USA.

PubMed

Fisher, Daniel J; Yonkos, Lance T; Staver, Kenneth W

2015-02-17

Roxarsone has been used extensively in the broiler chicken industry. We reviewed the environmental concerns of this usage. To summarize, arsenic added to poultry feed as roxarsone ends up in poultry litter. Fresh litter contains predominately roxarsone, whereas aged litter contains predominately inorganic arsenic. Soil arsenic concentrations from long-term poultry litter applications can exceed Maryland arsenic soil background remediation standards. Due to continued soil accumulation, arsenic-amended litter use as fertilizer is thought to be unsustainable. Surface-applied roxarsone-amended litter does not influence deep aquifer arsenic concentrations but is transported as inorganic arsenic to receiving waters and very shallow groundwater after precipitation. Arsenic in some receiving waters and sediments from agriculturally dominated watersheds have levels above established criteria. Arsenic in fish and shellfish is mostly organic. Phosphorus-based nutrient management will tend to limit PL application rates in areas that have over-applied phosphorus relative to crop needs, resulting in decreased rates of arsenic application and accumulation. Despite most arsenic in surface soils being tightly bound, as surface soils become more enriched in arsenic, the potential for downward movement increases but is limited in most soils due to the high capacity for binding of arsenic to clay minerals and oxides of iron and aluminum in subsoil horizons. In 2012, Maryland passed a law banning the use of arsenic additives except nitarsone in poultry feed. In 2013, the USFDA withdrew approval of roxarsone, carbarsone, and arsanilic but is reviewing nitarsone.

Total phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese concentrations in cecil soil through ten years of poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter (PL) is an inexpensive and effective source of plant nutrients. However, over application could result in phosphorus and heavy metal accumulation in soils. A field experiment evaluating PL application to a Cecil soil used for cotton and corn production has been maintained for 10 years...

Effects of forage species and poultry litter application timing on forage preference by horses.

PubMed

Clark, J K; Shanks, B C; Jogan, K S; Philipp, D; Coffey, K P; Jack, N E; Caldwell, J D; Rhein, R T

2016-12-01

Bermudagrass ( L.) is a familiar forage in the equine industry and teff () is gaining popularity as well. However, it is unclear if the application of poultry litter as a fertilizer affects palatability of these forages in horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if forage species and timing of litter application as a fertilizer has an effect on preference by horses. Hay treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial treatment arrangement consisting of teff and bermudagrass harvested after no poultry litter application (NL), poultry litter applied to stubble immediately after removal of the previous cutting (L0), or poultry litter applied 14 d after the previous cutting (L14). Mature, stock-type geldings ( = 5; 480 ± 52.9 kg) were used in this study arranged as a balanced incomplete block design. Horses were offered different combinations of 4 of the 6 total forages daily for 3 d in each of 3 evaluation periods that immediately followed a 10-d adaptation period. Each forage was offered at half of the total daily DMI as measured during the last 5 d of the 10-d adaptation period to encourage selection among the 4 forages. Each hay offered was randomly allocated to a corner and suspended in hay nets over muck buckets in the corners of each stall. Horses were individually housed in 3.6- by 3.6-m indoor stalls with sand bedding and access to 3.6- by 7.6-m outdoor runs. Along with hay, horses were offered oats twice daily at 0.125% of BW at each feeding. Dry matter intake was greater ( < 0.01) for bermudagrass than for teff and for NL and L0 treatments compared with L14 treatments. Horses spent more ( < 0.01) time consuming bermudagrass compared with teff. However, there were no differences ( ≥ 0.25) in time spent consuming hay across litter treatments. Therefore, horses may prefer bermudagrass to teff and later application of poultry litter may affect voluntary intake by horses. However, all forages were mature, which may have impacted total intake and preference.

Optimum poultry litter rates for maximum profit vs. yield in cotton production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cotton lint yield responds well to increasing rates of poultry litter fertilization, but little is known of how optimum rates for yield compare with optimum rates for profit. The objectives of this study were to analyze cotton lint yield response to poultry litter application rates, determine and co...

Grain yield response to poultry litter application under a wheat-soybean double cropping system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter application and double cropping are management practices that could be used with conservation tillage systems to increase yields compared to conventional monocropping systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]...

Methods for estimating litter decomposition. Chapter 8

Treesearch

Noah J. Karberg; Neal A. Scott; Christian P. Giardina

2008-01-01

Litterfall in terrestrial ecosystems represents the primary pathway for nutrient return to soil. Heterotrophic metabolism, facilitated through comminution by small insects and leaching during precipitation events, results in the release of plant litter carbon as CO2 into the atmosphere. The balance between litter inputs and heterotrophic litter...

Test of validity of a dynamic soil carbon model using data from leaf litter decomposition in a West African tropical forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guendehou, G. H. S.; Liski, J.; Tuomi, M.; Moudachirou, M.; Sinsin, B.; Mäkipää, R.

2013-05-01

We evaluated the applicability of the dynamic soil carbon model Yasso07 in tropical conditions in West Africa by simulating the litter decomposition process using as required input into the model litter mass, litter quality, temperature and precipitation collected during a litterbag experiment. The experiment was conducted over a six-month period on leaf litter of five dominant tree species, namely Afzelia africana, Anogeissus leiocarpa, Ceiba pentandra, Dialium guineense and Diospyros mespiliformis in a semi-deciduous vertisol forest in Southern Benin. Since the predictions of Yasso07 were not consistent with the observations on mass loss and chemical composition of litter, Yasso07 was fitted to the dataset composed of global data and the new experimental data from Benin. The re-parameterized versions of Yasso07 had a good predictive ability and refined the applicability of the model in Benin to estimate soil carbon stocks, its changes and CO2 emissions from heterotrophic respiration as main outputs of the model. The findings of this research support the hypothesis that the high variation of litter quality observed in the tropics is a major driver of the decomposition and needs to be accounted in the model parameterization.

Reducing phosphorus runoff and leaching from poultry litter with alum: Twenty-year small plot and paired-watershed studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Treating poultry litter with alum is a best management practice (BMP) for lowering ammonia (NH3) emissions and phosphorus (P) runoff losses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term (20 year) effects of alum-treated and untreated poultry litter applications on P availability, leachi...

Amino compounds in poultry litter, litter-amended pasture soils and grass shoots

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Organic N accounts for 95-98% of total soil N contents with amino compounds (ACs) as major ingredients. But relatively little is known about the effects of poultry litter (PL) application on soil AC pools and turnover. In this work, we determined 21 AC contents in 23 PL samples, 15 soil samples with...

Effects of top-dressing recycled broiler litter on litter production, litter characteristics, and nitrogen mass balance.

PubMed

Coufal, C D; Chavez, C; Niemeyer, P R; Carey, J B

2006-03-01

Top-dressing is a method of broiler litter management in which a thin layer of new, clean litter material is spread over the top of previously used litter prior to placement of a new flock. This fresh layer of bedding material increases the absorptive capacity of the litter and decreases litter caking. Although this practice has been widely used in the poultry industry for many years, no research has been conducted to quantify the effects the practice has on broiler performance, litter production rates, and nutrient content, or the ability of broiler litter to retain manure N and prevent volatilization. An experiment was conducted to quantify these parameters under simulated commercial conditions in a research facility. Nine consecutive flocks of broilers were reared on recycled broiler litter that had previously been used for 9 flocks. Control pens received no litter treatment whereas top-dressed pens received a thin layer of new rice hulls (1 to 2 cm) before the placement of each flock. Nitrogen loss was calculated using the mass balance method. Average broiler performance was not different between the top-dressed and control pens. Top-dressing of litter significantly (P < 0.05) reduced caked litter production compared with control pens in 6 of 9 flocks. However, average total litter production over all 9 flocks was not different between the 2 litter management strategies. In all flocks, litter N content was significantly reduced in top-dressed pens compared with control pens. As a result, litter C:N ratios were significantly higher for pens with top-dressed litter. Differences in N loss between the treatments were not consistent. Average N loss for all flocks was 10.61 and 11.92 g of N/kg of marketed broiler for control and top-dressed pens, respectively, or 20.1 and 22.5% of N inputs, respectively. Based on this experiment, top-dressing of recycled broiler litter would not be recommended as a strategy to reduce the volatilization of N from broiler rearing facilities and, in fact, may actually increase N loss.

A simple mathematical method to estimate ammonia emission from in-house windrowing of poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In house windrowing between flocks is an emerging sanitary management practice to partially disinfect the built-up litter in broiler houses. Windrowing litter results in high litter temperatures that can reduce the risk of transmitting pathogens to next flock. Simultaneously, this practice may also ...

Water addition, evaporation and water holding capacity of poultry litter.

PubMed

Dunlop, Mark W; Blackall, Patrick J; Stuetz, Richard M

2015-12-15

Litter moisture content has been related to ammonia, dust and odour emissions as well as bird health and welfare. Improved understanding of the water holding properties of poultry litter as well as water additions to litter and evaporation from litter will contribute to improved litter moisture management during the meat chicken grow-out. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how management and environmental conditions over the course of a grow-out affect the volume of water A) applied to litter, B) able to be stored in litter, and C) evaporated from litter on a daily basis. The same unit of measurement has been used to enable direct comparison-litres of water per square metre of poultry shed floor area, L/m(2), assuming a litter depth of 5cm. An equation was developed to estimate the amount of water added to litter from bird excretion and drinking spillage, which are sources of regular water application to the litter. Using this equation showed that water applied to litter from these sources changes over the course of a grow-out, and can be as much as 3.2L/m(2)/day. Over a 56day grow-out, the total quantity of water added to the litter was estimated to be 104L/m(2). Litter porosity, water holding capacity and water evaporation rates from litter were measured experimentally. Litter porosity decreased and water holding capacity increased over the course of a grow-out due to manure addition. Water evaporation rates at 25°C and 50% relative humidity ranged from 0.5 to 10L/m(2)/day. Evaporation rates increased with litter moisture content and air speed. Maintaining dry litter at the peak of a grow-out is likely to be challenging because evaporation rates from dry litter may be insufficient to remove the quantity of water added to the litter on a daily basis. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transport of dissolved trace elements in surface runoff and leachate from a coastal plain soil after poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The application of poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter to agricultural soils may exacerbate losses of trace elements in runoff water, an emerging concern to water quality. We evaluated trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium and zinc) in surface runoff and ...

Benthic marine litter in four Gulfs in Greece, Eastern Mediterranean; abundance, composition and source identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koutsodendris, Andreas; Papatheodorou, George; Kougiourouki, Ourania; Georgiadis, Michalis

2008-04-01

The types, abundance, distribution and sources of benthic marine litter found in four Greek Gulfs (Patras, Corinth, Echinades and Lakonikos) were studied using bottom trawl nets. Mean distribution and weight densities range between 72-437 Item/km 2 and 6.7-47.4 kg/km 2. Litter items were sorted into material and usage categories. Plastic litter (56%) is the most dominant material category followed by metal (17%) and glass (11%). Beverage packaging (32%) is the dominant usage category followed by general packaging (28%) and food packaging (21%). Based on the typological results three dominant litter sources were identified; land-based, vessel-based and fishery-based. Application of factor analysis (R- and Q-mode) conducted on both material and usage litter datasets confirmed the existence of the three dominant litter sources. Q-mode analysis further resulted in the quantification of the litter sources; land-based ones provided the majority (69%) of the total litter items followed by vessel-based (26%) and fishery-based (5%) sources. Diverse environmental parameters influence significantly these amounts among the four Gulfs.

The Preparation of Gelatine-Embedded Soil and Litter Sections and Their Application to Some Soil Ecological Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, J. M.

1978-01-01

A method is described for preparing large gelatine-embedded soil sections for ecological studies. Sampling methods reduce structural disturbance of the samples to a minimum and include freezing the samples in the field to kill soil invertebrates in their natural microhabitats. Projects are suggested for upper secondary school students. (Author/BB)

The impact of alum addition on organic P transformations in poultry litter and litter-amended soil.

PubMed

Warren, Jason G; Penn, Chad J; McGrath, Joshua M; Sistani, Karamat

2008-01-01

Poultry litter treatment with alum (Al(2)(SO(4))(3) . 18H(2)O) lowers litter phosphorus (P) solubility and therefore can lower litter P release to runoff after land application. Lower P solubility in litter is generally attributed to aluminum-phosphate complex formation. However, recent studies suggest that alum additions to poultry litter may influence organic P mineralization. Therefore, alum-treated and untreated litters were incubated for 93 d to assess organic P transformations during simulated storage. A 62-d soil incubation was also conducted to determine the fate of incorporated litter organic P, which included alum-treated litter, untreated litter, KH(2)PO(4) applied at 60 mg P kg(-1) of soil, and an unamended control. Liquid-state (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance indicated that phytic acid was the only organic P compound present, accounting for 50 and 45% of the total P in untreated and alum-treated litters, respectively, before incubation and declined to 9 and 37% after 93 d of storage-simulating incubation. Sequential fractionation of litters showed that alum addition to litter transformed 30% of the organic P from the 1.0 mol L(-1) HCl to the 0.1 mol L(-1) NaOH extractable fraction and that both organic P fractions were more persistent in alum-treated litter compared with untreated litter. The soil incubation revealed that 0.1 mol L(-1) NaOH-extractable organic P was more recalcitrant after mixing than was the 1.0 mol L(-1) HCl-extractable organic P. Thus, adding alum to litter inhibits organic P mineralization during storage and promotes the formation of alkaline extractable organic P that sustains lower P solubility in the soil environment.

Evaluating the effects of bedding materials and elevated platforms on contact dermatitis and plumage cleanliness of commercial broilers and on litter condition in broiler houses.

PubMed

Kaukonen, E; Norring, M; Valros, A

2017-10-01

1. Experiment 1, comparing wood shavings and ground straw bedding with peat, was performed on 7 broiler farms over two consecutive batches during the winter season. Experiment 2, assessing the effect of elevated (30 cm) platforms, was conducted in three farms replicated with 6 consecutive batches. 2. Footpad lesions were inspected at slaughter following the Welfare Quality® (WQ) assessment and official programme. Hock lesions, plumage cleanliness and litter condition were assessed using the WQ assessment. Litter height, pH, moisture and ammonia were determined. 3. Footpad condition on wood shavings appeared to be worse compared with peat using both methods of assessment and was accompanied by inferior hock skin health. WQ assessment resulted in poorer footpad and hock skin condition on ground straw compared with peat. Farms differed in footpad and hock skin condition. Footpad and hock lesions were not affected by platform treatment. Peat appeared more friable than ground straw. The initial pH of wood shavings was higher and moisture was lower than in peat, but at the end of production period there were no differences. Ground straw exhibited higher initial and lower end pH, and was drier in the beginning than peat. Litter condition and quality were not affected by platform treatment. 4. This study provides new knowledge about the applicability of peat as broiler bedding and shows no negative effects of elevated platforms on litter condition or the occurrence of contact dermatitis in commercial environments. The results suggest a complicated relationship between litter condition, moisture and contact dermatitis. Furthermore, it is concluded that the farmer's ability to manage litter conditions is important, regardless of the chosen litter material. Peat bedding was beneficial for footpad and hock skin health compared with wood shavings and ground straw.

Impact of animal waste application on runoff water quality in field experimental plots.

PubMed

Hill, Dagne D; Owens, William E; Tchoounwou, Paul B

2005-08-01

Animal waste from dairy and poultry operations is an economical and commonly used fertilizer in the state of Louisiana. The application of animal waste to pasture lands not only is a source of fertilizer, but also allows for a convenient method of waste disposal. The disposal of animal wastes on land is a potential nonpoint source of water degradation. Water degradation and human health is a major concern when considering the disposal of large quantities of animal waste. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of animal waste application on biological (fecal coliform, Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli) and physical/chemical (temperature, pH, nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphate, copper, zinc, and sulfate) characteristics of runoff water in experimental plots. The effects of the application of animal waste have been evaluated by utilizing experimental plots and simulated rainfall events. Samples of runoff water were collected and analyzed for fecal coliforms. Fecal coliforms isolated from these samples were identified to the species level. Chemical analysis was performed following standard test protocols. An analysis of temperature, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, iron, copper, phosphate, potassium, sulfate, zinc and bacterial levels was performed following standard test protocols as presented in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater [1]. In the experimental plots, less time was required in the tilled broiler litter plots for the measured chemicals to decrease below the initial pre-treatment levels. A decrease of over 50% was noted between the first and second rainfall events for sulfate levels. This decrease was seen after only four simulated rainfall events in tilled broiler litter plots whereas broiler litter plots required eight simulated rainfall events to show this same type of reduction. A reverse trend was seen in the broiler litter plots and the tilled broiler plots for potassium. Bacteria numbers present after the simulated rainfall events were above 200/100 ml of sample water. It can be concluded that: 1) non-point source pollution has a significant effect on bacterial and nutrients levels in runoff water and in water resources; 2) land application of animal waste for soil fertilization makes a significant contribution to water pollution; 3) the use of tilling can significantly reduce the amount of nutrients available in runoff water.

Impact of Animal Waste Application on Runoff Water Quality in Field Experimental Plots

PubMed Central

Hill, Dagne D.; Owens, William E.; Tchounwou, Paul B.

2005-01-01

Animal waste from dairy and poultry operations is an economical and commonly used fertilizer in the state of Louisiana. The application of animal waste to pasture lands not only is a source of fertilizer, but also allows for a convenient method of waste disposal. The disposal of animal wastes on land is a potential nonpoint source of water degradation. Water degradation and human health is a major concern when considering the disposal of large quantities of animal waste. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of animal waste application on biological (fecal coliform, Enterobacter spp. and Escherichia coli) and physical/chemical (temperature, pH, nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphate, copper, zinc, and sulfate) characteristics of runoff water in experimental plots. The effects of the application of animal waste have been evaluated by utilizing experimental plots and simulated rainfall events. Samples of runoff water were collected and analyzed for fecal coliforms. Fecal coliforms isolated from these samples were identified to the species level. Chemical analysis was performed following standard test protocols. An analysis of temperature, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, iron, copper, phosphate, potassium, sulfate, zinc and bacterial levels was performed following standard test protocols as presented in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater [1]. In the experimental plots, less time was required in the tilled broiler litter plots for the measured chemicals to decrease below the initial pre-treatment levels. A decrease of over 50% was noted between the first and second rainfall events for sulfate levels. This decrease was seen after only four simulated rainfall events in tilled broiler litter plots whereas broiler litter plots required eight simulated rainfall events to show this same type of reduction. A reverse trend was seen in the broiler litter plots and the tilled broiler plots for potassium. Bacteria numbers present after the simulated rainfall events were above 200/100 ml of sample water. It can be concluded that: 1) non-point source pollution has a significant effect on bacterial and nutrients levels in runoff water and in water resources; 2) land application of animal waste for soil fertilization makes a significant contribution to water pollution; 3) the use of tilling can significantly reduce the amount of nutrients available in runoff water. PMID:16705834

Comparison of different methods for the in situ measurement of forest litter moisture content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schunk, C.; Ruth, B.; Leuchner, M.; Wastl, C.; Menzel, A.

2016-02-01

Dead fine fuel (e.g., litter) moisture content is an important parameter for both forest fire and ecological applications as it is related to ignitability, fire behavior and soil respiration. Real-time availability of this value would thus be a great benefit to fire risk management and prevention. However, the comprehensive literature review in this paper shows that there is no easy-to-use method for automated measurements available. This study investigates the applicability of four different sensor types (permittivity and electrical resistance measuring principles) for this measurement. Comparisons were made to manual gravimetric reference measurements carried out almost daily for one fire season and overall agreement was good (highly significant correlations with 0.792 < = r < = 0.947, p < 0.001). Standard deviations within sensor types were linearly correlated to daily sensor mean values; however, above a certain threshold they became irregular, which may be linked to exceedance of the working ranges. Thus, measurements with irregular standard deviations were considered unusable and relationships between gravimetric and automatic measurements of all individual sensors were compared only for useable periods. A large drift in these relationships became obvious from drought to drought period. This drift may be related to installation effects or settling and decomposition of the litter layer throughout the fire season. Because of the drift and the in situ calibration necessary, it cannot be recommended to use the methods presented here for monitoring purposes and thus operational hazard management. However, they may be interesting for scientific studies when some manual fuel moisture measurements are made anyway. Additionally, a number of potential methodological improvements are suggested.

Hormone and pathogen content in soil after litter applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter applications at agronomic rates established for a crop’s P or N requirements may contain as much as 385 mg estradiol ha-1, 605 mg testosterone ha-1, 4.4(10)12 Escherichia coli cells ha-1, and 4.4(10)13 fecal enterococci cells ha-1. Field experiments from small plot- to small watershed...

Intensive management of loblolly pine during establishment influences nutrition and productivity through 15 growing seasons

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; Mary Anne Sword Sayer; Allan E. Tiarks

2006-01-01

Three cultural treatments in a 23 (yes or no) factorial combination were applied during establishment of a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation: phosphorus and nitrogen fertilization at planting, herbicide applications in the first 3 years, and litter application in the first year. Both the herbicide and litter treatments...

Detection of pathogens, indicators and antibiotic resistance genes following land application of poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States (U.S.) is the world’s largest producer of poultry with over 18,000 kg of poultry litter (PL), a mixture of poultry manure, bedding, feathers, and spilled feed produced as a by-product. This PL is a valuable nutrient source for crop production however; land application of livestock ...

Fate of tannins in Corsican pine litter.

PubMed

Nierop, Klaas G J; Verstraten, Jacobus M

2006-12-01

Tannins are ubiquitous in higher plants and also in litter and soils where they affect many biogeochemical processes. Despite this well-recognized role, their fate in litter and mineral soils is hardly known, as often only trace amounts, if any, are measured. In this study, we conducted an incubation experiment with Corsican pine litter to which known amounts of tannic acid (TA) or condensed tannins (CTs) from Corsican pine were added. Using Folin-Ciocalteu as a measure for total phenolics and HCl-butanol as an assay specific for CTs, acetone/water extractable phenolics and tannins decreased with time towards very low levels. Application of thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation to litter before and after acetone/water extraction revealed that TA concentration decreased. By contrast, CTs remained to a great extent in the litter and could not be extracted suggesting that they were tightly bound.

Effects of waste-disposal practices on ground-water quality at five poultry (broiler) farms in north-central Florida, 1992-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatzell, H.H.

1995-01-01

Waste-disposal areas such as chicken-house floors, litter stockpiles, fields that receive applications of litter, and dead-chicken pits are potential sources of nitrates and other chemical constituents in downward-percolating recharge water. Broiler- farms in north-central Florida are concentrated in a region where the Upper Floridan aquifer is unconfined and susceptible to contamination. Eighteen monitoring wells installed at five sites were sampled quarterly from March 1992 through January 1993. Increases in median concentrations of constituents relative to an upgradient well were used to determine the source of the nitrate at two sites. At these sites, increases in the median concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen in ground water in the vicinity of waste-disposal areas at these sites were: 5.4 mg/L for one chicken house; 9.0 mg/L for a second chicken house; 2.0 mg/L for a fallow field that received an application of litter; and, 2.0 mg/L for a dead-chicken pit. At the three remaining sites where the direction of local ground-water flow could not be ascertained, the sources of concentrations of nitrate and other constituents could not be determined. However, median nitrate concentrations in the vicinity of waste-disposal areas at these sites were: 45.5 mg/L for a set of two chicken houses; 3.0 mg/L for a stockpile area; and 2.1 mg/L for a hayfield that received an application of litter. The nitrate concentration in ground water in the vicinity of a field that had previously received heavy applications of litter increased from 3.0 mg/L to 105 mg/L approximately 4 months after receiving an application of commercial fertilizer. Increases in concentrations of organic nitrogen in ground water in the vicinity of waste-disposal areas may be related to the decomposition of litter and subsequent movement with downward percolating recharge water.(USGS)

Poultry litter application to loblolly pine forests: growth and nutrient containment.

PubMed

Friend, Alexander L; Roberts, Scott D; Schoenholtz, Stephen H; Mobley, Juanita A; Gerard, Patrick D

2006-01-01

Forestland application of poultry manure offers an alternative to the conventional practice of pastureland application. Before such a practice is considered viable, however, it must be demonstrated that the forest ecosystem is capable of absorbing the nutrients contained in poultry manure, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). From the forestry perspective, it must also be demonstrated that tree growth is not diminished. We investigated these questions using loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stands growing in central Mississippi in an area of high poultry production. Stockpiled broiler litter was applied to newly thinned, 8-yr-old stands at 0, 4.6, and 18.6 dry Mg ha-1, supplying 0, 200, and 800 kg N ha-1 and 0, 92, and 370 kg P ha-1, respectively. Levels of nitrate in soil water, monitored at a 50-cm depth with porous cup tension lysimeters, exceeded 10 mg N L-1 during the first two years after application in the 18.6 Mg ha-1 rate but only on two occasions in the first year for the lower rate of application. Phosphate was largely absent from lysimeter water in all treatments. Other macronutrients (K, Ca, Mg, S) were elevated in lysimeter water in proportion to litter application rates. Soil extractable nitrate showed similar trends to lysimeter water, with substantial elevation during the first year following application for the 18.6 Mg ha-1 rate. Mehlich III-extractable phosphate peaked in excess of 100 microg P g-1 soil during the third year of the study for the 18.6 Mg ha-1 rate. The 4.6 Mg ha-1 rate did not affect extractable soil P. Tree growth was increased by the poultry litter. Total stem cross-sectional area, or basal area, was approximately 20% greater after 2 yr for both rates of litter application. Overall, the nutrients supplied by the 4.6 Mg ha-1 rate were contained by the pine forest and resulted in favorable increases in tree growth. The higher rate, by contrast, did pose some risk to water quality through the mobilization of nitrate. These results show that, under the conditions of this study, application of poultry litter at moderate rates of approximately 5 Mg ha-1 to young stands of loblolly pine offers an alternative disposal option with minimal impacts to water quality and potential increases in tree growth.

Nitrogen availability in composted poultry litter using natural amendments.

PubMed

Turan, N Gamze

2009-02-01

Poultry litter compost is used as fertilizer on agricultural land because of its high nutrient content. A major limitation of land application of poultry litter compost is the loss of nitrogen via NH3 volatilization. The present work was conducted to monitor nitrogen availability during composting of poultry litter with natural zeolite, expanded perlite, pumice and expanded vermiculite. Poultry litter was composted for 100 days using five in-vessel composting simulators with a volumetric ratio of natural materials:poultry litter of 1:10. It was found that natural materials significantly reduced NH3 volatilization. At the end of the process, the control treatment without any natural materials had the lowest rate of total N: 72% of the initial total N was lost from the compost made with no amendment, while 53, 42, 26 and 16% of initial total N was lost from compost containing expandable perlite, expandable vermiculite, pumice and natural zeolite, respectively.

Implementation of BMP Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change and Land Use Change in a Pasture-Dominated Watershed

PubMed Central

Chiang, Li-Chi; Chaubey, Indrajeet; Hong, Nien-Ming; Lin, Yu-Pin; Huang, Tao

2012-01-01

Implementing a suite of best management practices (BMPs) can reduce non-point source (NPS) pollutants from various land use activities. Watershed models are generally used to evaluate the effectiveness of BMP performance in improving water quality as the basis for watershed management recommendations. This study evaluates 171 management practice combinations that incorporate nutrient management, vegetated filter strips (VFS) and grazing management for their performances in improving water quality in a pasture-dominated watershed with dynamic land use changes during 1992–2007 by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). These selected BMPs were further examined with future climate conditions (2010–2069) downscaled from three general circulation models (GCMs) for understanding how climate change may impact BMP performance. Simulation results indicate that total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) losses increase with increasing litter application rates. Alum-treated litter applications resulted in greater TN losses, and fewer TP losses than the losses from untreated poultry litter applications. For the same litter application rates, sediment and TP losses are greater for summer applications than fall and spring applications, while TN losses are greater for fall applications. Overgrazing management resulted in the greatest sediment and phosphorus losses, and VFS is the most influential management practice in reducing pollutant losses. Simulations also indicate that climate change impacts TSS losses the most, resulting in a larger magnitude of TSS losses. However, the performance of selected BMPs in reducing TN and TP losses was more stable in future climate change conditions than in the BMP performance in the historical climate condition. We recommend that selection of BMPs to reduce TSS losses should be a priority concern when multiple uses of BMPs that benefit nutrient reductions are considered in a watershed. Therefore, the BMP combination of spring litter application, optimum grazing management and filter strip with a VFS ratio of 42 could be a promising alternative for use in mitigating future climate change. PMID:23202767

Quantifying and characterizing dissolved carbon and nitrogen leaching from litter: a comparison of methods

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Litter decomposition has a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning. It recycles energy, carbon and nutrients, supporting ecosystem productivity and soil organic matter formation. Litter decomposition occurs through leaching, fragmentation, and catabolism. Leaching is, arguably, the least studie...

Ammonia emission factors from broiler litter in barns, in storage, and after land application.

PubMed

Moore, Philip A; Miles, Dana; Burns, Robert; Pote, Dan; Berg, Kess; Choi, In Hag

2011-01-01

We measured NH₃ emissions from litter in broiler houses, during storage, and after land application and conducted a mass balance of N in poultry houses. Four state-of-the-art tunnel-ventilated broiler houses in northwest Arkansas were equipped with NH₃ sensors, anemometers, and data loggers to continuously record NH₃ concentrations and ventilation for 1 yr. Gaseous fluxes of NH₃, N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ from litter were measured. Nitrogen (N) inputs and outputs were quantified. Ammonia emissions during storage and after land application were measured. Ammonia emissions during the flock averaged approximately 15.2 kg per day-house (equivalent to 28.3 g NH₃per bird marketed). Emissions between flocks equaled 9.09 g NH₃ per bird. Hence, in-house NH₃ emissions were 37.5 g NH₃ per bird, or 14.5 g kg(-1) bird marketed (50-d-old birds). The mass balance study showed N inputs for the year to the four houses totaled 71,340 kg N, with inputs from bedding, chicks, and feed equal to 303, 602, and 70,435 kg, respectively (equivalent to 0.60, 1.19, and 139.56 g N per bird). Nitrogen outputs totaled 70,396 kg N. Annual N output from birds marketed, NH₃ emissions, litter or cake, mortality, and NO₂ emissions was 39,485, 15,571, 14,464, 635, and 241 kg N, respectively (equivalent to 78.2, 30.8, 28.7, 1.3, and 0.5 g N per bird). The percent N recovery for the N mass balance study was 98.8%. Ammonia emissions from stacked litter during a 16-d storage period were 172 g Mg(-1) litter, which is equivalent to 0.18 g NH₃ per bird. Ammonia losses from poultry litter broadcast to pastures were 34 kg N ha (equivalent to 15% of total N applied or 7.91 g NH₃ per bird). When the litter was incorporated into the pasture using a new knifing technique, NH₃ losses were virtually zero. The total NH₃ emission factor for broilers measured in this study, which includes losses in-house, during storage, and after land application, was 45.6 g NH₃ per bird marketed. by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Rainfall and tillage effects on transport of fecal bacteria and sex hormones 17beta-estradiol and testosterone from broiler litter applications to a Georgia Piedmont Ultisol.

PubMed

Jenkins, Michael B; Truman, Clint C; Siragusa, Gregory; Line, Eric; Bailey, J Stan; Frye, Jonathan; Endale, Dinku M; Franklin, Dorcas H; Schomberg, Harry H; Fisher, Dwight S; Sharpe, Ronald R

2008-09-15

Poultry litter provides nutrients for crop and pasture production; however, it also contains fecal bacteria, sex hormones (17beta-estradiol and testosterone) and antibiotic residues that may contaminate surface waters. Our objective was to quantify transport of fecal bacteria, estradiol, testosterone and antibiotic residues from a Cecil sandy loam managed since 1991 under no-till (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) to which either poultry litter (PL) or conventional fertilizer (CF) was applied based on the nitrogen needs of corn (Zea mays L) in the Southern Piedmont of NE Georgia. Simulated rainfall was applied for 60 min to 2 by 3-m field plots at a constant rate in 2004 and variable rate in 2005. Runoff was continuously measured and subsamples taken for determining flow-weighted concentrations of fecal bacteria, hormones, and antibiotic residues. Neither Salmonella, nor Campylobacter, nor antimicrobial residues were detected in litter, soil, or runoff. Differences in soil concentrations of fecal bacteria before and after rainfall simulations were observed only for Escherichia coli in the constant rainfall intensity experiment. Differences in flow-weighted concentrations were observed only for testosterone in both constant and variable intensity rainfall experiments, and were greatest for treatments that received poultry litter. Total loads of E. coli and fecal enterococci, were largest for both tillage treatments receiving poultry litter for the variable rainfall intensity. Load of testosterone was greatest for no-till plots receiving poultry litter under variable rainfall intensity. Poultry litter application rates commensurate for corn appeared to enhance only soil concentrations of E. coli, and runoff concentrations of testosterone above background levels.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seastedt, T.R.; Mameli, L.; Gridley, K.

Arthropods associated with cricket carcasses placed on top and within deciduous forest litter were collected for 12 months. Vespid wasps and ants quickly removed carcasses left on top of forest litter, but carcasses placed within litter persisted throughout the study. Major consumers of carcasses in litter varied seasonally; maggots dominated on fresh carcasses in summer, but fresh carcasses placed in litter in autumn were consumed by other arthropods. A gamasid mite, Hypoaspis (Laelaspis) johnieae, dominated the microarthropod fauna found on exoskeleton fragments. A method for collecting invertebrate carrion feeders and measuring carrion disappearance is presented. 15 references, 2 tables.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seastedt, T.R.; Mameli, L.; Gridley, K.

Arthropods associated with cricket carcasses placed on top and within deciduous forest litter were collected over a 12 month interval. Vespid wasps and ants quickly removed carcasses left on top of forest litter, but carcasses placed within litter persisted throughout the study. Major consumers of carcasses in litter varied seasonally; maggots dominated on fresh carcasses in summer, but fresh carcasses placed in litter in autumn were consumed by other arthropods. A gamasid mite, Hypoaspis (Laelaspis) johnieae dominated the microarthropod fauna found on exoskeleton fragments. A method for collecting invertebrate carrion feeders and measuring carrion disappearance is presented.

The Effect of Large Applications of Nutrients From Organic Waste on Biomass Allocation and Allometric Relations in Loblolly Pine

Treesearch

Scott D. Roberts; Patrick D. Gerard

2004-01-01

We applied broiler litter to an 8-year-old precommercially thinned loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) stand at 0, 5.6, and 23 Mg ha-1 , supplying 0, 200, and 800 kg N ha-1. A destructive harvest was implemented two growing seasons following litter application to evaluate treatment impacts on patterns of...

Spot Application of Diammonium Phosphate and Poultry Litter at Establishment in an Old-Field Planted Loblolly Pine Plantation

Treesearch

Bryan C. McElvany; E. David Dickens; Tucker Price

2004-01-01

A study area was installed in the Coastal Plain (Quitman County) of Georgia to determine the benefits of surface microsite application of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and poultry litter to planted loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings on an old-field site. Soils were Bonneau and Orangeburg. Experimental design was complete block with 3 replications...

Decreasing phosphorus runoff losses from land-applied poultry litter with dietary modifications and alum addition.

PubMed

Smith, Douglas R; Moore, P A; Miles, D M; Haggard, B E; Daniel, T C

2004-01-01

Phosphorus (P) losses from pastures fertilized with poultry litter contribute to the degradation of surface water quality in the United States. Dietary modification and manure amendments may reduce potential P runoff losses from pastures. In the current study, broilers were fed a normal diet, phytase diet, high available phosphorus (HAP) corn diet, or HAP corn + phytase diet. Litter treatments were untreated control and alum added at 10% by weight between flocks. Phytase and HAP corn diets reduced litter dissolved P content in poultry litter by 10 and 35%, respectively, compared with the normal diet (789 mg P kg(-1)). Alum treatment of poultry litter reduced the amount of dissolved P by 47%, while a 74% reduction was noted after alum treatment of litter from the HAP corn + phytase diet. The P concentrations in runoff water were highest from plots receiving poultry litter from the normal diet, whereas plots receiving poultry litter from phytase and HAP corn diets had reduced P concentrations. The addition of alum to the various poultry litters reduced P runoff by 52 to 69%; the greatest reduction occurred when alum was used in conjunction with HAP corn and phytase. This study demonstrates the potential added benefits of using dietary modification in conjunction with manure amendments in poultry operations. Integrators and producers should consider the use of phytase, HAP corn, and alum to reduce potential P losses associated with poultry litter application to pastures.

Exposure to the leaf litter microbiome of healthy adults protects seedlings from pathogen damage.

PubMed

Christian, Natalie; Herre, Edward Allen; Mejia, Luis C; Clay, Keith

2017-07-12

It is increasingly recognized that microbiota affect host health and physiology. However, it is unclear what factors shape microbiome community assembly in nature, and how microbiome assembly can be manipulated to improve host health. All plant leaves host foliar endophytic fungi, which make up a diverse, environmentally acquired fungal microbiota. Here, we experimentally manipulated assembly of the cacao tree ( Theobroma cacao ) fungal microbiome in nature and tested the effect of assembly outcome on host health. Using next-generation sequencing, as well as culture-based methods coupled with Sanger sequencing, we found that manipulating leaf litter exposure and location within the forest canopy significantly altered microbiome composition in cacao. Exposing cacao seedlings to leaf litter from healthy conspecific adults enriched the seedling microbiome with Colletotrichum tropicale , a fungal endophyte known to enhance pathogen resistance of cacao seedlings by upregulating host defensive pathways. As a result, seedlings exposed to healthy conspecific litter experienced reduced pathogen damage. Our results link processes that affect the assembly and composition of microbiome communities to their functional consequences for host success, and have broad implications for understanding plant-microbe interactions. Deliberate manipulation of the plant-fungal microbiome also has potentially important applications for cacao production and other agricultural systems in general. © 2017 The Author(s).

Litter size at birth in purebred dogs--a retrospective study of 224 breeds.

PubMed

Borge, Kaja Sverdrup; Tønnessen, Ragnhild; Nødtvedt, Ane; Indrebø, Astrid

2011-03-15

Despite the long history of purebred dogs and the large number of existing breeds, few studies of canine litter size based upon a large number of breeds exist. Previous studies are either old or include only one or a few selected breeds. The aim of this large-scale retrospective study was to estimate the mean litter size in a large population of purebred dogs and to describe some factors that might influence the litter size. A total of 10,810 litters of 224 breeds registered in the Norwegian Kennel Club from 2006 to 2007 were included in the study. The overall mean litter size at birth was 5.4 (± 0.025). A generalized linear mixed model with a random intercept for breed revealed that the litter size was significantly influenced by the size of the breed, the method of mating and the age of the bitch. A significant interaction between breed size and age was detected, in that the expected number of puppies born decreased more for older bitches of large breeds. Mean litter size increased with breed size, from 3.5 (± 0.04) puppies in miniature breeds to 7.1 (± 0.13) puppies in giant breeds. No effect on litter size was found for the season of birth or the parity of the bitch. The large number of breeds and the detail of the registered information on the litters in this study are unique. In conclusion, the size of the breed, the age of the bitch and the method of mating were found to influence litter size in purebred dogs when controlling for breed, with the size of the breed as the strongest determinant. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flower litters of alpine plants affect soil nitrogen and phosphorus rapidly in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jinniu; Xu, Bo; Wu, Yan; Gao, Jing; Shi, Fusun

2016-10-01

Litters of reproductive organs have rarely been studied despite their role in allocating nutrients for offspring reproduction. This study determines the mechanism through which flower litters efficiently increase the available soil nutrient pool. Field experiments were conducted to collect plant litters and calculate biomass production in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. C, N, P, lignin, cellulose content, and their relevant ratios of litters were analyzed to identify their decomposition features. A pot experiment was performed to determine the effects of litter addition on the soil nutrition pool by comparing the treated and control samples. The litter-bag method was used to verify decomposition rates. The flower litters of phanerophyte plants were comparable with non-flower litters. Biomass partitioning of other herbaceous species accounted for 10-40 % of the aboveground biomass. Flower litter possessed significantly higher N and P levels but less C / N, N / P, lignin / N, and lignin and cellulose concentrations than leaf litter. The litter-bag experiment confirmed that the flower litters of Rhododendron przewalskii and Meconopsis integrifolia decompose approximately 3 times faster than mixed litters within 50 days. Pot experiment findings indicated that flower litter addition significantly increased the available nutrient pool and soil microbial productivity. The time of litter fall significantly influenced soil available N and P, and soil microbial biomass. Flower litters fed the soil nutrition pool and influenced nutrition cycling in alpine ecosystems more efficiently because of their non-ignorable production, faster decomposition rate, and higher nutrient contents compared with non-flower litters. The underlying mechanism can enrich nutrients, which return to the soil, and non-structural carbohydrates, which feed and enhance the transitions of soil microorganisms.

Evaluation of a method for removing cesium and reducing the volume of leaf litter from broad-leaved trees contaminated by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident during the Great East Japan Earthquake.

PubMed

Harada, Shigeki; Yanagisawa, Mitsunori

2017-04-01

The town of Marumori in southern Miyagi Prefecture borders on Fukushima Prefecture, and following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, there were concerns about cesium deposition in forested areas. One of the authors of this paper has continually surveyed leaf litter from the forested areas. As leaf litter may be a source of cesium contamination from the forest to downstream areas, we considered a simplified version of wet oxidation, a method previously presented by one of the authors of this study, as a technology to reduce leaf litter weight and cesium concentration, separating radioactive nuclides from non-radioactive ones, in leaf litter. We tested our method in three experiments. Experiment 1 used new leaf litter (232 Bq/kg) from the surface of a small stream at the forest edge nearby an area with air dose level higher than the national standard threshold of 0.23 μSv/h for the implementation of governmental decontamination works. Experiment 2 applied wet oxidation to older leaf litter (705 Bq/kg) harvested from a pasture nearby the stream mentioned above. We also used the same leaf litter in experiment 3 for a cesium release tests using pure water. In experiment 1 and 2 we treated leaf litter with a sodium hypochlorite solution, optimizing sodium hypochlorite concentration and reaction temperature. We measured a 50-60% decrease in the leaf litter weight and a 60% decrease in the cesium concentration. Moreover, we also measured the amount of cesium washout. The cesium budget of experiment 1 showed no cesium gasification (wet oxidation avoids airborne cesium as this element is prone to be volatile at 600 °C), and that high sodium hypochlorite concentration and high temperature had a strong positive effect on leaf litter volume reduction and cesium decontamination. Experiment 2 confirmed the reproducibility of these results in leaves with different cesium concentration and harvested in different conditions. We could also explain the mechanism behind leaf litter weight and cesium concentration reduction. Experiment 3 helped us to investigate the effects of the matter present on the surface of the water and the contribution of water soluble cesium. Concurrent experiments on changes in leaf litter chemical composition confirmed that our modified wet oxidation method had an effect on the removal of acid-insoluble lignin. Removal of lignin, a refractory component, might allow for a better utilization of the residue left after implementation of the proposed simplified wet oxidation. Thus, real wastes could be smaller than the residues. Together with the observed smaller cesium concentration in the residue, the proposed method in this study is expected to contribute to mitigate the risk due to the fallen leaves containing cesium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rain forest nutrient cycling and productivity in response to large-scale litter manipulation.

PubMed

Wood, Tana E; Lawrence, Deborah; Clark, Deborah A; Chazdon, Robin L

2009-01-01

Litter-induced pulses of nutrient availability could play an important role in the productivity and nutrient cycling of forested ecosystems, especially tropical forests. Tropical forests experience such pulses as a result of wet-dry seasonality and during major climatic events, such as strong El Niños. We hypothesized that (1) an increase in the quantity and quality of litter inputs would stimulate leaf litter production, woody growth, and leaf litter nutrient cycling, and (2) the timing and magnitude of this response would be influenced by soil fertility and forest age. To test these hypotheses in a Costa Rican wet tropical forest, we established a large-scale litter manipulation experiment in two secondary forest sites and four old-growth forest sites of differing soil fertility. In replicated plots at each site, leaves and twigs (< 2 cm diameter) were removed from a 400-m2 area and added to an adjacent 100-m2 area. This transfer was the equivalent of adding 5-25 kg/ha of organic P to the forest floor. We analyzed leaf litter mass, [N] and [P], and N and P inputs for addition, removal, and control plots over a two-year period. We also evaluated basal area increment of trees in removal and addition plots. There was no response of forest productivity or nutrient cycling to litter removal; however, litter addition significantly increased leaf litter production and N and P inputs 4-5 months following litter application. Litter production increased as much as 92%, and P and N inputs as much as 85% and 156%, respectively. In contrast, litter manipulation had no significant effect on woody growth. The increase in leaf litter production and N and P inputs were significantly positively related to the total P that was applied in litter form. Neither litter treatment nor forest type influenced the temporal pattern of any of the variables measured. Thus, environmental factors such as rainfall drive temporal variability in litter and nutrient inputs, while nutrient release from decomposing litter influences the magnitude. Seasonal or annual variation in leaf litter mass, such as occurs in strong El Niño events, could positively affect leaf litter nutrient cycling and forest productivity, indicating an ability of tropical trees to rapidly respond to increased nutrient availability.

Photodegradation of roxarsone in poultry litter leachates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bednar, A.J.; Garbarino, J.R.; Ferrer, I.; Rutherford, D.W.; Wershaw, R. L.; Ranville, J.F.; Wildeman, T.R.

2003-01-01

Arsenic compounds have been used extensively in agriculture in the US for applications ranging from cotton herbicides to animal feed supplements. Roxarsone (3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid), in particular, is used widely in poultry production to control coccidial intestinal parasites. It is excreted unchanged in the manure and introduced into the environment when litter is applied to farmland as fertilizer. Although the toxicity of roxarsone is less than that of inorganic arsenic, roxarsone can degrade, biotically and abiotically, to produce more toxic inorganic forms of arsenic, such as arsenite and arsenate. Experiments were conducted on aqueous litter leachates to test the stability of roxarsone under different conditions. Laboratory experiments have shown that arsenite can be cleaved photolytically from the roxarsone moiety at pH 4-8 and that the degradation rate increases with increasing pH. Furthermore, the rate of photodegradation increases with nitrate and natural organic matter concentration, reactants that are commonly found in poultry-litter-water leachates. Additional photochemical reactions rapidly oxidize the cleaved arsenite to arsenate. The formation of arsenate is not entirely undesirable, because it is less mobile in soil systems and less toxic than arsenite. A possible mechanism for the degradation of roxarsone in poultry litter leachates is proposed. The results suggest that poultry litter storage and field application practices could affect the degradation of roxarsone and subsequent mobilization of inorganic arsenic species. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

17beta-Estradiol and testosterone in drainage and runoff from poultry litter applications to tilled and no-till crop land under irrigation.

PubMed

Jenkins, Michael B; Endale, Dinku M; Schomberg, Harry H; Hartel, Peter G; Cabrera, Miguel L

2009-06-01

Thirteen million [corrected] metric tons of poultry litter are produced annually by poultry producers in the U.S. Poultry litter contains the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, endocrine disruptors that have been detected in surface waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of poultry litter applications on estradiol and testosterone concentrations in subsurface drainage and surface runoff in irrigated crop land under no-till and conventional-till management. We conducted an irrigation study in fall of 2001 and spring of 2002. Four treatments, no-till plus poultry litter, conventional-till plus poultry litter, no-till plus conventional fertilizer, and conventional-till plus conventional fertilizer, were evaluated. Flow-weighted concentration and load ha(-1) of the two hormones were measured in drainage and runoff. Soil concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were measured. Based on comparisons to the conventional fertilizer (and control) treatments, poultry litter did not add to the flow-weighted concentration or load ha(-1) of either estradiol or testosterone in subsurface drainage or surface runoff. Significant differences were, however, observed between tillage treatments: flow-weighted concentrations of estradiol were greater for no-till than conventional-till plots of the June irrigation; and runoff loads of both estradiol and testosterone were less from no-till than conventional-till plots for the November irrigation. Although the differences between no-till and conventional-tillage appeared to affect the hydrologic transport of both hormones, the differences appeared to have inconsequential environmental impact.

An integrated spectroscopic and wet chemical approach to investigate grass litter decomposition chemistry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Litter decomposition is a key process for soil organic matter formation and terrestrial biogeochemistry. Yet we still lack complete understanding of the chemical transformations which occur in the litter residue as it decomposes. A number of methods such as bulk nutrient concentrations, chemical fra...

Tree litter and forest understorey vegetation: a conceptual framework to understand the effects of tree litter on a perennial geophyte, Anemone nemorosa

PubMed Central

Baltzinger, Marie; Archaux, Frédéric; Dumas, Yann

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Litter is a key factor in structuring plant populations, through positive or negative interactions. The litter layer forms a mechanical barrier that is often strongly selective against individuals lacking hypocotyle plasticity. Litter composition also interacts with plant growth by providing beneficial nutrients or, inversely, by allowing harmful allelopathic leaching. As conspicuous litter fall accumulation is often observed under deciduous forests, interactions between tree litter and understorey plant populations are worthy of study. Methods In a 1-year ex-situ experiment, the effects of tree litter on the growth of Anemone nemorosa, a small perennial forest geophyte, were investigated. Three ‘litter quantity’ treatments were defined, representative of forest floor litter (199, 356·5 and 514 g m−2), which were crossed with five ‘litter composition’ treatments (Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus, Q. petraea + F. sylvatica and Q. petraea + C. betulus), plus a no-litter control. Path analysis was then used to investigate the pathways linking litter characteristics and components of adult plant growth. Key Results As expected, the heavier the litter, the longer the petiole; rhizome growth, however, was not depreciated by the litter-induced petiole lengthening. Both rhizome mass increment and number of initiated buds marginally increased with the amount of litter. Rhizome mass increment was in fact determined primarily by leaf area and leaf life span, neither of which was unequivocally correlated with any litter characteristics. However, the presence of litter significantly increased leafing success: following a late frost event, control rhizomes growing in the absence of litter experienced higher leaf mortality before leaf unfolding. Conclusions The study questions the role of litter as a physical or chemical barrier to ground vegetation; to better understand this role, there is a need for ex-situ, longer-term experiments coupled with in-situ observations in the forest. PMID:22419760

Temporal dynamics of phosphorus during aquatic and terrestrial litter decomposition in an alpine forest.

PubMed

Peng, Yan; Yang, Wanqin; Yue, Kai; Tan, Bo; Huang, Chunping; Xu, Zhenfeng; Ni, Xiangyin; Zhang, Li; Wu, Fuzhong

2018-06-17

Plant litter decomposition in forested soil and watershed is an important source of phosphorus (P) for plants in forest ecosystems. Understanding P dynamics during litter decomposition in forested aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems will be of great importance for better understanding nutrient cycling across forest landscape. However, despite massive studies addressing litter decomposition have been carried out, generalizations across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems regarding the temporal dynamics of P loss during litter decomposition remain elusive. We conducted a two-year field experiment using litterbag method in both aquatic (streams and riparian zones) and terrestrial (forest floors) ecosystems in an alpine forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. By using multigroup comparisons of structural equation modeling (SEM) method with different litter mass-loss intervals, we explicitly assessed the direct and indirect effects of several biotic and abiotic drivers on P loss across different decomposition stages. The results suggested that (1) P concentration in decomposing litter showed similar patterns of early increase and later decrease across different species and ecosystems types; (2) P loss shared a common hierarchy of drivers across different ecosystems types, with litter chemical dynamics mainly having direct effects but environment and initial litter quality having both direct and indirect effects; (3) when assessing at the temporal scale, the effects of initial litter quality appeared to increase in late decomposition stages, while litter chemical dynamics showed consistent significant effects almost in all decomposition stages across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; (4) microbial diversity showed significant effects on P loss, but its effects were lower compared with other drivers. Our results highlight the importance of including spatiotemporal variations and indicate the possibility of integrating aquatic and terrestrial decomposition into a common framework for future construction of models that account for the temporal dynamics of P in decomposing litter. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactions of tissue and fertilizer nitrogen on decomposition dynamics of lignin-rich conifer litter

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perakis, Steven S.; Matkins, Joselin J.; Hibbs, David E.

2012-01-01

High tissue nitrogen (N) accelerates decomposition of high-quality leaf litter in the early phases of mass loss, but the influence of initial tissue N variation on the decomposition of lignin-rich litter is less resolved. Because environmental changes such as atmospheric N deposition and elevated CO2 can alter tissue N levels within species more rapidly than they alter the species composition of ecosystems, it is important to consider how within-species variation in tissue N may shape litter decomposition and associated N dynamics. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii ) is a widespread lignin-rich conifer that dominates forests of high carbon (C) storage across western North America, and displays wide variation in tissue and litter N that reflects landscape variation in soil N. We collected eight unique Douglas-fir litter sources that spanned a two-fold range in initial N concentrations (0.67–1.31%) with a narrow range of lignin (29–35%), and examined relationships between initial litter chemistry, decomposition, and N dynamics in both ambient and N fertilized plots at four sites over 3 yr. High initial litter N slowed decomposition rates in both early (0.67 yr) and late (3 yr) stages in unfertilized plots. Applications of N fertilizer to litters accelerated early-stage decomposition, but slowed late-stage decomposition, and most strongly affected low-N litters, which equalized decomposition rates across litters regardless of initial N concentrations. Decomposition of N-fertilized litters correlated positively with initial litter manganese (Mn) concentrations, with litter Mn variation reflecting faster turnover of canopy foliage in high N sites, producing younger litterfall with high N and low Mn. Although both internal and external N inhibited decomposition at 3 yr, most litters exhibited net N immobilization, with strongest immobilization in low-N litter and in N-fertilized plots. Our observation for lignin-rich litter that high initial N can slow decomposition yet accelerate N release differs from findings where litter quality variation across species promotes coupled C and N release during decomposition. We suggest reevaluation of ecosystem models and projected global change effects to account for a potential decoupling of ecosystem C and N feedbacks through litter decomposition in lignin-rich conifer forests.

A multi-criteria evaluation system for marine litter pollution based on statistical analyses of OSPAR beach litter monitoring time series.

PubMed

Schulz, Marcus; Neumann, Daniel; Fleet, David M; Matthies, Michael

2013-12-01

During the last decades, marine pollution with anthropogenic litter has become a worldwide major environmental concern. Standardized monitoring of litter since 2001 on 78 beaches selected within the framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) has been used to identify temporal trends of marine litter. Based on statistical analyses of this dataset a two-part multi-criteria evaluation system for beach litter pollution of the North-East Atlantic and the North Sea is proposed. Canonical correlation analyses, linear regression analyses, and non-parametric analyses of variance were used to identify different temporal trends. A classification of beaches was derived from cluster analyses and served to define different states of beach quality according to abundances of 17 input variables. The evaluation system is easily applicable and relies on the above-mentioned classification and on significant temporal trends implied by significant rank correlations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of poultry litter and double cropping on soybean yield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Continuous cultivation of mono-cropping systems coupled with inorganic fertilizer consumption has led to a decline in soil fertility, negatively influencing crop yields. Poultry litter application and double cropping are two management practices that could be used with conservation tillage to increa...

Zinc oxide nanoparticles affect carbon and nitrogen mineralization of Phoenix dactylifera leaf litter in a sandy soil.

PubMed

Rashid, Muhammad Imtiaz; Shahzad, Tanvir; Shahid, Muhammad; Ismail, Iqbal M I; Shah, Ghulam Mustafa; Almeelbi, Talal

2017-02-15

We investigated the impact of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs; 1000mgkg -1 soil) on soil microbes and their associated soil functions such as date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) leaf litter (5gkg -1 soil) carbon and nitrogen mineralization in mesocosms containing sandy soil. Nanoparticles application in litter-amended soil significantly decreased the cultivable heterotrophic bacterial and fungal colony forming units (cfu) compared to only litter-amended soil. The decrease in cfu could be related to lower microbial biomass carbon in nanoparticles-litter amended soil. Likewise, ZnO NPs also reduced CO 2 emission by 10% in aforementioned treatment but this was higher than control (soil only). Labile Zn was only detected in the microbial biomass of nanoparticles-litter applied soil indicating that microorganisms consumed this element from freely available nutrients in the soil. In this treatment, dissolved organic carbon and mineral nitrogen were 25 and 34% lower respectively compared to litter-amended soil. Such toxic effects of nanoparticles on litter decomposition resulted in 130 and 122% lower carbon and nitrogen mineralization efficiency respectively. Hence, our results entail that ZnO NPs are toxic to soil microbes and affect their function i.e., carbon and nitrogen mineralization of applied litter thus confirming their toxicity to microbial associated soil functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public participation in wilderness and backcountry litter control: a review of research and management experience.

Treesearch

Robert M. Muth; Roger N. Clark

1978-01-01

This paper describes the application of the Incentive System for Litter Control to wilderness and backcountry environments. Based on research, observation, and management experience, a set of procedures was developed and is presented here. Additional management considerations are discussed.

Debris is not a cheese: litter in coastal Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindstedt, Dianne M.; Holmes, Joseph C.

1989-01-01

An 18-month study of six Louisiana beaches determined the extent, composition, and possible sources of beach litter. Data showed that from 2590 to 23,154 items may be encountered along any one-mile stretch of Louisiana beach, depending upon location and season, and that densities of litter ranged from 5 to 28 items per 100 m2. Plastics constituted 47% of the total, followed by polystyrene at 16% and glass at 10%. Drink-related items accounted for 40% of the identifiable material; operational wastes, 21%; galley wastes, 15%; personal items, 11%; and fishing items, 6%. Litter laws already exist at state and federal levels. Strict enforcement of Annex V of MARPOL should significantly reduce plastic beach litter. Solutions to beach litter will come from public participation in adopt-a-beach programs and statewide clean-ups and from educational programs focusing on existing laws, proper disposal methods, recycling, and the threat litter poses to wildlife and public health.

Leaf litter production of mahogany along street and campus forest of Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, F. P.; Abdullah, M.; Solichin; Hadiyanti, L. N.; Widianingrum, K.

2018-03-01

The leaf litter of trees along the existing streets on campus UNNES if not managed properly will be scattered and become garbage. Leaf litter Production in UNNES campus is not known for certain. UNNES does not own mapping of leaf litter Production of dominant tree species on campus. This cause leaf waste management is not optimal yet. There is still a lot of leaf litter that is discharged (not processed) because it exceeds the capacity of the fertilizer production equipment in the compost house. Aims of this study were to examine leaf litter production of dominant trees in Universitas Negeri Semarang and evaluate the relationship between leaf litter and average rainfall. Purposive sampling method placed pouches of nylon gauze measuring 1 × 1 mm2 as litter trap container with size 1 x l m2 (10 points mounted along street and campus forest). Litter trap mounted at the height of 50 cm above ground level. Leaf litter will be taken once a week for three months to observe the litter production. The litter was then dried by the oven at 70 ° C for 48 hours to obtain constant dry weight. Based on the results of the research, it was known that Mahogany tree in UNNES campus area has the potential to produce the litter of about 10 ton/ha / 3months in campus forest area and 2.5 ton/ha / 3months along campus street. There is a significant relationship between litter production of Mahogany leaves and precipitation during August - October 2017.

Potential Re-utilization of Composted Mangrove Litters for Pond Environment Quality Improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwi Hastuti, Endah; Budi Hastuti, Rini; Hariyati, Riche

2018-05-01

Production of mangrove litter from pruning and thinning activities is potential source of organic materials which could be re-utilized to improve pond environment quality and fertility. This research aimed to analyze the nutrient composition compost produced from mangrove litter and to describe the effect of compost application on pond quality. This research was conducted through two phases, including composting trial and application of compost on pond trial. Composting process was conducted for 45-60 days on mangrove litter achieved from pruning activities in the silvofishery pond using composting container, while application of compost in pond was conducted by pouring 2 kg of compost in 25 m2 pond. Production of compost included solid compost and liquid compost. Nutrient concentration of solid compost was ranged from 0.47-0.52% for N; 0.36-0.44% for P; and 5.45-6.39% for organic C, while liquid compost provided 0.62-0.69%; 0.24-0.32%; and 3.98-4.45% respectively for N, P and organic C. While C/N ratio was ranged from 11.60-12.78 and 5.77-7.18 respectively for solid and liquid compost. Solid compost quality resulted that N, P and C/N ration had fulfilled the standart criteria defined by Indonesia National Standart for compost. Observed impact of compost application on pond water quality were the improvement of water clarity and increasing abundance of klekap (lab-lab). This showed that mangrove litters could be converted into a more productive materials to enhance pond environment quality and productivity, decrease management cost and increase benefit. Scheduled fertilization with compost is suggested to be conducted to provide best benefit on silvofishery management.

XANES Spectroscopic Analysis of Phosphorus Speciation in Alum-Amended Poultry Litter

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seiter,J.; Staats-Borda, K.; Ginder-Vogel, M.

2008-01-01

Aluminum sulfate (alum; Al2(SO4)3{center_dot}14H2O) is used as a chemical treatment of poultry litter to reduce the solubility and release of phosphate, thereby minimizing the impacts on adjacent aquatic ecosystems when poultry litter is land applied as a crop fertilizer. The objective of this study was to determine, through the use of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and sequential extraction, how alum amendments alter P distribution and solid-state speciation within the poultry litter system. Our results indicate that traditional sequential fractionation procedures may not account for variability in P speciation in heterogeneous animal manures. Analysis shows that NaOH-extracted Pmore » in alum amended litters is predominantly organic ({approx}80%), whereas in the control samples, >60% of NaOH-extracted P was inorganic P. Linear least squares fitting (LLSF) analysis of spectra collected of sequentially extracted litters showed that the P is present in inorganic (P sorbed on Al oxides, calcium phosphates) and organic forms (phytic acid, polyphosphates, and monoesters) in alum- and non-alum-amended poultry litter. When determining land application rates of poultry litter, all of these compounds must be considered, especially organic P. Results of the sequential extractions in conjunction with LLSF suggest that no P species is completely removed by a single extractant. Rather, there is a continuum of removal as extractant strength increases. Overall, alum-amended litters exhibited higher proportions of Al-bound P species and phytic acid, whereas untreated samples contained Ca-P minerals and organic P compounds. This study provides in situ information about P speciation in the poultry litter solid and about P availability in alum- and non-alum-treated poultry litter that will dictate P losses to ground and surface water systems.« less

Nitrous oxide emissions from soil amended with low-phosphorus broiler litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Regions of the United States with a high concentration of poultry farms have soils with excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) far beyond the agronomic requirement of crops because of recurrent land application of broiler litter. A new waste treatment technology developed by USDA-ARS, called “Quick ...

Effects of poultry litter injection on ammonia volatilization, nitrogen availability, and nutrient losses in runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter is a common organic amendment in agricultural production systems, but nutrient losses can reduce the effectiveness as a fertilizer. Three studies were conducted to determine differences in nutrient availability and loss when comparing injection and surface application. These investi...

Meta-analysis as a tool to study crop productivity response to poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Extensive research on the use of poultry litter (PL) under different agricultural practices in the USA has shown both negative and positive effects on crop productivity (either yield or aboveground biomass). However, these experimental results are substantially dependent on the experimental set-up, ...

Hydrologic transport of fecal bacteria attenuated by flu gas desulfurized (FGD) gypsum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background Flue gas desulfurized (FGD) gypsum is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. As a soil amendment for crop production it has the potential of improving soil water infiltration, soil conservation, and decreasing nutrient losses from broiler litter applications. Because broiler litter is a ...

Ak-Chin Indian Community Biomass Feasiiblity Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mark A. Moser, RCM Digesters, Inc.; Mark Randall, Daystar Consulting, LLC; Leonard S. Gold, Ak-Chin Energy Services & Utility Strategies Consulting Group

2005-12-31

Study of the conversion of chicken litter to biogas for the production of energy. There was an additional requirement that after extracting the energy from the chicken litter the nutrient value of the raw chicken litter had to be returned to the Ak-Chin Farms for use as fertilizer in a form and delivery method acceptable to the Farm.

[Litter decomposition and its main affecting factors in tidal marshes of Minjiang River Estuary, East China].

PubMed

Zhang, Lin-Hai; Zeng, Cong-Sheng; Zhang, Wen-Juan; Wang, Tian-E; Tong, Chuan

2012-09-01

By using litterbag method, this paper studied the decomposition of the leaf- and flower litters of two emergent macrophytes, native species Phragmites australis and invasive species Spartina alterniflora, and related affecting factors in the Minjiang River estuary of East China. In the decomposition process of the litters, the decay of standing litter (0-90 days) was an important period, and the loss rate of the flower- and leaf litters dry mass of P. australis and S. alterniflora was 15.0 +/- 3.5% and 13.3 +/- 1.1%, and 31.9 +/- 1.1% and 20.8 +/- 1.4%, respectively. During lodging decay period (91-210 days), the loss rate of the flower- and leaf litters dry mass of P. australis and S. alterniflora was 69.5 +/- 0.6% and 71.5 +/- 2.5%, and 76.8 +/- 1.9% and 67.5 +/- 2.1%, respectively. In standing decay period, the decomposition rate of the two plants litters was positively correlated with the litters C/N but negatively correlated to the litters N/P, and the litters P was an important factor limiting the litters decay. In lodging decay period, the effects of the litters C/N, C/P, and N/P decreased, while the environment factors (climate, soil moisture, soil acidity and salinity, and sediment properties) acted more important roles. The differences in the factors affecting the decay of the litters in different decomposition periods were mainly related to the micro-environment and tidal process for the two plant communities.

Evaluation of phosphorus characterization in broiler ileal digesta, manure, and litter samples: (31)P-NMR vs. HPLC.

PubMed

Leytem, A B; Kwanyuen, P; Plumstead, P W; Maguire, R O; Brake, J

2008-01-01

Using 31-phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P-NMR) to characterize phosphorus (P) in animal manures and litter has become a popular technique in the area of nutrient management. To date, there has been no published work evaluating P quantification in manure/litter samples with (31)P-NMR compared to other accepted methods such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). To evaluate the use of (31)P-NMR to quantify myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate) in ileal digesta, manure, and litter from broilers, we compared results obtained from both (31)P-NMR and a more traditional HPLC method. The quantification of phytate in all samples was very consistent between the two methods, with linear regressions having slopes ranging from 0.94 to 1.07 and r(2) values of 0.84 to 0.98. We compared the concentration of total monoester P determined with (31)P-NMR with the total inositol P content determined with HPLC and found a strong linear relationship between the two measurements having slopes ranging from 0.91 to 1.08 and r(2) values of 0.73 to 0.95. This suggests that (31)P-NMR is a very reliable method for quantifying P compounds in manure/litter samples.

Environmentally friendly animal litter

DOEpatents

Chett, Boxley; McKelvie, Jessica

2013-08-20

A method of making an animal litter that includes geopolymerized ash, wherein, the animal litter is made from a quantity of a pozzolanic ash mixed with a sufficient quantity of water and an alkaline activator to initiate a geopolymerization reaction that forms geopolymerized ash. After the geopolymerized ash is formed, it is dried, broken into particulates, and sieved to a desired size. These geopolymerized ash particulates are used to make a non-clumping or clumping animal litter. Odor control may be accomplished with the addition of a urease inhibitor, pH buffer, an odor eliminating agent, and/or fragrance.

Analysis of the effect of spatial and temporal sampling densities on accuracy of predicting the heating profile in windrowed broiler litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A standard method for monitoring temperature in windrow piles of broiler litter to predict microbial population reductions is described. Temperature data collected every 2 min on a 10 cm x 10 cm spatial sampling grid in five identically-constructed litter windrow piles was utilized in this study. ...

Rainfall simulation in greenhouse microcosms to assess bacterial-associated runoff from land-applied poultry litter.

PubMed

Brooks, John P; Adeli, Ardeshir; Read, John J; McLaughlin, Michael R

2009-01-01

Runoff water following a rain event is one possible source of environmental contamination after a manure application. This greenhouse study used a rainfall simulator to determine bacterial-associated runoff from troughs of common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] that were treated with P-based, N-based, and N plus lime rates of poultry (Gallus gallus) litter, recommended inorganic fertilizer, and control. Total heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria, total and thermotolerant coliforms, enterococci, staphylococci, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, and Campylobacter, as well as antibiotic resistance profiles for the staphylococci and enterococci isolates were all monitored in runoff waters. Analysis following five rainfall events indicated that staphylococci, enterococci, and clostridia levels were related to manure application rate. Runoff release of staphylococci, enterococci, and C. perfringens were approximately 3 to 6 log10 greater in litter vs. control treatment. In addition, traditional indicators such as thermotolerant and total coliforms performed poorly as fecal indicators. Some isolated enterococci demonstrated increased antibiotic resistance to polymixin b and/or select aminoglyocosides, while many staphylococci were susceptible to most antimicrobials tested. Results indicated poultry litter application can lead to microbial runoff following simulated rain events. Future studies should focus on the use of staphylococci, enterococci, and C. perfringens as indicators.

Animal waste and FGD gypsum effects on bermudagrass and soil leachate nutrient contents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In previous experiments on newly relcaimed coal mine soils in northeastern Mississippi, applying poultry litter at 22.4 Mg ha-1 yr-1 enhanced bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) biomass and selected soil quality parameters. Additionally, co-application of 11.2 Mg ha-1 FGD gypsum and litter reduced so...

Effects of seasonal nitrogen on binary mixtures of tall fescue and bermudagrass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The nutrients in broiler litter, especially N, should be applied in phase with crop demands to reduce the potential for nutrient loss. A 2-yr field experiment studied broiler litter and inorganic N application timing effects on seasonal dry matter (DM) yield, total nutrient uptake, and soil P in mix...

Nutrient cycling in an agroforestry alley cropping system receiving poultry litter or nitrogen fertilizer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optimal utilization of animal manures as a plant nutrient source should also prevent adverse impacts on water quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term poultry litter and N fertilizer application on nutrient cycling following establishment of an alley cropping system with easter...

Litter assessment on 99 Cuban beaches: A baseline to identify sources of pollution and impacts for tourism and recreation.

PubMed

Botero, C M; Anfuso, G; Milanes, C; Cabrera, A; Casas, G; Pranzini, E; Williams, A T

2017-05-15

Litter presence was assessed on the entire Cuban coastline, and includes 99 beaches from all Cuban regions, during field work carried out in 2012 and 2015. A standard method verified in several countries was applied, which classified beaches for nine types of litter into four grades (A-excellent to D-poor). Almost half of the Cuban beaches obtained excellent cleanliness scores, although many needed to be better managed. In this baseline, the most common types of residue were general litter (8% grade D and 35% grades B/C) and potentially harmful litter (<68% with grade A). Resort beaches and those with international visitors showed the best litter management. Tourism Impacts seems to be related to visitor origin therefore choices to develop sustainable tourism in rural and village beaches (64%) appears low, if beach cleaning gross investment is focused on resort beaches (24%). Finally, this paper highlights geographical distribution and types of litter patterns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The total amounts of radioactively contaminated materials in forests in Fukushima, Japan

PubMed Central

Hashimoto, Shoji; Ugawa, Shin; Nanko, Kazuki; Shichi, Koji

2012-01-01

There has been leakage of radioactive materials from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. A heavily contaminated area (≥ 134, 137Cs 1000 kBq m−2) has been identified in the area northwest of the plant. The majority of the land in the contaminated area is forest. Here we report the amounts of biomass, litter (small organic matter on the surface of the soil), coarse woody litter, and soil in the contaminated forest area. The estimated overall volume and weight were 33 Mm3 (branches, leaves, litter, and coarse woody litter are not included) and 21 Tg (dry matter), respectively. Our results suggest that removing litter is an efficient method of decontamination. However, litter is being continuously decomposed, and contaminated leaves will continue to fall on the soil surface for several years; hence, the litter should be removed promptly but continuously before more radioactive elements are transferred into the soil. PMID:22639724

Distribution and trajectories of floating and benthic marine macrolitter in the south-eastern North Sea.

PubMed

Gutow, Lars; Ricker, Marcel; Holstein, Jan M; Dannheim, Jennifer; Stanev, Emil V; Wolff, Jörg-Olaf

2018-06-01

In coastal waters the identification of sources, trajectories and deposition sites of marine litter is often hampered by the complex oceanography of shallow shelf seas. We conducted a multi-annual survey on litter at the sea surface and on the seafloor in the south-eastern North Sea. Bottom trawling was identified as a major source of marine litter. Oceanographic modelling revealed that the distribution of floating litter in the North Sea is largely determined by the site of origin of floating objects whereas the trajectories are strongly influenced by wind drag. Methods adopted from species distribution modelling indicated that resuspension of benthic litter and near-bottom transport processes strongly influence the distribution of litter on the seafloor. Major sink regions for floating marine litter were identified at the west coast of Denmark and in the Skagerrak. Our results may support the development of strategies to reduce the pollution of the North Sea. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leaf litter bags as an index to populations of northern two-lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chalmers, R.J.; Droege, S.

2002-01-01

Concern about recent amphibian declines has led to research on amphibian populations, but few statistically tested, standardized methods of counting amphibians exist. We tested whether counts of northern two-lined salamander larvae (Eurycea bislineata) sheltered in leaf litter bags--a relatively new, easily replicable survey technique--had a linear correlation to total number of larvae. Using experimental enclosures placed in streams, we compared number of salamanders found in artificial habitat (leaf litter bags) with total number of salamanders in each enclosure. Low numbers of the animals were found in leaf litter bags, and the relative amount of variation in the index (number of animals in leaf litter bags compared to total number of animals in stream enclosures) was high. The index of salamanders in leaf litter bags was not significantly related to total number of salamanders in enclosures for two-thirds of the replicates or with pooled replicates (P= 0.066). Consequently, we cannot recommend using leaf litter bags to index populations of northern two-lined salamanders.

Effects of litter addition on ectomycorrhizal associates of a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) stand in Yellowstone National Park

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cullings, Kenneth W.; New, Michael H.; Makhija, Shilpa; Parker, V. Thomas

2003-01-01

Increasing soil nutrients through litter manipulation, pollution, or fertilization can adversely affect ectomycorrhizal (EM) communities by inhibiting fungal growth. In this study, we used molecular genetic methods to determine the effects of litter addition on the EM community of a Pinus contorta stand in Yellowstone National Park that regenerated after a stand-replacing fire. Two controls were used; in unmodified control plots nothing was added to the soil, and in perlite plots perlite, a chemically neutral substance, was added to maintain soil moisture and temperature at levels similar to those under litter. We found that (i) species richness did not change significantly following perlite addition (2.6 +/- 0.3 species/core in control plots, compared with 2.3 +/- 0.3 species/core in perlite plots) but decreased significantly (P < 0.05) following litter addition (1.8 +/- 0.3 species/core); (ii) EM infection was not affected by the addition of perlite but increased significantly (P < 0.001) in response to litter addition, and the increase occurred only in the upper soil layer, directly adjacent to the added litter; and (iii) Suillus granulatus, Wilcoxina mikolae, and agaricoid DD were the dominant organisms in controls, but the levels of W. mikolae and agaricoid DD decreased significantly in response to both perlite and litter addition. The relative levels of S. granulatus and a fourth fungus, Cortinariaceae species 2, increased significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) following litter addition. Thus, litter addition resulted in some negative effects that may be attributable to moisture-temperature relationships rather than to the increased nutrients associated with litter. Some species respond positively to litter addition, indicating that there are differences in their physiologies. Hence, changes in the EM community induced by litter accumulation also may affect ecosystem function.

The generation and cost of litter resulting from the curbside collection of recycling.

PubMed

Wagner, Travis P; Broaddus, Nathan

2016-04-01

This study examined the generation of litter, defined as spillage and uncollected residue, from a curbside collection system for residential recycling. The primary recycling containers used in the study were 18-gal (68 L), open-top bins. The study, conducted over a seven-week period, was comprised of both an urban and suburban area. Six litter characterizations were conducted in which all new litter larger than 1 in.(2) was collected, segregated, counted, and weighed. We found that each week the open-top recycling bins contributed approximately 20,590 pieces of litter over 1 in. in size per every 1000 households, which resulted in the generation of 3.74 tons of litter per 1000 households per year. In addition to the bins having no top, the primary root causes of the litter were constantly overflowing recycling bins, the method of collection, and material scavenging. Based on an estimated cost of litter cleanup ranging from $0.17 to $0.79 per piece of litter, the direct economic costs from the collection of litter and loss in recycling revenues were estimated at US$3920 to US$19,250 per 1000 households per year. Other notable impacts from the litter, such as increased risk of flood damage from storm drain impairment and marine ecosystem damages exist, but were not monetized. The results strongly suggest that modification of the curbside collection system would decrease the amount and associated cost of litter by replacing existing curbside collection containers with larger volume containers with covers and by modifying the task-based incentive system to emphasize litter prevention rather than the current aim of completing the task most quickly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving basic and translational science by accounting for litter-to-litter variation in animal models

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Animals from the same litter are often more alike compared with animals from different litters. This litter-to-litter variation, or “litter effects”, can influence the results in addition to the experimental factors of interest. Furthermore, sometimes an experimental treatment can only be applied to whole litters rather than to individual offspring. An example is the valproic acid (VPA) model of autism, where VPA is administered to pregnant females thereby inducing the disease phenotype in the offspring. With this type of experiment the sample size is the number of litters and not the total number of offspring. If such experiments are not appropriately designed and analysed, the results can be severely biased as well as extremely underpowered. Results A review of the VPA literature showed that only 9% (3/34) of studies correctly determined that the experimental unit (n) was the litter and therefore made valid statistical inferences. In addition, litter effects accounted for up to 61% (p <0.001) of the variation in behavioural outcomes, which was larger than the treatment effects. In addition, few studies reported using randomisation (12%) or blinding (18%), and none indicated that a sample size calculation or power analysis had been conducted. Conclusions Litter effects are common, large, and ignoring them can make replication of findings difficult and can contribute to the low rate of translating preclinical in vivo studies into successful therapies. Only a minority of studies reported using rigorous experimental methods, which is consistent with much of the preclinical in vivo literature. PMID:23522086

Statistical analyses of the results of 25 years of beach litter surveys on the south-eastern North Sea coast.

PubMed

Schulz, Marcus; Clemens, Thomas; Förster, Harald; Harder, Thorsten; Fleet, David; Gaus, Silvia; Grave, Christel; Flegel, Imme; Schrey, Eckart; Hartwig, Eike

2015-08-01

In the North Sea, the amount of litter present in the marine environment represents a severe environmental problem. In order to assess the magnitude of the problem and measure changes in abundance, the results of two beach litter monitoring programmes were compared and analysed for long-term trends applying multivariate techniques. Total beach litter pollution was persistently high. Spatial differences in litter abundance made it difficult to identify long-term trends: Partly more than 8000 litter items year(-1) were recorded on a 100 m long survey site on the island of Scharhörn, while the survey site on the beach on the island of Amrum revealed abundances lower by two orders of magnitude. Beach litter was dominated by plastic with mean proportions of 52%-91% of total beach litter. Non-parametric time series analyses detected many significant trends, which, however, did not show any systematic spatial patterns. Cluster analyses partly led to groupings of beaches according to their expositions to sources of litter, wind and currents. Surveys in short intervals of one to two weeks were found to give higher annual sums of beach litter than the quarterly surveys of the OSPAR method. Surveys at regular intervals of four weeks to five months would make monitoring results more reliable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Induction of soybean resistance to bacterial pustule disease (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. glycines) by rhizobacteria and organic material treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaeruni, A.; Johan, E. A.; Wijayanto, T.; Taufik, M.; Syafar, A. A. R.; Kade Sutariati, G. A.

2018-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate the role of different formulations and types of organic matter in improving yield and resistance of soybean plants to bacterial pustule disease. The study was prepared based on a randomized block design with a factorial pattern. The first factor was the application of rhizobacterial formulation (biofresh), ie F0 = without the application of rhizobacteria, F1 = application of biofresh in solid formulation, and F2 = application of biofresh in liquid formulation. The second factor was the application of organic materials, namely B1 = compost of soybean litter + cow dung, B2 = compost of rice straw + cow dung, B3 = compost of soybean litter + rice straw + cow dung. Observation of disease severity and soybean yield was conducted on five sample plants in each treatment. The results showed that the treatment of biological agent biofresh in solid formulation combined with compos of soybean litter, was the best treatment in increasing plant resistance to bacterial pustule disease and seed weight. Plant resistance induction occurred systemically characterized by salicylic acid increase of 0.3 mg and peroxidase increase of 0.07 unit / mL in the sample plants.

Survival of generic E. coli and Listeria spp. populations in dairy compost- and poultry litter compost-amended soils in the Northeastern United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Introduction:The FDA FSMA standards stipulate composting conditions that meet acceptable treatments for use of manure/poultry litter-based biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAO). Application of FSMA-compliant BSAAO to soils for production of fresh produce is expected to result in reduc...

Nitrogen mineralization and nitrous oxide emissions in a sandy soil amended with low-phosphorus broiler litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recurrent land application of broiler litter in regions with a high concentration of poultry farms result in soils with phosphorus (P) far beyond the agronomic requirement of crops. A new waste treatment technology developed by USDA-ARS, called “Quick Wash”, chemically extracts and recovers P from b...

Production of litter and detritus related to the density of mangrove

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budi Mulya, Miswar; Arlen, HJ

2018-03-01

Research about the production of leaf litter and detritus related to the density of mangrove trees has been done. The aims of this research are to know and analyze the amount of litter and detritus produced to the density of mangrove trees. The production and collection of leaf litter were carried out in five stations. Production of detritus and decomposition rate were calculated by measuring its dry weight. The density and level of mangrove trees were determined using transect quadratic method. The relationship between the leaf litter and detritus production ratio related to mangrove density were then analyzed. Results showed that mangrove trees with the density of 766.67 ind ha‑1 ccould produce the amount of litter and detritus to about 28597.33 gha‑1day‑1and 1099.35 gha‑1day‑1 while mangrove trees with the density of 1300 ind ha‑1 could produce the amount of litter and detritus to about 35093.33 g/ha/day and 1216.68 gha‑1day‑1 respectively. Data analysis showed that the increment of mangrove density is linearly related to the production increment of litter and detritus.

A TWO-PROBE METHOD FOR MEASURING WATER CONTENT OF THIN FOREST FLOOR LITTER LAYERS USING TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY

EPA Science Inventory

Few methods exist that allow non-destructive in situ measurement of the water content of forest floor litter layers (Oa,Oe, and Oi horizons). Continuous non-destructive measurement is needed in studies of ecosystem processes because of the relationship between physical structure ...

Improving genetic evaluation of litter size and piglet mortality for both genotyped and nongenotyped individuals using a single-step method.

PubMed

Guo, X; Christensen, O F; Ostersen, T; Wang, Y; Lund, M S; Su, G

2015-02-01

A single-step method allows genetic evaluation using information of phenotypes, pedigree, and markers from genotyped and nongenotyped individuals simultaneously. This paper compared genomic predictions obtained from a single-step BLUP (SSBLUP) method, a genomic BLUP (GBLUP) method, a selection index blending (SELIND) method, and a traditional pedigree-based method (BLUP) for total number of piglets born (TNB), litter size at d 5 after birth (LS5), and mortality rate before d 5 (Mort; including stillbirth) in Danish Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. Data sets of 778,095 litters from 309,362 Landrace sows and 472,001 litters from 190,760 Yorkshire sows were used for the analysis. There were 332,795 Landrace and 207,255 Yorkshire animals in the pedigree data, among which 3,445 Landrace pigs (1,366 boars and 2,079 sows) and 3,372 Yorkshire pigs (1,241 boars and 2,131 sows) were genotyped with the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. The results showed that the 3 methods with marker information (SSBLUP, GBLUP, and SELIND) produced more accurate predictions for genotyped animals than the pedigree-based method. For genotyped animals, the average of reliabilities for all traits in both breeds using traditional BLUP was 0.091, which increased to 0.171 w+hen using GBLUP and to 0.179 when using SELIND and further increased to 0.209 when using SSBLUP. Furthermore, the average reliability of EBV for nongenotyped animals was increased from 0.091 for traditional BLUP to 0.105 for the SSBLUP. The results indicate that the SSBLUP is a good approach to practical genomic prediction of litter size and piglet mortality in Danish Landrace and Yorkshire populations.

Phosphorus runoff from waste water treatment biosolids and poultry litter applied to agricultural soils.

PubMed

White, John W; Coale, Frank J; Sims, J Thomas; Shober, Amy L

2010-01-01

Differences in the properties of organic phosphorus (P) sources, particularly those that undergo treatment to reduce soluble P, can affect soil P solubility and P transport in surface runoff. This 2-yr field study investigated soil P solubility and runoff P losses from two agricultural soils in the Mid-Atlantic region after land application of biosolids derived from different waste water treatment processes and poultry litter. Phosphorus speciation in the biosolids and poultry litter differed due to treatment processes and significantly altered soil P solubility and dissolved reactive P (DRP) and bioavailable P (FeO-P) concentrations in surface runoff. Runoff total P (TP) concentrations were closely related to sediment transport. Initial runoff DRP and FeO-P concentrations varied among the different biosolids and poultry litter applied. Over time, as sediment transport declined and DRP concentrations became an increasingly important component of runoff FeO-P and TP, total runoff P was more strongly influenced by the type of biosolids applied. Throughout the study, application of lime-stabilized biosolids and poultry litter increased concentrations of soil-soluble P, readily desorbable P, and soil P saturation, resulting in increased DRP and FeO-P concentrations in runoff. Land application of biosolids generated from waste water treatment processes that used amendments to reduce P solubility (e.g., FeCl(3)) did not increase soil P saturation and reduced the potential for DRP and FeO-P transport in surface runoff. These results illustrate the importance of waste water treatment plant process and determination of specific P source coefficients to account for differential P availability among organic P sources.

[Water-holding characteristics and accumulation amount of the litters under main forest types in Xinglong Mountain of Gansu, Northwest China].

PubMed

Wei, Qiang; Ling, Lei; Zhang, Guang-zhong; Yan, Pei-bin; Tao, Ji-xin; Chai, Chun-shan; Xue, Rui

2011-10-01

By the methods of field survey and laboratory soaking extraction, an investigation was conducted on the accumulation amount, water-holding capacity, water-holding rate, and water-absorption rate of the litters under six main forests (Picea wilsonii forest, P. wilsonii - Betula platyphlla forest, Populus davidiana - B. platyphlla forest, Cotonester multiglorus - Rosa xanthina shrubs, Pinus tabulaeformis forest, and Larix principis-rupprechtii forest) in Xinglong Mountain of Gansu. The accumulation amount of the litters under the forests was 13.40-46.32 t hm(-2), and in the order of P. tabulaeformis forest > P. wilsonii - B. platyphlla forest > L. principis-rupprechtii forest > P. wilsonii forest > C. multiglorus-R. xanthina shrubs > P. davidiana - B. platyphlla forest. The litter storage of coniferous forests was greater than that of broadleaved forests, and the storage percentage of semi-decomposed litters was all higher than that of un-decomposed litters. The maximum water-holding rate of the litters was 185.5%-303.6%, being the highest for L. principis-rupprechtii forest and the lowest for P. tabulaeformis forest. The litters' water-holding capacity changed logarithmically with their soaking time. For coniferous forests, un-decomposed litters had a lower water-holding rate than semi-decomposed litters; whereas for broadleaved forests, it was in adverse. The maximum water-holding capacity of the litters varied from 3.94 mm to 8.59 mm, and was in the order of P. tabulaeformis forest > L. principis-rupprechtii forest > P. wilsonii - B. platyphlla forest > P. wilsonii forest > C. multiglorus - R. xanthina shrubs > P. davidiana - B. platyphlla forest. The litters' water-holding capacity also changed logarithmically with immersing time, and the half-decomposed litters had a larger water-holding capacity than un-decomposed litters. The water-absorption rate of the litters presented a power function with immersing time. Within the first one hour of immersed in water, the water-absorption rate of the litters declined linearly; after the first one hour, the litters' water-absorption rate became smaller, and changed slowly at different immersed stages. Semi-decomposed litters had a higher water-absorption rate than un-decomposed litters. The effective retaining amount (depth) of the litters was in the order of P. wilsonii - B. platyphlla forest (5.97 mm) > P. tabulaeformis forest (5.59 mm) > L. principis-rupprechtii forest (5.46 mm) >P. wilsonii forest (4.30 mm) > C. multiglorus - R. xanthina shrubs (3.03 mm)>P. davidiana - B. platyphlla forest (2.13 mm).

Fungal contamination of poultry litter: a public health problem.

PubMed

Viegas, C; Carolino, E; Malta-Vacas, J; Sabino, R; Viegas, S; Veríssimo, C

2012-01-01

Although numerous studies have been conducted on microbial contaminants associated with various stages related to poultry and meat products processing, only a few reported on fungal contamination of poultry litter. The goals of this study were to (1) characterize litter fungal contamination and (2) report the incidence of keratinophilic and toxigenic fungi presence. Seven fresh and 14 aged litter samples were collected from 7 poultry farms. In addition, 27 air samples of 25 litters were also collected through impaction method, and after laboratory processing and incubation of collected samples, quantitative colony-forming units (CFU/m³) and qualitative results were obtained. Twelve different fungal species were detected in fresh litter and Penicillium was the most frequent genus found (59.9%), followed by Alternaria (17.8%), Cladosporium (7.1%), and Aspergillus (5.7%). With respect to aged litter, 19 different fungal species were detected, with Penicillium sp. the most frequently isolated (42.3%), followed by Scopulariopsis sp. (38.3%), Trichosporon sp. (8.8%), and Aspergillus sp. (5.5%). A significant positive correlation was found between litter fungal contamination (CFU/g) and air fungal contamination (CFU/m³). Litter fungal quantification and species identification have important implications in the evaluation of potential adverse health risks to exposed workers and animals. Spreading of poultry litter in agricultural fields is a potential public health concern, since keratinophilic (Scopulariopsis and Fusarium genus) as well as toxigenic fungi (Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium genus) were isolated.

Detection of pathogens, indicators, and antibiotic resistance genes following land application of poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The United States (U.S.) is the world’s largest producer of poultry with over eight billion broilers produced yearly. Poultry litter (PL) is a mixture of manure, bedding, feathers, and spilled feed that is a by-product of broiler production. In 2009, the U.S. produced more than 50 million tons of PL...

Application of the [3H]Leucine Incorporation Technique for Quantification of Bacterial Secondary Production Associated with Decaying Wetland Plant Litter

PubMed Central

Gillies, Jane E.; Kuehn, Kevin A.; Francoeur, Steven N.; Neely, Robert K.

2006-01-01

The radiolabeled leucine incorporation technique for quantifying rates of bacterial production has increased in popularity since its original description for bacterioplankton communities. Prior studies addressing incorporation conditions (e.g., substrate saturation) for bacterial communities in other habitats, such as decaying plant litter, have reported a wide range of final leucine concentrations (400 nM to 50 μM) required to achieve saturation-level uptake. We assessed the application of the [3H]leucine incorporation procedure for measuring bacterial production on decaying wetland plant litter. Substrate saturation experiments (nine concentrations, 10 nM to 50 μM final leucine concentration) were conducted on three dates for microbial communities colonizing the submerged litter of three emergent plant species (Typha angustifolia, Schoenoplectus validus, and Phragmites australis). A modified [3H]leucine protocol was developed by coupling previously described incubation and alkaline extraction protocols with microdialysis (500 molecular weight cutoff membrane) of the final radiolabeled protein extract. The incorporation of [3H]leucine into protein exhibited a biphasic saturation curve, with lower apparent Km values ranging from 400 nM to 4.2 μM depending on the plant species studied. Upper apparent Km values ranged from 1.3 to 59 μM. These results suggest differential uptake by litter-associated microbial assemblages, with the lower apparent Km values possibly representing bacterial uptake and higher apparent Km values representing a combination of both bacterial and nonbacterial (e.g., eukaryotic) uptake. PMID:16957215

Development of a chick bioassay for determination of infectivity of viral pathogens in poultry litter.

PubMed

Islam, A F M F; Walkden-Brown, S W; Groves, P J; Wells, B

2013-01-01

To develop a chicken bioassay to detect infective viral pathogens in poultry litter and to determine the effects of type of chicken and age of exposure, as well as the effect of simulated litter transportation, on the level of viral infectivity detected. A 5 × 2 × 2 factorial design, plus negative controls. Five chicken litters, including two with deliberate contamination (one transported and one not), two chicken types (specific-pathogen-free (SPF) Leghorns and Cobb broilers) and two ages at initial exposure (days 1 and 8). Two replicates of each treatment combination. The 10 chickens in each of 22 isolators were either exposed (20 isolators) or not (2 isolators) to 8 L of previously used or deliberately contaminated poultry litter in two deep scratch trays. At day 35 post-exposure, sera were assayed for antibodies against chicken anaemia virus (CAV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and fowl adenovirus (FAV). Spleen samples were tested for Marek's disease virus (MDV) using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The bioassay detected CAV, IBDV and FAV, but not NDV, IBV or MDV, in chickens exposed to infected litters. Infection in SPF chickens was detected with greater sensitivity than in the broiler chickens. Sensitivity increased with age at exposure in broiler but not SPF chickens. Simulated transportation for 24 h had little effect on pathogen detection. A bioassay based on the exposure of day-old SPF chickens to poultry litter and measurement of seroconversion at day 35 post-exposure is a useful semi-quantitative assay for viral infectivity in poultry litter, with overnight transportation of litter having little effect on the level of viral infectivity detected. This bioassay has applications in research on litter treatment protocols. © 2013 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2013 Australian Veterinary Association.

[Responses of soil microbial carbon metabolism to the leaf litter composition in Liaohe River Nature Reserve of northern Hebei Province, China].

PubMed

Li, Tian-yu; Kang, Feng-feng; Han, Hai-rong; Gao, Jing; Song, Xiao-shuai; Yu, Shu; Zhao, Jin-long; Yu, Xiao-wen

2015-03-01

Using litter bag method, we studied the effects of single and mixed litters from Betula platyphlla, Populus davidiana and Quercus mongolica on soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial respiration (MR) and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) in 0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm soil layers. The results showed that the average contents of MBC in 0-20 cm soil layer were 124.84, 325.29, 349.79 and 319.02 mg . kg-1 in the leaf litter removal treatment, Betula platyphlla treatment, Populus davidiana treatment and Quercus mongolica treatment, and the corresponding average rates of MR were 0.66, 1.12, 1.16 and 1.10 µg . g-1 . h-1, respectively. Meanwhile, in 0-20 cm soil layer, the average contents of MBC in the treatments with single leaf litter, mixed litter of two plant species and mixed litter of three plant species were 331. 37, 418. 52 and 529. 34 mg . kg-1, and the corresponding average rates of MR were 1.13, 1.30 and 1.46 µg . g-1 . h-1, respectively. In contrast to the MBC and MR, qCO2 in soil showed a reverse pattern. Our study suggested that characteristics of microbial carbolic metabolism were influenced by litter quality. Namely, the treatment with high litter quality had higher MBC, MR and utilization efficiency of soil carbon, compared with the treatment with low litter quality. Moreover, mixture of different species of leaf litter improved soil microbial activities, increased utilization efficiency on soil carbon and promoted diversity of microbial metabolic pathways, which could then contribute to maintaining and enhancing soil quality of forestland.

Impact of fungicides on the diversity and function of non-target ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms residing in a litter soil cover.

PubMed

Puglisi, Edoardo; Vasileiadis, Sotirios; Demiris, Konstantinos; Bassi, Daniela; Karpouzas, Dimitrios G; Capri, Ettore; Cocconcelli, Pier S; Trevisan, Marco

2012-10-01

Litter soil cover constitutes an important micro-ecosystem in sustainable viticulture having a key role in nutrient cycling and serving as a habitat of complex microbial communities. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA) are known to regulate nitrification in soil while little is known regarding their function and diversity in litter. We investigated the effects of two fungicides, penconazole and cyprodinil, commonly used in vineyards, on the function and diversity of total and active AOB and AOA in a microcosm study. Functional changes measured via potential nitrification and structural changes assessed via denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) at the DNA and RNA levels were contrasted with pesticide dissipation in the litter layer. The latter was inversely correlated with potential nitrification, which was temporarily inhibited at the initial sampling dates (0 to 21 days) when nearly 100 % of the applied pesticide amounts was still present in the litter. Fungicides induced changes in AOB and AOA communities with RNA-DGGE analysis showing a higher sensitivity. AOA were more responsive to pesticide application compared to AOB. Potential nitrification was less sensitive to the fungicides and was restored faster than structural changes, which persisted. These results support the theory of microbial redundancy for nitrification in a stressed litter environment.

The effect of double nursing, an alternative nursing strategy for the hyper-prolific sow herd, on herd performance.

PubMed

Houben, Manon A M; Tobias, Tijs J; Holstege, Manon M C

2017-01-01

Hyper-prolific sows produce more piglets than they can suckle, as the number of milk producing teats of the sow is lower (twelve to sixteen) than the number of live born piglets per litter. Farmers and farm workers are struggling to feed this surplus of piglets. To minimize suckling piglet mortality, litter size at 24 hours after parturition should not exceed the number of functional teats of the sow. Strategies to adequately nurse or feed the surplus of piglets after 24 hours are limited and mostly restricted to either fostering piglets by other sows, supplying milk replacers (formula) or early weaning and rearing on formula. In this case report we describe the design and application of a so called 'double nursing' strategy, for which one sow simultaneously nurses two litters from birth to weaning. Piglet mortality and reproductive parameters of sows that have nursed two litters are compared, over a three year period, with those that nursed one litter. In this herd, the double nursing strategy appeared to be a successful strategy. Double nursing sows experienced a lower piglet mortality, despite the double nursing strategy. The negative effects on reproduction proved to be limited, there was a negative effect on litter size in subsequent litters, but no significant effect on the interval weaning to next conception. It has to be noted though that not all characteristics on which double nursing selection takes place, could be taken into account during statistical analyses.

Broiler litter as a micronutrient source for cotton: concentrations in plant parts.

PubMed

Tewolde, H; Sistani, K R; Rowe, D E

2005-01-01

Analytically, poultry litter contains nearly all essential micronutrients but the extent of phytoavailability of these nutrients and whether cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and other crop plants can receive adequate amounts of these nutrients from litter is not fully known. The objective of this research was to determine whether cotton receives sufficient amounts of Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn from litter and estimate the efficiency of cotton in extracting these metal nutrients from litter in the absence of any other source of the micronutrients. The greenhouse research used plastic pots filled with approximately 11 kg of a 2:1 (v/v) sand to vermiculite growing mix. Cotton (cv. Stoneville 474) was grown in the pots fertilized with broiler litter at rates of 30, 60, 90, or 120 g pot(-1) in a factorial combination with four supplemental nutrient solution (NS) treatments. The nutrient solutions consisted of full Hoagland's nutrient solution (NS-full); a solution of the macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, and Mg (NS-macro); a solution of the micronutrients Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, B, and Mo (NS-micro); and water (NS-none). Based on tissue nutrient analysis, a one-time broiler litter application supplied adequate amounts of Fe, Cu, and Mn to bring the concentration of these nutrients in upper leaves within published sufficiency ranges. Zinc, with <17 mg kg(-1) concentration in the upper leaves, was the only micronutrient below the established sufficiency range regardless of the rate of applied litter. Cotton extracted Fe and Mn more efficiently than Cu or Zn, removing as much as 8.8% of Fe and 7.2% of Mn supplied by 30 g litter pot(-1). In contrast, the extraction efficiency was 1.7% for Cu and 1.9% for Zn. Roots accumulated 58% of the total absorbed Fe and 64% of Cu, and leaves accumulated 32% of the Fe and only 13% of the Cu supplied by litter. In contrast, only 16% of the total absorbed Mn and 23% of Zn accumulated in roots while leaves accumulated 64% of the total Mn and 37% of Zn. These results demonstrate that broiler litter is a valuable source of the metal nutrients supplying Fe, Cu, and Mn in full and Zn in part, but a very large fraction of the litter-supplied metal nutrients remained in the growing mix.

The utility of DNA metabarcoding for studying the response of arthropod diversity and composition to land-use change in the tropics

PubMed Central

Beng, Kingsly Chuo; Tomlinson, Kyle W.; Shen, Xian Hui; Surget-Groba, Yann; Hughes, Alice C.; Corlett, Richard T.; Slik, J. W. Ferry

2016-01-01

Metabarcoding potentially offers a rapid and cheap method of monitoring biodiversity, but real-world applications are few. We investigated its utility in studying patterns of litter arthropod diversity and composition in the tropics. We collected litter arthropods from 35 matched forest-plantation sites across Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. A new primer combination and the MiSeq platform were used to amplify and sequence a wide variety of litter arthropods using simulated and real-world communities. Quality filtered reads were clustered into 3,624 MOTUs at ≥97% similarity and the taxonomy of each MOTU was predicted. We compared diversity and compositional differences between forests and plantations (rubber and tea) for all MOTUs and for eight arthropod groups. We obtained ~100% detection rate after in silico sequencing six mock communities with known arthropod composition. Ordination showed that rubber, tea and forest communities formed distinct clusters. α-diversity declined significantly between forests and adjacent plantations for more arthropod groups in rubber than tea, and diversity of order Orthoptera increased significantly in tea. Turnover was higher in forests than plantations, but patterns differed among groups. Metabarcoding is useful for quantifying diversity patterns of arthropods under different land-uses and the MiSeq platform is effective for arthropod metabarcoding in the tropics. PMID:27112993

The multidimensional causal factors of 'wet litter' in chicken-meat production.

PubMed

Dunlop, Mark W; Moss, Amy F; Groves, Peter J; Wilkinson, Stuart J; Stuetz, Richard M; Selle, Peter H

2016-08-15

The problem of 'wet litter', which occurs primarily in grow-out sheds for meat chickens (broilers), has been recognised for nearly a century. Nevertheless, it is an increasingly important problem in contemporary chicken-meat production as wet litter and associated conditions, especially footpad dermatitis, have developed into tangible welfare issues. This is only compounded by the market demand for chicken paws and compromised bird performance. This review considers the multidimensional causal factors of wet litter. While many causal factors can be listed it is evident that the critical ones could be described as micro-environmental factors and chief amongst them is proper management of drinking systems and adequate shed ventilation. Thus, this review focuses on these environmental factors and pays less attention to issues stemming from health and nutrition. Clearly, there are times when related avian health issues of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis cannot be overlooked and the development of efficacious vaccines for the latter disease would be advantageous. Presently, the inclusion of phytate-degrading enzymes in meat chicken diets is routine and, therefore, the implication that exogenous phytases may contribute to wet litter is given consideration. Opinion is somewhat divided as how best to counter the problem of wet litter as some see education and extension as being more beneficial than furthering research efforts. However, it may prove instructive to assess the practice of whole grain feeding in relation to litter quality and the incidence of footpad dermatitis. Additional research could investigate the relationships between dietary concentrations of key minerals and the application of exogenous enzymes with litter quality. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing a two-step heat treatment for inactivating desiccation-adapted Salmonella spp. in aged chicken litter.

PubMed

Chen, Zhao; Wang, Hongye; Jiang, Xiuping

2015-02-01

The effectiveness of a two-step heat treatment for eliminating desiccation-adapted Salmonella spp. in aged chicken litter was evaluated. The aged chicken litter with 20, 30, 40, and 50% moisture contents was inoculated with a mixture of four Salmonella serotypes for a 24-h adaptation. Afterwards, the inoculated chicken litter was added into the chicken litter with the adjusted moisture content for a 1-h moist-heat treatment at 65 °C and 100% relative humidity inside a water bath, followed by a dry-heat treatment in a convection oven at 85 °C for 1 h to the desired moisture level (<10-12%). After moist-heat treatment, the populations of Salmonella in aged chicken litter at 20 and 30% moisture contents declined from ≈6.70 log colony-forming units (CFU)/g to 3.31 and 3.00 log CFU/g, respectively. After subsequent 1-h dry-heat treatment, the populations further decreased to 2.97 and 2.57 log CFU/g, respectively. Salmonella cells in chicken litter with 40% and 50% moisture contents were only detectable by enrichment after 40 and 20 min of moist-heat treatment, respectively. Moisture contents in all samples were reduced to <10% after a 1-h dry-heat process. Our results demonstrated that the two-step heat treatment was effective in reducing >5.5 logs of desiccation-adapted Salmonella in aged chicken litter with moisture content at or above 40%. Clearly, the findings from this study may provide the chicken litter processing industry with an effective heat treatment method for producing Salmonella-free chicken litter.

[Biogeochemical cycles in natural forest and conifer plantations in the high mountains of Colombia].

PubMed

León, Juan Diego; González, María Isabel; Gallardo, Juan Fernando

2011-12-01

Plant litter production and decomposition are two important processes in forest ecosystems, since they provide the main organic matter input to soil and regulate nutrient cycling. With the aim to study these processes, litterfall, standing litter and nutrient return were studied for three years in an oak forest (Quercus humboldtii), pine (Pinus patula) and cypress (Cupressus lusitanica) plantations, located in highlands of the Central Cordillera of Colombia. Evaluation methods included: fine litter collection at fortnightly intervals using litter traps; the litter layer samples at the end of each sampling year and chemical analyses of both litterfall and standing litter. Fine litter fall observed was similar in oak forest (7.5 Mg ha/y) and in pine (7.8 Mg ha/y), but very low in cypress (3.5 Mg ha/y). Litter standing was 1.76, 1.73 and 1.3 Mg ha/y in oak, pine and cypress, respectively. The mean residence time of the standing litter was of 3.3 years for cypress, 2.1 years for pine and 1.8 years for oak forests. In contrast, the total amount of retained elements (N, P, S, Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) in the standing litter was higher in pine (115 kg/ha), followed by oak (78 kg/ha) and cypress (24 kg/ha). Oak forests showed the lowest mean residence time of nutrients and the highest nutrients return to the soil as a consequence of a faster decomposition. Thus, a higher nutrient supply to soils from oaks than from tree plantations, seems to be an ecological advantage for recovering and maintaining the main ecosystem functioning features, which needs to be taken into account in restoration programs in this highly degraded Andean mountains.

Long-term effects of alum-treated litter, untreated litter and NH4NO3 application on phosphorus speciation, distribution and reactivity in soils using K-edge XANES and chemical fractionation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Whereas soil test information on the fertility and chemistry of soils has been important to elaborate safe and sound agricultural practices, microscopic information can give a whole extra dimension to understand the chemical processes occurring in soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate t...

[Responses of soil microbial carbolic metabolism characteristics to home-field advantage of leaf litter decomposition in Liaoheyuan Nature Reserve of northern Hebei Province, China].

PubMed

Li, Tian-yu; Kang, Feng-feng; Han, Hai-rong; Gao, Jing; Song, Xiao-shuai; Yu, Shu

2015-07-01

Using litter bag method, we studied the responses of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial respiration (MR) and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO2) in 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers to home-field advantage of Betula platyphlla and Quercus mongolica leaf litter decomposition in Liaoheyuan Nature Reserve, northern Hebei Province. The results showed that the contents of MBC in Betula platyphila and Quercus mongolica leaf litter treatments in home environment (Bh and Qh treatments) were significant higher than that in B. platyphlla and Q. mongolica leaf litter treatments in non-home environment (Ba and Qa treatments). There was no significant difference in MR between home and non-home environments. Response degree of MBC and MR to home-field advantage of different litter decomposition was inconsistent. The MBC of the different soil layers in Qa treatment fell by 39.6%, 34.9% and 33.5% compared to Qh treatment, respectively, and that in B. platyphlla treatment was decreased by 31.6%, 27.1% and 17.0%, respectively. MR of the different soil layers in Qa treatment accounted for 96.3%, 92.4% and 83.7% of Qh treatment, respectively, while MR in B. platyphila treatment was 99. 4%, 97. 3% and 101.3%, respectively. In contrast to MBC, qCO2 in soil showed a reverse pattern. Our study suggested that rich nutrients in soil enhanced microbial activity and weakened the conflict of nutrient uptake between plants and microorganisms, which led to the result that MBC and qCO2 had an obvious response to home-field advantage of litter decomposition, when litter decomposed in its home environment. There was a weak response between MR and home-field advantage of litter decomposition, because of influence of soil temperature, water content and their interaction. Furthermore, MBC, MR and qCO2 had a higher response degree to home-field advantage of Q. mongolica litter than B. platyphila litter, since lower quality litter exhibited higher home-field advantage of litter decomposition.

Community level patterns in diverse systems: A case study of litter fauna in a Mexican pine-oak forest using higher taxa surrogates and re-sampling methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, Claudia E.; Guevara, Roger; Sánchez-Rojas, Gerardo; Téllez, Dianeis; Verdú, José R.

2008-01-01

Environmental assessment at the community level in highly diverse ecosystems is limited by taxonomic constraints and statistical methods requiring true replicates. Our objective was to show how diverse systems can be studied at the community level using higher taxa as biodiversity surrogates, and re-sampling methods to allow comparisons. To illustrate this we compared the abundance, richness, evenness and diversity of the litter fauna in a pine-oak forest in central Mexico among seasons, sites and collecting methods. We also assessed changes in the abundance of trophic guilds and evaluated the relationships between community parameters and litter attributes. With the direct search method we observed differences in the rate of taxa accumulation between sites. Bootstrap analysis showed that abundance varied significantly between seasons and sampling methods, but not between sites. In contrast, diversity and evenness were significantly higher at the managed than at the non-managed site. Tree regression models show that abundance varied mainly between seasons, whereas taxa richness was affected by litter attributes (composition and moisture content). The abundance of trophic guilds varied among methods and seasons, but overall we found that parasitoids, predators and detrivores decreased under management. Therefore, although our results suggest that management has positive effects on the richness and diversity of litter fauna, the analysis of trophic guilds revealed a contrasting story. Our results indicate that functional groups and re-sampling methods may be used as tools for describing community patterns in highly diverse systems. Also, the higher taxa surrogacy could be seen as a preliminary approach when it is not possible to identify the specimens at a low taxonomic level in a reasonable period of time and in a context of limited financial resources, but further studies are needed to test whether the results are specific to a system or whether they are general with regards to land management.

Identifying Shifts in Leaf-Litter Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) across Ecosystem Boundaries Using Multiple Sampling Methods

PubMed Central

Wiezik, Michal; Svitok, Marek; Wieziková, Adela; Dovčiak, Martin

2015-01-01

Global or regional environmental changes in climate or land use have been increasingly implied in shifts in boundaries (ecotones) between adjacent ecosystems such as beech or oak-dominated forests and forest-steppe ecotones that frequently co-occur near the southern range limits of deciduous forest biome in Europe. Yet, our ability to detect changes in biological communities across these ecosystems, or to understand their environmental drivers, can be hampered when different sampling methods are required to characterize biological communities of the adjacent but ecologically different ecosystems. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) have been shown to be particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and vegetation and they require different sampling methods in closed vs. open habitats. We compared ant assemblages of closed-forests (beech- or oak-dominated) and open forest-steppe habitats in southwestern Carpathians using methods for closed-forest (litter sifting) and open habitats (pitfall trapping), and developed an integrated sampling approach to characterize changes in ant assemblages across these adjacent ecosystems. Using both methods, we collected 5,328 individual ant workers from 28 species. Neither method represented ant communities completely, but pitfall trapping accounted for more species (24) than litter sifting (16). Although pitfall trapping characterized differences in species richness and composition among the ecosystems better, with beech forest being most species poor and ecotone most species rich, litter sifting was more successful in identifying characteristic litter-dwelling species in oak-dominated forest. The integrated sampling approach using both methods yielded more accurate characterization of species richness and composition, and particularly so in species-rich forest-steppe habitat where the combined sample identified significantly higher number of species compared to either of the two methods on their own. Thus, an integrated sampling approach should be used to fully characterize changes in ant assemblages across ecosystem boundaries, or with vegetation change over time, and particularly so in species-rich habitats such as forest-steppe ecotones. PMID:26226140

Identifying Shifts in Leaf-Litter Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) across Ecosystem Boundaries Using Multiple Sampling Methods.

PubMed

Wiezik, Michal; Svitok, Marek; Wieziková, Adela; Dovčiak, Martin

2015-01-01

Global or regional environmental changes in climate or land use have been increasingly implied in shifts in boundaries (ecotones) between adjacent ecosystems such as beech or oak-dominated forests and forest-steppe ecotones that frequently co-occur near the southern range limits of deciduous forest biome in Europe. Yet, our ability to detect changes in biological communities across these ecosystems, or to understand their environmental drivers, can be hampered when different sampling methods are required to characterize biological communities of the adjacent but ecologically different ecosystems. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) have been shown to be particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and vegetation and they require different sampling methods in closed vs. open habitats. We compared ant assemblages of closed-forests (beech- or oak-dominated) and open forest-steppe habitats in southwestern Carpathians using methods for closed-forest (litter sifting) and open habitats (pitfall trapping), and developed an integrated sampling approach to characterize changes in ant assemblages across these adjacent ecosystems. Using both methods, we collected 5,328 individual ant workers from 28 species. Neither method represented ant communities completely, but pitfall trapping accounted for more species (24) than litter sifting (16). Although pitfall trapping characterized differences in species richness and composition among the ecosystems better, with beech forest being most species poor and ecotone most species rich, litter sifting was more successful in identifying characteristic litter-dwelling species in oak-dominated forest. The integrated sampling approach using both methods yielded more accurate characterization of species richness and composition, and particularly so in species-rich forest-steppe habitat where the combined sample identified significantly higher number of species compared to either of the two methods on their own. Thus, an integrated sampling approach should be used to fully characterize changes in ant assemblages across ecosystem boundaries, or with vegetation change over time, and particularly so in species-rich habitats such as forest-steppe ecotones.

Rapid determination of natural and synthetic hormones in biosolids and poultry manure by isotope dilution GC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Albero, Beatriz; Sánchez-Brunete, Consuelo; Miguel, Esther; Aznar, Ramón; Tadeo, José L

2014-04-01

The release of hormones into the environment due to land application of biosolids and manure is a cause of concern for their potential impacts. This paper presents the development of a rapid and sensitive method, based on extraction, for the analysis of 13 hormones in biosolids and poultry manure. A simultaneous derivatization of hydroxyl and ketone groups was carried out for the determination of hormones by GC–MS/MS. The method was validated in three matrices (sewage sludge, manure, and broiler litter). Recoveries from spiked samples at three concentration levels (50, 25, and 10 ng/g) ranged from 76 to 124% with relative SDs ≤ 16%. Method detection limits for the three matrices were in the range of 0.5–3.0 ng/g dry weight. The optimized method was applied to biosolid and poultry manure samples collected in Spain. Only seven of the 13 studied hormones were detected in the different samples. trans-Androsterone was detected at high levels (up to 3.1 μg/g in biosolid samples). Estrone and estradiol were the two hormones detected at higher levels in layer manure, whereas estrone and 4-androstene-3,17-dione presented the highest levels in broiler litter.

An assessment of the effectiveness of four in-house treatments to reduce the bacterial levels in poultry litter.

PubMed

Lopes, M; Leite, F L; Valente, B S; Heres, T; Dai Prá, M A; Xavier, E G; Roll, V F B

2015-09-01

Although the use of quicklime (CaO) and tarping are common handling practices aimed at the reuse of litter in the Brazilian poultry industry, few scientific studies have proven the effectiveness of these methods in reducing the pathogenic microbial load during fallowing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the following litter treatments: T1 no treatment (control), T2 quicklime (300 g m(-2)), T3 tarping, T4 tarping+quicklime (300 g m(-2)). The litter samples were collected on day zero and on the sixth and twelfth days after the start of fallowing. The use of quicklime alone or quicklime+tarping was more effective (P<0.05) in reducing bacteria when compared to litter tarping. Except for the control group, all treatments resulted in a more than 84% reduction in the count of colony-forming units (CFUs) at the end of fallowing. It is concluded that the use of quicklime alone in practical terms is the most indicated treatment for the reduction of the bacterial load of poultry litter. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Using next-generation sequencing to analyse the diet of a highly endangered land snail (Powelliphanta augusta) feeding on endemic earthworms.

PubMed

Boyer, Stéphane; Wratten, Stephen D; Holyoake, Andrew; Abdelkrim, Jawad; Cruickshank, Robert H

2013-01-01

Predation is often difficult to observe or quantify for species that are rare, very small, aquatic or nocturnal. The assessment of such species' diet can be conducted using molecular methods that target prey DNA remaining in predators' guts and faeces. These techniques do not require high taxonomic expertise, are applicable to soft-bodied prey and allow for identification at the species level. However, for generalist predators, the presence of mixed prey DNA in guts and faeces can be a major impediment as it requires development of specific primers for each potential prey species for standard (Sanger) sequencing. Therefore, next generation sequencing methods have recently been applied to such situations. In this study, we used 454-pyrosequencing to analyse the diet of Powelliphantaaugusta, a carnivorous landsnail endemic to New Zealand and critically endangered after most of its natural habitat has been lost to opencast mining. This species was suspected to feed mainly on earthworms. Although earthworm tissue was not detectable in snail faeces, earthworm DNA was still present in sufficient quantity to conduct molecular analyses. Based on faecal samples collected from 46 landsnails, our analysis provided a complete map of the earthworm-based diet of P. augusta. Predated species appear to be earthworms that live in the leaf litter or earthworms that come to the soil surface at night to feed on the leaf litter. This indicates that P. augusta may not be selective and probably predates any earthworm encountered in the leaf litter. These findings are crucial for selecting future translocation areas for this highly endangered species. The molecular diet analysis protocol used here is particularly appropriate to study the diet of generalist predators that feed on liquid or soft-bodied prey. Because it is non-harmful and non-disturbing for the studied animals, it is also applicable to any species of conservation interest.

Using Next-Generation Sequencing to Analyse the Diet of a Highly Endangered Land Snail (Powelliphanta augusta) Feeding on Endemic Earthworms

PubMed Central

Boyer, Stéphane; Wratten, Stephen D.; Holyoake, Andrew; Abdelkrim, Jawad; Cruickshank, Robert H.

2013-01-01

Predation is often difficult to observe or quantify for species that are rare, very small, aquatic or nocturnal. The assessment of such species’ diet can be conducted using molecular methods that target prey DNA remaining in predators’ guts and faeces. These techniques do not require high taxonomic expertise, are applicable to soft-bodied prey and allow for identification at the species level. However, for generalist predators, the presence of mixed prey DNA in guts and faeces can be a major impediment as it requires development of specific primers for each potential prey species for standard (Sanger) sequencing. Therefore, next generation sequencing methods have recently been applied to such situations. In this study, we used 454-pyrosequencing to analyse the diet of Powelliphantaaugusta , a carnivorous landsnail endemic to New Zealand and critically endangered after most of its natural habitat has been lost to opencast mining. This species was suspected to feed mainly on earthworms. Although earthworm tissue was not detectable in snail faeces, earthworm DNA was still present in sufficient quantity to conduct molecular analyses. Based on faecal samples collected from 46 landsnails, our analysis provided a complete map of the earthworm-based diet of P . augusta . Predated species appear to be earthworms that live in the leaf litter or earthworms that come to the soil surface at night to feed on the leaf litter. This indicates that P . augusta may not be selective and probably predates any earthworm encountered in the leaf litter. These findings are crucial for selecting future translocation areas for this highly endangered species. The molecular diet analysis protocol used here is particularly appropriate to study the diet of generalist predators that feed on liquid or soft-bodied prey. Because it is non-harmful and non-disturbing for the studied animals, it is also applicable to any species of conservation interest. PMID:24086671

What aspect of dietary modification in broilers controls litter water-soluble phosphorus: dietary phosphorus, phytase, or calcium?

PubMed

Leytem, A B; Plumstead, P W; Maguire, R O; Kwanyuen, P; Brake, J

2007-01-01

Environmental concerns about phosphorus (P) losses from animal agriculture have led to interest in dietary strategies to reduce the concentration and solubility of P in manures and litters. To address the effects of dietary available phosphorus (AvP), calcium (Ca), and phytase on P excretion in broilers, 18 dietary treatments were applied in a randomized complete block design to each of four replicate pens of 28 broilers from 18 to 42 d of age. Treatments consisted of three levels of AvP (3.5, 3.0, and 2.5 g kg(-1)) combined with three levels of Ca (8.0, 6.9, and 5.7 g kg(-1)) and two levels of phytase (0 and 600 phytase units [FTU]). Phytase was added at the expense of 1.0 g kg(-1) P from dicalcium phosphate. Fresh litter was collected from pens when the broilers were 41 d of age and analyzed for total P, soluble P, and phytate P as well as P composition by (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results indicated that the inclusion of phytase at the expense of inorganic P or reductions in AvP decreased litter total P by 28 to 43%. Litter water-soluble P (WSP) decreased by up to 73% with an increasing dietary Ca/AvP ratio, irrespective of phytase addition. The ratio of WSP/total P in litter decreased as the dietary Ca/AvP ratio increased and was greater in the phytase-amended diets. This study indicated that while feeding reduced AvP diets with phytase decreased litter total P, the ratio of Ca/AvP in the diet was primarily responsible for effects on WSP. This is important from an environmental perspective as the amount of WSP in litter could be related to potential for off-site P losses following land application of litter.

Marine Litter in the context of `G7' - Nothing but empty rhetoric?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, J.; Imhoff, H.

2016-02-01

The G7 summit 2015 in Germany has demonstrated that the major advanced economies mark a new path and mindset beyond their classical issues of world economy, foreign-, security-, and development policy - the protection of the marine environment. Focus themes were marine litter, deep-sea mining, and the protection of the high seas. In the G7 Leaders' Declaration they "acknowledge that marine litter, in particular plastic litter, poses a global challenge, directly affecting marine and coastal life and ecosystems […]". Based on priority actions defined in the annex to the Leaders' Declaration, termed the `G7 Action Plan to combat Marine Litter' (G7AP ML), in fact a novelty to the otherwise rather restrained political statements, the German Presidency aims at further defining and specifying actions that are listed in the `G7AP ML'. This will include inter alia explicit measures and timelines. Emphasizing the global importance and willingness of the G7 to act, and aiming at a swift implementation of the action plan with the intention to establish a real and realistic tool in the race of litter input vs. reduction of anthropogenic pressure on the marine environment, is key to the envisaged approach. Thus, building on existing experiences, such as the OSPAR Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter for the North-East Atlantic, it is intended to expand the geographical range of application towards a global perspective. What has been learned - e.g. concerning the need of close collaboration with stakeholders? What has been decided - on how implementation may be done in reality? And is the `G7AP ML' a valuable add-on to other initiatives, e.g. Global Partnership on Marine Litter - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)? These questions will be discussed in the light of the state of the art of the G7 marine litter topic.

HS-SPME analysis of volatile organic compounds of coniferous needle litter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isidorov, V. A.; Vinogorova, V. T.; Rafałowski, K.

The composition of volatile emission of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) and spruce ( Picea exelsa) litter was studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and samples were collected by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) method. The list of identified compounds includes over 60 organic substances of different classes. It was established that volatile emission contain not only components of essential oils of pine and spruce needles but also a large number of organic compounds which are probably secondary metabolites of litter-decomposing fungi. They include lower carbonyl compounds and alcohols as well as products of terpene dehydration and oxidation. These data show that the processes of litter decomposition are an important source of reactive organic compounds under canopy of coniferous forests.

Stoichiometry and climatic stress drive respiration and nutrient dynamics of beech litter decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keiblinger, Katharina Maria; Hämmerle, Ieda; Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie

2010-05-01

Little is known about how the variance in resources in terms of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) ratios affects respiration and nutrient dynamics. To elucidate how resource quantity and stoichiometry affect the decomposition process of beech (Fagus sylvatica) litter a terrestrial microcosm experiment was conducted. Our aim was to follow changes of beech litter stoichiometry and biogeochemical processes, and to quantify element losses as affected by temperature and moisture extremes. In addition to gaseous element losses (CO2) we examined the release of nutrients prone to leaching and the importance of environmental controls. We addressed mechanisms and pathways of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus losses. In our experiment sterilised dried leaves were inoculated with a litter-soil suspension from a beech forest in order to ensure similar starting conditions. Beech litter from different Austrian sites covering C:N ratios from 45 to 66 and C:P ratios from 652 to 1467 were incubated at 15°C for six months. The water content was adjusted to 60% at regular intervals to keep the moisture constant. To monitor transient and persistent influences of environmental stress, the microcosms were subject to extreme changes in temperature (+30°C and -20°C) and moisture (draught) after an incubation time of three months. Litter stoichiometries (C:N, C:P) turned out to be strong predictors for respiration, and nitrogen, and phosphorous losses. (i) Litter with narrow litter C:nutrient ratios decomposed faster than litter with wider litter C:nutrient ratios; and therefore showed higher respiration rates. (ii) Increased nutrient losses as leachates were observed for high quality leaf litter i.e. inorganic nitrogen losses for sites with narrow litter C:N ratios and phosphate was released more quickly in sites with narrow C:P ratios. There was a strong functional response of the microbial community to environmental extremes. Respiration increased upon temperature extremes, especially in the litter with highest C:P ratio. A persistent effect of temperature extremes on NH4 and NO3 concentrations was observed for three months after stress application. However, the effect on PO4 concentrations was only transient. Environmental conditions had a strong affect on nutrient losses but only a minor affect on microbial carbon Cmic and microbial nitrogen Nmic. The impact of environmental stress (heat or freezing) on microbes in terms of Cmic, Nmic and C:Nmic was strongest in sites with narrow litter C:N ratios. Our results indicate a similar stoichiometric demand of microbes, with temporal changes which results in differences in nutrient cycling on substrates with different C:N:P ratios.

Release of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Poultry Litter Amended with Acidified Biochar

PubMed Central

Doydora, Sarah A.; Cabrera, Miguel L.; Das, Keshav C.; Gaskin, Julia W.; Sonon, Leticia S.; Miller, William P.

2011-01-01

Application of poultry litter (PL) to soil may lead to nitrogen (N) losses through ammonia (NH3) volatilization and to potential contamination of surface runoff with PL-derived phosphorus (P). Amending litter with acidified biochar may minimize these problems by decreasing litter pH and by retaining litter-derived P, respectively. This study evaluated the effect of acidified biochars from pine chips (PC) and peanut hulls (PH) on NH3 losses and inorganic N and P released from surface-applied or incorporated PL. Poultry litter with or without acidified biochars was surface-applied or incorporated into the soil and incubated for 21 d. Volatilized NH3 was determined by trapping it in acid. Inorganic N and P were determined by leaching the soil with 0.01 M of CaCl2 during the study and by extracting it with 1 M KCl after incubation. Acidified biochars reduced NH3 losses by 58 to 63% with surface-applied PL, and by 56 to 60% with incorporated PL. Except for PH biochar, which caused a small increase in leached NH4 +-N with incorporated PL, acidified biochars had no effect on leached or KCl-extractable inorganic N and P from surface-applied or incorporated PL. These results suggest that acidified biochars may decrease NH3 losses from PL but may not reduce the potential for P loss in surface runoff from soils receiving PL. PMID:21655132

Evaluation of non-destructive methods for estimating biomass in marshes of the upper Texas, USA coast

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitbeck, M.; Grace, J.B.

2006-01-01

The estimation of aboveground biomass is important in the management of natural resources. Direct measurements by clipping, drying, and weighing of herbaceous vegetation are time-consuming and costly. Therefore, non-destructive methods for efficiently and accurately estimating biomass are of interest. We compared two non-destructive methods, visual obstruction and light penetration, for estimating aboveground biomass in marshes of the upper Texas, USA coast. Visual obstruction was estimated using the Robel pole method, which primarily measures the density and height of the canopy. Light penetration through the canopy was measured using a Decagon light wand, with readings taken above the vegetation and at the ground surface. Clip plots were also taken to provide direct estimates of total aboveground biomass. Regression relationships between estimated and clipped biomass were significant using both methods. However, the light penetration method was much more strongly correlated with clipped biomass under these conditions (R2 value 0.65 compared to 0.35 for the visual obstruction approach). The primary difference between the two methods in this situation was the ability of the light-penetration method to account for variations in plant litter. These results indicate that light-penetration measurements may be better for estimating biomass in marshes when plant litter is an important component. We advise that, in all cases, investigators should calibrate their methods against clip plots to evaluate applicability to their situation. ?? 2006, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

The Automated Root Exudate System (ARES): a method to apply solutes at regular intervals to soils in the field.

PubMed

Lopez-Sangil, Luis; George, Charles; Medina-Barcenas, Eduardo; Birkett, Ali J; Baxendale, Catherine; Bréchet, Laëtitia M; Estradera-Gumbau, Eduard; Sayer, Emma J

2017-09-01

Root exudation is a key component of nutrient and carbon dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. Exudation rates vary widely by plant species and environmental conditions, but our understanding of how root exudates affect soil functioning is incomplete, in part because there are few viable methods to manipulate root exudates in situ . To address this, we devised the Automated Root Exudate System (ARES), which simulates increased root exudation by applying small amounts of labile solutes at regular intervals in the field.The ARES is a gravity-fed drip irrigation system comprising a reservoir bottle connected via a timer to a micro-hose irrigation grid covering c . 1 m 2 ; 24 drip-tips are inserted into the soil to 4-cm depth to apply solutions into the rooting zone. We installed two ARES subplots within existing litter removal and control plots in a temperate deciduous woodland. We applied either an artificial root exudate solution (RE) or a procedural control solution (CP) to each subplot for 1 min day -1 during two growing seasons. To investigate the influence of root exudation on soil carbon dynamics, we measured soil respiration monthly and soil microbial biomass at the end of each growing season.The ARES applied the solutions at a rate of c . 2 L m -2  week -1 without significantly increasing soil water content. The application of RE solution had a clear effect on soil carbon dynamics, but the response varied by litter treatment. Across two growing seasons, soil respiration was 25% higher in RE compared to CP subplots in the litter removal treatment, but not in the control plots. By contrast, we observed a significant increase in microbial biomass carbon (33%) and nitrogen (26%) in RE subplots in the control litter treatment.The ARES is an effective, low-cost method to apply experimental solutions directly into the rooting zone in the field. The installation of the systems entails minimal disturbance to the soil and little maintenance is required. Although we used ARES to apply root exudate solution, the method can be used to apply many other treatments involving solute inputs at regular intervals in a wide range of ecosystems.

A simple mathematical method to estimate ammonia emission from in-house windrowing of poultry litter.

PubMed

Ro, Kyoung S; Szogi, Ariel A; Moore, Philip A

2018-05-12

In-house windrowing between flocks is an emerging sanitary management practice to partially disinfect the built-up litter in broiler houses. However, this practice may also increase ammonia (NH 3 ) emission from the litter due to the increase in litter temperature. The objectives of this study were to develop mathematical models to estimate NH 3 emission rates from broiler houses practicing in-house windrowing between flocks. Equations to estimate mass-transfer areas form different shapes windrowed litter (triangular, rectangular, and semi-cylindrical prisms) were developed. Using these equations, the heights of windrows yielding the smallest mass-transfer area were estimated. Smaller mass-transfer area is preferred as it reduces both emission rates and heat loss. The heights yielding the minimum mass-transfer area were 0.8 and 0.5 m for triangular and rectangular windrows, respectively. Only one height (0.6 m) was theoretically possible for semi-cylindrical windrows because the base and the height were not independent. Mass-transfer areas were integrated with published process-based mathematical models to estimate the total house NH 3 emission rates during in-house windrowing of poultry litter. The NH 3 emission rate change calculated from the integrated model compared well with the observed values except for the very high NH 3 initial emission rate from mechanically disturbing the litter to form the windrows. This approach can be used to conveniently estimate broiler house NH 3 emission rates during in-house windrowing between flocks by simply measuring litter temperatures.

Three-dimensional microCT imaging of murine embryonic development from immediate post-implantation to organogenesis: application for phenotyping analysis of early embryonic lethality in mutant animals.

PubMed

Ermakova, Olga; Orsini, Tiziana; Gambadoro, Alessia; Chiani, Francesco; Tocchini-Valentini, Glauco P

2018-04-01

In this work, we applied three-dimensional microCT imaging to study murine embryogenesis in the range from immediate post-implantation period (embryonic day 5.5) to mid-gestation (embryonic day 12.5) with the resolution up to 1.4 µm/voxel. Also, we introduce an imaging procedure for non-invasive volumetric estimation of an entire litter of embryos within the maternal uterine structures. This method allows for an accurate, detailed and systematic morphometric analysis of both embryonic and extra-embryonic components during embryogenesis. Three-dimensional imaging of unperturbed embryos was performed to visualize the egg cylinder, primitive streak, gastrulation and early organogenesis stages of murine development in the C57Bl6/N mouse reference strain. Further, we applied our microCT imaging protocol to determine the earliest point when embryonic development is arrested in a mouse line with knockout for tRNA splicing endonuclease subunit Tsen54 gene. Our analysis determined that the embryonic development in Tsen54 null embryos does not proceed beyond implantation. We demonstrated that application of microCT imaging to entire litter of non-perturbed embryos greatly facilitate studies to unravel gene function during early embryogenesis and to determine the precise point at which embryonic development is arrested in mutant animals. The described method is inexpensive, does not require lengthy embryos dissection and can be applicable for detailed analysis of mutant mice at laboratory scale as well as for high-throughput projects.

Correlation of quantitative PCR for a poultry-specific brevibacterium marker gene with bacterial and chemical indicators of water pollution in a watershed impacted by land application of poultry litter.

PubMed

Weidhaas, Jennifer L; Macbeth, Tamzen W; Olsen, Roger L; Harwood, Valerie J

2011-03-01

The impact of fecal contamination from human and agricultural animal waste on water quality is a major public health concern. Identification of the dominant source(s) of fecal pollution in a watershed is necessary for assessing the safety of recreational water and protecting water resources. A field study was conducted using quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the 16S rRNA gene of Brevibacterium sp. LA35 to track feces-contaminated poultry litter in environmental samples. Based on sensitivity and specificity characteristics of the qPCR method, the Bayesian conditional probability that detection of the LA35 marker gene in a water sample represented a true-positive result was 93%. The marker's covariance with fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and metals associated with poultry litter was also assessed in litter, runoff, surface water, and groundwater samples. LA35 was detected in water and soil samples collected throughout the watershed, and its concentration covaried with concentrations of Escherichia coli, enterococci, As, Cu, P, and Zn. Significantly greater concentrations of FIB, As, Cu, P, and Zn were observed in edge-of-field runoff samples in which LA35 was detected, compared to samples in which it was not detected. Furthermore, As, Cu, P, and Zn concentrations covaried in environmental samples in which LA35 was detected and typically did not in samples in which the marker gene was not detected. The covariance of the poultry-specific LA35 marker gene with these known contaminants from poultry feces provides further evidence that it is a useful tool for assessing the impact of poultry-derived fecal pollution in environmental waters.

Regional Contingencies in the Relationship between Aboveground Biomass and Litter in the World’s Grasslands

PubMed Central

O’Halloran, Lydia R.; Borer, Elizabeth T.; Seabloom, Eric W.; MacDougall, Andrew S.; Cleland, Elsa E.; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Hobbie, Sarah; Harpole, W. Stan; DeCrappeo, Nicole M.; Chu, Chengjin; Bakker, Jonathan D.; Davies, Kendi F.; Du, Guozhen; Firn, Jennifer; Hagenah, Nicole; Hofmockel, Kirsten S.; Knops, Johannes M. H.; Li, Wei; Melbourne, Brett A.; Morgan, John W.; Orrock, John L.; Prober, Suzanne M.; Stevens, Carly J.

2013-01-01

Based on regional-scale studies, aboveground production and litter decomposition are thought to positively covary, because they are driven by shared biotic and climatic factors. Until now we have been unable to test whether production and decomposition are generally coupled across climatically dissimilar regions, because we lacked replicated data collected within a single vegetation type across multiple regions, obfuscating the drivers and generality of the association between production and decomposition. Furthermore, our understanding of the relationships between production and decomposition rests heavily on separate meta-analyses of each response, because no studies have simultaneously measured production and the accumulation or decomposition of litter using consistent methods at globally relevant scales. Here, we use a multi-country grassland dataset collected using a standardized protocol to show that live plant biomass (an estimate of aboveground net primary production) and litter disappearance (represented by mass loss of aboveground litter) do not strongly covary. Live biomass and litter disappearance varied at different spatial scales. There was substantial variation in live biomass among continents, sites and plots whereas among continent differences accounted for most of the variation in litter disappearance rates. Although there were strong associations among aboveground biomass, litter disappearance and climatic factors in some regions (e.g. U.S. Great Plains), these relationships were inconsistent within and among the regions represented by this study. These results highlight the importance of replication among regions and continents when characterizing the correlations between ecosystem processes and interpreting their global-scale implications for carbon flux. We must exercise caution in parameterizing litter decomposition and aboveground production in future regional and global carbon models as their relationship is complex. PMID:23405103

Regional contingencies in the relationship between aboveground Bbomass and litter in the world’s grasslands

USGS Publications Warehouse

O’Halloran, Lydia R.; Borer, Elizabeth T.; Seabloom, Eric W.; MacDougall, Andrew S.; Cleland, Elsa E.; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Hobbie, Sarah; Harpole, W. Stan; DeCrappeo, Nicole M.; Chu, Cheng-Jin; Bakker, Jonathan D.; Davies, Kendi F.; Du, Guozhen; Firn, Jennifer; Hagenah, Nicole; Hofmockel, Kirsten S.; Knops, Johannes M.H.; Li, Wei; Melbourne, Brett A.; Morgan, John W.; Orrock, John L.; Prober, Suzanne M.; Stevens, Carly J.

2013-01-01

Based on regional-scale studies, aboveground production and litter decomposition are thought to positively covary, because they are driven by shared biotic and climatic factors. Until now we have been unable to test whether production and decomposition are generally coupled across climatically dissimilar regions, because we lacked replicated data collected within a single vegetation type across multiple regions, obfuscating the drivers and generality of the association between production and decomposition. Furthermore, our understanding of the relationships between production and decomposition rests heavily on separate meta-analyses of each response, because no studies have simultaneously measured production and the accumulation or decomposition of litter using consistent methods at globally relevant scales. Here, we use a multi-country grassland dataset collected using a standardized protocol to show that live plant biomass (an estimate of aboveground net primary production) and litter disappearance (represented by mass loss of aboveground litter) do not strongly covary. Live biomass and litter disappearance varied at different spatial scales. There was substantial variation in live biomass among continents, sites and plots whereas among continent differences accounted for most of the variation in litter disappearance rates. Although there were strong associations among aboveground biomass, litter disappearance and climatic factors in some regions (e.g. U.S. Great Plains), these relationships were inconsistent within and among the regions represented by this study. These results highlight the importance of replication among regions and continents when characterizing the correlations between ecosystem processes and interpreting their global-scale implications for carbon flux. We must exercise caution in parameterizing litter decomposition and aboveground production in future regional and global carbon models as their relationship is complex.

Tea polyphenols dominate the short-term tea (Camellia sinensis) leaf litter decomposition*

PubMed Central

Fan, Dong-mei; Fan, Kai; Yu, Cui-ping; Lu, Ya-ting; Wang, Xiao-chang

2017-01-01

Polyphenols are one of the most important secondary metabolites, and affect the decomposition of litter and soil organic matter. This study aims to monitor the mass loss rate of tea leaf litter and nutrient release pattern, and investigate the role of tea polyphenols played in this process. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and classical litter bag method were used to simulate the decomposition process of tea leaf litter and track the changes occurring in major polyphenols over eight months. The release patterns of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were also determined. The decomposition pattern of tea leaf litter could be described by a two-phase decomposition model, and the polyphenol/N ratio effectively regulated the degradation process. Most of the catechins decreased dramatically within two months; gallic acid (GA), catechin gallate (CG), and gallocatechin (GC) were faintly detected, while others were outside the detection limits by the end of the experiment. These results demonstrated that tea polyphenols transformed quickly and catechins had an effect on the individual conversion rate. The nutrient release pattern was different from other plants which might be due to the existence of tea polyphenols. PMID:28124839

Tea polyphenols dominate the short-term tea (Camellia sinensis) leaf litter decomposition.

PubMed

Fan, Dong-Mei; Fan, Kai; Yu, Cui-Ping; Lu, Ya-Ting; Wang, Xiao-Chang

Polyphenols are one of the most important secondary metabolites, and affect the decomposition of litter and soil organic matter. This study aims to monitor the mass loss rate of tea leaf litter and nutrient release pattern, and investigate the role of tea polyphenols played in this process. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and classical litter bag method were used to simulate the decomposition process of tea leaf litter and track the changes occurring in major polyphenols over eight months. The release patterns of nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were also determined. The decomposition pattern of tea leaf litter could be described by a two-phase decomposition model, and the polyphenol/N ratio effectively regulated the degradation process. Most of the catechins decreased dramatically within two months; gallic acid (GA), catechin gallate (CG), and gallocatechin (GC) were faintly detected, while others were outside the detection limits by the end of the experiment. These results demonstrated that tea polyphenols transformed quickly and catechins had an effect on the individual conversion rate. The nutrient release pattern was different from other plants which might be due to the existence of tea polyphenols.

Effects of multiple but low pesticide loads on aquatic fungal communities colonizing leaf litter.

PubMed

Talk, Anne; Kublik, Susanne; Uksa, Marie; Engel, Marion; Berghahn, Rüdiger; Welzl, Gerhard; Schloter, Michael; Mohr, Silvia

2016-08-01

In the first tier risk assessment (RA) of pesticides, risk for aquatic communities is estimated by using results from standard laboratory tests with algae, daphnids and fish for single pesticides such as herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides. However, fungi as key organisms for nutrient cycling in ecosystems as well as multiple pesticide applications are not considered in the RA. In this study, the effects of multiple low pesticide pulses using regulatory acceptable concentrations (RACs) on the dynamics of non-target aquatic fungi were investigated in a study using pond mesocosm. For that, fungi colonizing black alder (Alnus glutinosa) leaves were exposed to multiple, low pulses of 11 different pesticides over a period of 60days using a real farmer's pesticide application protocol for apple cropping. Four pond mesocosms served as treatments and 4 as controls. The composition of fungal communities colonizing the litter material was analyzed using a molecular fingerprinting approach based on the terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (t-RFLP) of the fungal Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of the ribonucleic acid (RNA) gene(s). Our data indicated a clear fluctuation of fungal communities based on the degree of leaf litter degradation. However significant effects of the applied spraying sequence were not observed. Consequently also degradation rates of the litter material were not affected by the treatments. Our results indicate that the nutrient rich environment of the leaf litter material gave fungal communities the possibility to express genes that induce tolerance against the applied pesticides. Thus our data may not be transferred to other fresh water habitats with lower nutrient availability. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Exploration of using stripped ammonia and ash from poultry litter for the cultivation of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis and the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris.

PubMed

Markou, Giorgos; Iconomou, Dimitris; Sotiroudis, Theodore; Israilides, Cleanthes; Muylaert, Koenraad

2015-11-01

Herein a new approach of exploiting poultry litter (PL) is demonstrated. The suggested method includes drying of PL with simultaneously striping and recovery of ammonia, followed by the direct combustion of dried PL. The generated ash after the combustion, and the striped ammonia consequently, could be used as nutrient source for the cultivation of microalgae or cyanobacteria to produce feed additives. The present study explored the application of PL ash and recovered ammonia for the cultivation of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris. For a simultaneously 90% dissolution of ash potassium and phosphorus, a ratio of acid to ash of 0.02mol-H(+)/g was required. The optimum mass of ash required was 0.07-0.08g/g dry biomass, while the addition of ammoniac nitrogen of 8-9mgN per g of dry biomass per day was adequate for a satisfactory production of A. platensis and C. vulgaris. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuel Load (FL)

Treesearch

Duncan C. Lutes; Robert E. Keane

2006-01-01

The Fuel Load method (FL) is used to sample dead and down woody debris, determine depth of the duff/ litter profile, estimate the proportion of litter in the profile, and estimate total vegetative cover and dead vegetative cover. Down woody debris (DWD) is sampled using the planar intercept technique based on the methodology developed by Brown (1974). Pieces of dead...

Single-Trait and Antagonistic Index Selection for Litter Size and Body Weight in Mice

PubMed Central

Eisen, E. J.

1978-01-01

Individual selection based on female performance only was conducted in four lines of mice: L+ for increased litter size, W+ for increased 6-week body weight, L-W+ for a selection index aimed at decreasing litter size and increasing 6-week body weight and L+W- for a selection index aimed at increasing litter size and decreasing 6-week body weight. A fifth line (K) served as an unselected control. All litters were standardized to eight mice at one day of age. Expected heritability was based on twice the regression of offspring on dam (h2d), which contains additive genetic variance due to direct (σ2Ao) and maternal (σ2Am) effects and their covariance (σAoAm). Responses and correlated responses were measured either deviated (method 1) or not deviated (method 2) from the control line. Realized heritabilities (h2R) for litter size were 0.19 ± 0.04 (1) and 0.16 ± 0.03 (2), which were similar to h 2d of 0.17 ± 0.04. The h2 R for 6-week body weight of 0.55 ± 0.07 (1) and 0.44 ± 0.07 (2) agreed with h2d of 0.42 ± 0.02. Realized genetic correlations (r*GR) between litter size and 6-week body weight calculated from the double-selection experiment were 0.52 ± 0.10 (1) and 0.52 ± 0.13 (2), which were not significantly different from the base population estimate of r* Gd = 0.63 ± 0.14. Divergence (L-W + minus L+W-) in the antagonistic index selection lines was 0.21 ± 0.01 index units (I = 0.305 PW - 0.436 PL, where P W and PL are the phenotypic values for 6-week body weight and litter size, respectively.). The h2 R of index units of 0.14 ± 0.02 calculated from divergence agreed with h2d of 0.14 ± 0.04. Divergences in litter size (-0.19 ± 0.07) and 6-week body weight (0.46 ± 0.10) were in the expected direction. Antagonistic index selection yielded about one-half the expected divergence in litter size, while divergence in 6-week body weight was only slightly less than expected. Realized genetic correlations indicated that litter size, 6-week body weight and index units each showed positive pleiotropy with 3-week body weight, postweaning gain and weight at vaginal introitus and negative pleiotropy with age at vaginal introitus. Sex ratio and several components of fitness (days from joining to parturition, percent fertile matings and percent perinatal survival) did not change significantly in the selected lines. PMID:17248819

Accounting for non-photosynthetic vegetation in remote-sensing-based estimates of carbon flux in wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schile, Lisa M.; Byrd, Kristin B.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Kelly, Maggi

2013-01-01

Monitoring productivity in coastal wetlands is important due to their high carbon sequestration rates and potential role in climate change mitigation. We tested agricultural- and forest-based methods for estimating the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (f APAR), a key parameter for modelling gross primary productivity (GPP), in a restored, managed wetland with a dense litter layer of non-photosynthetic vegetation, and we compared the difference in canopy light transmission between a tidally influenced wetland and the managed wetland. The presence of litter reduced correlations between spectral vegetation indices and f APAR. In the managed wetland, a two-band vegetation index incorporating simulated World View-2 or Hyperion green and near-infrared bands, collected with a field spectroradiometer, significantly correlated with f APAR only when measured above the litter layer, not at the ground where measurements typically occur. Measures of GPP in these systems are difficult to capture via remote sensing, and require an investment of sampling effort, practical methods for measuring green leaf area and accounting for background effects of litter and water.

Carbon Turnover in Organic Soils of Central Saskatchewan: Insights From a Core-Based Decomposition Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, I. E.; Bhatti, J. S.; Hurdle, P. A.

2004-05-01

Field-based decomposition studies that examine several site types tend to use one of two approaches: Either the decay of one (or more) standard litters is examined in all sites, or litters native to each site type are incubated in the environment they came from. The first of these approaches examines effects of environment on decay, whereas the latter determines rates of mass loss characteristic of each site type. Both methods are usually restricted to a limited number of litters, and neither allows for a direct estimate of ecosystem-level parameters (e.g. heterotrophic respiration). In order to examine changes in total organic matter turnover along forest - peatland gradients in central Saskatchewan, we measured mass loss of native peat samples from six different depths (surface to 50 cm) over one year. Samples were obtained by sectioning short peat cores, and cores and samples were returned to their original position after determining the initial weight of each sample. A standard litter (birch popsicle sticks) was included at each depth, and water tables and soil temperature were monitored over the growing season. After one year, average mass loss in surface peat samples was similar to published values from litter bag studies, ranging from 12 to 21 percent in the environments examined. Native peat mass loss showed few systematic differences between sites or along the forest - peatland gradient, with over 60 percent of the total variability explained by depth alone. Mass loss of standard litter samples was highly variable, with high values in areas at the transition between upland and peatland that may have experienced recent disturbance. In combination, these results suggest strong litter-based control over natural rates of organic matter turnover. Estimates of heterotrophic respiration calculated from the mass loss data are higher than values obtained by eddy covariance or static chamber techniques, probably reflecting loss of material during the handling of samples or increased mass loss from manipulated profiles. Nevertheless, the core-based method is a useful tool in examining carbon dynamics of organic soils, since it provides a good relative index of organic matter turnover, and allows for separate examination of environmental and litter-based effects.

Arsenic Metabolites, Including N-Acetyl-4-hydroxy-m-arsanilic Acid, in Chicken Litter from a Roxarsone-Feeding Study Involving 1600 Chickens.

PubMed

Yang, Zonglin; Peng, Hanyong; Lu, Xiufen; Liu, Qingqing; Huang, Rongfu; Hu, Bin; Kachanoski, Gary; Zuidhof, Martin J; Le, X Chris

2016-07-05

The poultry industry has used organoarsenicals, such as 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (Roxarsone, ROX), to prevent disease and to promote growth. Although previous studies have analyzed arsenic species in chicken litter after composting or after application to agricultural lands, it is not clear what arsenic species were excreted by chickens before biotransformation of arsenic species during composting. We describe here the identification and quantitation of arsenic species in chicken litter repeatedly collected on days 14, 24, 28, 30, and 35 of a Roxarsone-feeding study involving 1600 chickens of two strains. High performance liquid chromatography separation with simultaneous detection by both inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry provided complementary information necessary for the identification and quantitation of arsenic species. A new metabolite, N-acetyl-4-hydroxy-m-arsanilic acid (N-AHAA), was identified, and it accounted for 3-12% of total arsenic. Speciation analyses of litter samples collected from ROX-fed chickens on days 14, 24, 28, 30, and 35 showed the presence of N-AHAA, 3-amino-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (3-AHPAA), inorganic arsenite (As(III)), arsenate (As(V)), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA(V)), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)), and ROX. 3-AHPAA accounted for 3-19% of the total arsenic. Inorganic arsenicals (the sum of As(III) and As(V)) comprised 2-6% (mean 3.5%) of total arsenic. Our results on the detection of inorganic arsenicals, methylarsenicals, 3-AHPAA, and N-AHAA in the chicken litter support recent findings that ROX is actually metabolized by the chicken or its gut microbiome. The presence of the toxic metabolites in chicken litter is environmentally relevant as chicken litter is commonly used as fertilizer.

Chemical manipulation of soil biota in a fescue meadow

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malone, C. R.; Reichle, D. E.

Formalin, phorate, and sodium chlorate were used in field enclosures to create artificial habitats in a fescue meadow containing (1) reduced number of earthworms, (2) reduced numbers of earthworms and soil arthropods, and (3) reduction of total soil fauna and rate of microbial decomposition. Under these conditions, confined fescue litter initially decomposed more rapidly where arthropods or earthworms were suppressed than in controls with full complements of soil animals. After one year, reduction in numbers of soil animals had no net effect on litter decomposition, with faunal activity apparently having been compensated for by increased microbial activity. Where animals andmore » microbial activity were reduced, rate of litter loss was depressed initially but recovered after 10 months as the effects of chemical suppression of microbial populations subsided. Contrary to the effects on annual loss of litter, elimination of all or portions of the soil fauna depressed rates of loss of confined and buried roots, reflecting the role of animals in fragmenting roots before their decomposition by microorganisms. Habitat manipulations had pronounced effects on the mobility of 134Cs, and loss of the radionuclide from labelled litter was retarded despite an accelerated rate of decomposition. This effect apparently was associated with proliferation of microorganisms on litter and microbial immobilization of the radionuclide. Immobilization of 134Cs occurred following chemical perturbations, but only after an initial period of rapid loss resulting from increased microbial activity. Distribution of 134Cs in soil beneath tagged litter bags reflected the role of animals in element redistribution within soil. Finally, restricted vertical mobility of the nuclide occurred except where chemical application killed vegetation within the experimental enclosures.« less

Effects of the interception of litterfall by the understory on carbon cycling in eucalyptus plantations of South China.

PubMed

Yang, Long; Wang, Jun; Huang, Yuhui; Hui, Dafeng; Wen, Meili

2014-01-01

For the purposes of forest restoration, carbon (C) fixation, and economic improvement, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) has been widely planted in South China. The understory of eucalyptus plantations is often occupied by a dense community of the fern Dicranopteris dichotoma, which intercepts tree canopy leaf litter before it reaches the ground. To understand the effects of this interception of litterfall on C cycling in eucalyptus plantations, we quantified the mass of intercepted litter and the influences of litterfall interception on litter decomposition and soil respiration. The total mass of E. urophylla litterfall collected on the understory was similar to that collected by the traditional litter trap method. All of the eucalyptus litterfall is intercepted by the D. dichotoma canopy. Of the litterfall that was intercepted by D. dichotoma, 20-40% and 60-80% was intercepted by the top (50-100 cm) and bottom (0-50 cm) of the understory canopy, respectively. Intercepted litterfall decomposed faster at the bottom of understory canopy (at the base of the plants) than at the top, and decomposition was slower on the soil surface in the absence of understory than on any location in the understory canopy. Soil respiration was highest when both the understory and litter were present and was lowest when both the understory and litter were absent. These results indicate that litterfall interception changed carbon flow between aboveground and belowground through litter decomposition and soil respiration, which changed carbon cycling in eucalyptus plantations. The effects of the understory on litter decomposition and soil respiration should be considered in ecosystem carbon models.

PARAFAC Modeling of Irradiation- and Oxidation-Induced Changes in Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter Extracted from Poultry Litter.

PubMed

Mangalgiri, Kiranmayi P; Timko, Stephen A; Gonsior, Michael; Blaney, Lee

2017-07-18

Parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) applied to fluorescence excitation emission matrices (EEMs) allows quantitative assessment of the composition of fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, we fit a four-component EEM-PARAFAC model to characterize DOM extracted from poultry litter. The data set included fluorescence EEMs from 291 untreated, irradiated (253.7 nm, 310-410 nm), and oxidized (UV-H 2 O 2 , ozone) poultry litter extracts. The four components were identified as microbial humic-, terrestrial humic-, tyrosine-, and tryptophan-like fluorescent signatures. The Tucker's congruence coefficients for components from the global (i.e., aggregated sample set) model and local (i.e., single poultry litter source) models were greater than 0.99, suggesting that the global EEM-PARAFAC model may be suitable to study poultry litter DOM from individual sources. In general, the transformation trends of the four fluorescence components were comparable for all poultry litter sources tested. For irradiation at 253.7 nm, ozonation, and UV-H 2 O 2 advanced oxidation, transformation of the humic-like components was slower than that of the tryptophan-like component. The opposite trend was observed for irradiation at 310-410 nm, due to differences in UV absorbance properties of components. Compared to the other EEM-PARAFAC components, the tyrosine-like component was fairly recalcitrant in irradiation and oxidation processes. This novel application of EEM-PARAFAC modeling provides insight into the composition and fate of agricultural DOM in natural and engineered systems.

Soil mineral composition matters: response of microbial communities to phenanthrene and plant litter addition in long-term matured artificial soils.

PubMed

Babin, Doreen; Vogel, Cordula; Zühlke, Sebastian; Schloter, Michael; Pronk, Geertje Johanna; Heister, Katja; Spiteller, Michael; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid; Smalla, Kornelia

2014-01-01

The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil is determined by a suite of biotic and abiotic factors, and disentangling their role in the complex soil interaction network remains challenging. Here, we investigate the influence of soil composition on the microbial community structure and its response to the spiked model PAH compound phenanthrene and plant litter. We used long-term matured artificial soils differing in type of clay mineral (illite, montmorillonite) and presence of charcoal or ferrihydrite. The soils received an identical soil microbial fraction and were incubated for more than two years with two sterile manure additions. The matured artificial soils and a natural soil were subjected to the following spiking treatments: (I) phenanthrene, (II) litter, (III) litter + phenanthrene, (IV) unspiked control. Total community DNA was extracted from soil sampled on the day of spiking, 7, 21, and 63 days after spiking. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer amplicons were quantified by qPCR and subjected to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). DGGE analysis revealed that the bacterial community composition, which was strongly shaped by clay minerals after more than two years of incubation, changed in response to spiked phenanthrene and added litter. DGGE and qPCR showed that soil composition significantly influenced the microbial response to spiking. While fungal communities responded only in presence of litter to phenanthrene spiking, the response of the bacterial communities to phenanthrene was less pronounced when litter was present. Interestingly, microbial communities in all artificial soils were more strongly affected by spiking than in the natural soil, which might indicate the importance of higher microbial diversity to compensate perturbations. This study showed the influence of soil composition on the microbiota and their response to phenanthrene and litter, which may increase our understanding of complex interactions in soils for bioremediation applications.

Soil Mineral Composition Matters: Response of Microbial Communities to Phenanthrene and Plant Litter Addition in Long-Term Matured Artificial Soils

PubMed Central

Babin, Doreen; Vogel, Cordula; Zühlke, Sebastian; Schloter, Michael; Pronk, Geertje Johanna; Heister, Katja; Spiteller, Michael; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid; Smalla, Kornelia

2014-01-01

The fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil is determined by a suite of biotic and abiotic factors, and disentangling their role in the complex soil interaction network remains challenging. Here, we investigate the influence of soil composition on the microbial community structure and its response to the spiked model PAH compound phenanthrene and plant litter. We used long-term matured artificial soils differing in type of clay mineral (illite, montmorillonite) and presence of charcoal or ferrihydrite. The soils received an identical soil microbial fraction and were incubated for more than two years with two sterile manure additions. The matured artificial soils and a natural soil were subjected to the following spiking treatments: (I) phenanthrene, (II) litter, (III) litter + phenanthrene, (IV) unspiked control. Total community DNA was extracted from soil sampled on the day of spiking, 7, 21, and 63 days after spiking. Bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer amplicons were quantified by qPCR and subjected to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). DGGE analysis revealed that the bacterial community composition, which was strongly shaped by clay minerals after more than two years of incubation, changed in response to spiked phenanthrene and added litter. DGGE and qPCR showed that soil composition significantly influenced the microbial response to spiking. While fungal communities responded only in presence of litter to phenanthrene spiking, the response of the bacterial communities to phenanthrene was less pronounced when litter was present. Interestingly, microbial communities in all artificial soils were more strongly affected by spiking than in the natural soil, which might indicate the importance of higher microbial diversity to compensate perturbations. This study showed the influence of soil composition on the microbiota and their response to phenanthrene and litter, which may increase our understanding of complex interactions in soils for bioremediation applications. PMID:25222697

Recent (<4 year old) Leaf Litter is Not a Major Source of Microbial Carbon in a Temperate Forest Mineral Soil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramer, Christiane; Trumbore, Susan E.; Froberg, Mats J.

2010-01-01

Microbial communities in soil A horizons derive their carbon from several potential sources: organic carbon (C) transported down from overlying litter and organic horizons, root-derived C, or soil organic matter. We took advantage of a multi-year experiment that manipulated the {sup 14}C isotope signature of surface leaf litter inputs in a temperate forest at the Oak Ridge Reservation, Tennessee, USA, to quantify the contribution of recent leaf litter C to microbial respiration and biomarkers in the underlying mineral soil. We observed no measurable difference (< {approx}40{per_thousand} given our current analytical methods) in the radiocarbon signatures of microbial phospholipid fatty acidsmore » (PLFA) isolated from the top 10 cm of mineral soil in plots that experienced 3 years of litterfall that differed in each year by {approx}750{per_thousand} between high-{sup 14}C and low-{sup 14}C treatments. Assuming any difference in {sup 14}C between the high- and low-{sup 14}C plots would reflect C derived from these manipulated litter additions, we estimate that <6% of the microbial C after 4 years was derived from the added 1-4-year-old surface litter. Large contributions of C from litter < 1 year (or >4 years) old (which fell after (or prior to) the manipulation and therefore did not differ between plots) are not supported because the {sup 14}C signatures of the PLFA compounds (averaging 200-220{per_thousand}) is much higher that of the 2004-5 leaf litter (115{per_thousand}) or pre-2000 litter. A mesocosm experiment further demonstrated that C leached from {sup 14}C-enriched surface litter or the O horizon was not a detectable C source in underlying mineral soil microbes during the first eight months after litter addition. Instead a decline in the {sup 14}C of PLFA over the mesocosm experiment likely reflected the loss of a pre-existing substrate not associated with added leaf litter. Measured PLFA {Delta}{sup 14}C signatures were higher than those measured in bulk mineral soil organic matter in our experiments, but fell within the range of {sup 14}C values measured in mineral soil roots. Together, our experiments suggest that root-derived C is the major (>60%) source of C for microbes in these temperate deciduous forest soils.« less

Quantifying Littered Cigarette Butts to Measure Effectiveness of Smoking Bans to Building Perimeters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seitz, Christopher M.; Strack, Robert W.; Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Rosario, Carrie; Haugh, Christie; Rice, Rebecca; Wyrick, David L.; Wagner, Lorelei

2012-01-01

Objective: The authors estimated the number of violations of a university policy that prohibited smoking within 25 ft of all campus buildings. Participants: The project was conducted by 13 student researchers from the university and a member of the local public health department. Methods: Students quantified cigarette butts that were littered in a…

Forest Gaps Inhibit Foliar Litter Pb and Cd Release in Winter and Inhibit Pb and Cd Accumulation in Growing Season in an Alpine Forest

PubMed Central

He, Jie; Yang, Wanqin; Li, Han; Xu, Liya; Ni, Xiangyin; Tan, Bo; Zhao, Yeyi; Wu, Fuzhong

2015-01-01

Aims The release of heavy metals (such as Pb and Cd) from foliar litter play an important role in element cycling in alpine forest ecosystems. Although natural forest gaps could play important roles in the release of heavy metals from foliar litter by affecting the snow cover during the winter and solar irradiation during the growing season, few studies have examined these potential roles. The objectives of this study were to document changes in Pb and Cd dynamics during litter decomposition in the center of gaps and under closed canopies and to investigate the factors that controlled these changes during the winter and growing seasons. Methods Senesced foliar litter from six dominant species, including Kangding willow (Salix paraplesia), Masters larch (Larix mastersiana), Mingjiang fir (Abies faxoniana), Alpine azalea (Rhododendron lapponicum), Red birch (Betula albosinensis) and Mourning cypress (Sabina saltuaria), was placed in litterbags and incubated between the gap center and closed canopy conditions in an alpine forest in the eastern region of the Tibetan Plateau. The litterbags were sampled at the snow formation stage, snow coverage stage, snow melt stage and during the growing season. The Pb and Cd concentrations in the sampled foliar litter were determined by acid digestion (HNO3/HClO4). Important findings Over one year of decomposition, Pb accumulation and Cd release from the foliar litter occurred, regardless of the foliar litter species. However, Pb and Cd were both released from the foliar litter during the winter and accumulated during the growing season. Compared with the gap center and the canopy gap edge, the extended gap edge and the closed canopy showed higher Pb and Cd release rates in winter and higher Pb and Cd accumulation rates during the growing season, respectively. Statistical analyses indicate that the dynamics of Pb were significantly influenced by frequent freeze–thaw cycles in winter and appropriate hydrothermal conditions during the growing season, the dynamics of Cd were strongly influenced by species and the presence of a forest gap at different decomposition stages. These results show that forest gaps could inhibit Pb and Cd release from foliar litter in the alpine forest of western Sichuan. In addition, a decrease in the snow depth in the winter warming scenario would promote the release of Pb during foliar litter decomposition. There exist some difference that may be influenced by litter quality, microenvironment and microtopography during litter decomposition. PMID:26115012

Approaches to understanding the semi-stable phase of litter decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preston, C. M.; Trofymow, J. A.

2012-12-01

The slowing or even apparent cessation of litter decomposition with time has been widely observed, but causes remain poorly understood. We examine the question in part through data from CIDET (the Canadian Intersite Decomposition Experiment) for 10 foliar litters at one site with MAT 6.7 degrees C. The initial rapid C loss in the first year for some litters is followed by a second phase (1-7y) with decay rates from 0.21-0.79/y, influenced by initial litter chemistry especially the ratio AUR/N (acid-unhydrolyzable residue, negative). By contrast, 10-23% of the initial litter C mass entered the semi-stable decay phase (>7 y) with modeled decay rates of 0.0021-0.0035/y. The slowing and convergence of k values was similar to trends in chemical composition. From 7-12 y, concentrations of Ca, Mg, K, P, Mn and Zn generally declined and became more similar among litters, and total N converged around 20 mg/g. Non-polar and water-soluble extractables and acid solubles continued to decrease slowly and AUR to increase. Solid-state C-13 NMR showed continuing slight declines in O- and di-O-alkyl C and increases in alkyl, methoxyl, aryl and carboxyl C. CIDET and other studies now clearly show that lignin is not selectively preserved, and that AUR is not a measure of foliar lignin as it includes components from condensed tannins and long-chain alkyl C. Interaction with soil minerals strongly enhances soil C stabilization, but what slows decomposition so much in organic horizons? The role of inherent "chemical recalcitrance" or possible formation of new covalent bonds is hotly debated in soil science, but increasingly complex or random molecular structures no doubt present greater challenges to enzymes. A relevant observation from soils and geochemistry is that decomposition results in a decline in individual compounds that can be identified from chemical analysis and a corresponding increase in the "molecularly uncharacterizable component" (MUC). Long-term declines in Ca, Mg, K and Mn concentrations, but continuing increases in Al and Fe may also decrease attractiveness of litter, and P and N availability may be low. Unfortunately, recent advances in understanding the progression of microbial decomposer guilds, and also in modeling have remained largely disconnected from similar advances in organic matter chemistry, especially for the resistant MUC. For example, the emphasis on aryl C and oxidative enzymes for the semi-stable stage ignores its typically high alkyl component and associated hydrophobicity and many "lignin-based" hypotheses fail because AUR does not measure lignin. The past three decades have brought unimaginable advances in SOM chemistry and microbiology, and also in data analysis and ways of networking and collaborating. Substantial new insights into decomposition will require interdisciplinary networks that incorporate application of well-established methods to characterize the changing chemical and physical properties of the substrates.

Whose butt is it? tobacco industry research about smokers and cigarette butt waste

PubMed Central

Novotny, Thomas E

2011-01-01

Background Cigarette filters are made of non-biodegradable cellulose acetate. As much as 766 571 metric tons of butts wind up as litter worldwide per year. Numerous proposals have been made to prevent or mitigate cigarette butt pollution, but none has been effective; cigarette butts are consistently found to be the single most collected item in beach clean-ups and litter surveys. Methods We searched the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library (http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu) and http://tobaccodocuments.org using a snowball strategy beginning with keywords (eg, ‘filter’, ‘biodegradable’, ‘butts’). Data from approximately 680 documents, dated 1959–2006, were analysed using an interpretive approach. Results The tobacco industry has feared being held responsible for cigarette litter for more than 20 years. Their efforts to avoid this responsibility included developing biodegradable filters, creating anti-litter campaigns, and distributing portable and permanent ashtrays. They concluded that biodegradable filters would probably encourage littering and would not be marketable, and that smokers were defensive about discarding their tobacco butts and not amenable to anti-litter efforts. Conclusions Tobacco control and environmental advocates should develop partnerships to compel the industry to take financial and practical responsibility for cigarette butt waste. PMID:21504919

Carbon dioxide efflux from soil with poultry litter applications in conventional and conservation tillage systems in northern Alabama.

PubMed

Roberson, T; Reddy, K C; Reddy, S S; Nyakatawa, E Z; Raper, R L; Reeves, D W; Lemunyon, J

2008-01-01

Increased CO2 release from soils resulting from agricultural practices such as tillage has generated concerns about contributions to global warming. Maintaining current levels of soil C and/or sequestering additional C in soils are important mechanisms to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere through production agriculture. We conducted a study in northern Alabama from 2003 to 2006 to measure CO2 efflux and C storage in long-term tilled and non-tilled cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plots receiving poultry litter or ammonium nitrate (AN). Treatments were established in 1996 on a Decatur silt loam (clayey, kaolinitic thermic, Typic Paleudults) and consisted of conventional-tillage (CT), mulch-tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT) systems with winter rye [Secale cereale (L.)] cover cropping and AN and poultry litter (PL) as nitrogen sources. Cotton was planted in 2003, 2004, and 2006. Corn was planted in 2005 as a rotation crop using a no-till planter in all plots, and no fertilizer was applied. Poultry litter application resulted in higher CO2 emission from soil compared with AN application regardless of tillage system. In 2003 and 2006, CT (4.39 and 3.40 micromol m(-2) s(-1), respectively) and MT (4.17 and 3.39 micromol m(-2) s(-1), respectively) with PL at 100 kg N ha(-1) (100 PLN) recorded significantly higher CO2 efflux compared with NT with 100 PLN (2.84 and 2.47 micromol m(-2) s(-1), respectively). Total soil C at 0- to 15-cm depth was not affected by tillage but significantly increased with PL application and winter rye cover cropping. In general, cotton produced with NT conservation tillage in conjunction with PL and winter rye cover cropping reduced CO2 emissions and sequestered more soil C compared with control treatments.

Relationships between Chemical Characteristics and Phytotoxicity of Biochar from Poultry Litter Pyrolysis.

PubMed

Rombolà, Alessandro G; Marisi, Giovanni; Torri, Cristian; Fabbri, Daniele; Buscaroli, Alessandro; Ghidotti, Michele; Hornung, Andreas

2015-08-05

Three biochars were prepared by intermediate pyrolysis from poultry litter at different temperatures (400, 500, and 600 °C with decreasing residence times) and compared with biochars from corn stalk prepared under the same pyrolysis conditions. The phytotoxicity of these biochars was estimated by means of seed germination tests on cress (Lepidium sativum L.) conducted in water suspensions (at 2, 5, and 40 g/L) and on biochars wetted according to their water-holding capacity. Whereas the seeds germinated after 72 h in water suspensions with corn stalk biochar were similar to the control (water only), significant inhibition was observed with poultry litter biochars. In comparison to corn stalk, poultry litter generated biochars with higher contents of ash, ammonium, nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and a similar concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Results from analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC-MS) indicated that nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NCCs) and aliphatic components were distinctive constituents of the thermally labile fraction of poultry litter biochar. The inhibition of germination due to poultry litter biochar produced at 400 °C (PL400) was suppressed after solvent extraction or treatment with active sludge. A novel method based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) enabled the identification of mobile organic compounds in PL400 capable of being released in air and water, including VFAs and NCCs. The higher phytotoxicity of poultry litter than corn biochars was tentatively attributed to hydrophilic biodegradable substances derived from lipids or proteins removable by water leaching or microbial treatments.

A comparative in situ decomposition study using still born piglets and leaf litter from a deciduous forest.

PubMed

Olakanye, Ayodeji O; Nelson, Andrew; Ralebitso-Senior, T Komang

2017-07-01

A cadaver and dead plant organic matter, or litter, are rich energy sources that undergo a complex decomposition process, which impact the surrounding environmental microbiota. Advances in molecular microbiology techniques, with study of the 16S RNA genes, in particular, have highlighted the application of forensic ecogenomics in addressing key knowledge gaps. To investigate subsurface microbiome shifts as a novel tool to establish "postmortem microbial clock" and augment postmortem interval (PMI) and time-since-burial estimations, an in situ study with triplicate underground burials of piglets as human taphonomic proxies and Quercus robur leaf litter was monitored for 270 days. Changes in microbial community structure and composition were related directly to changes in seasonal temperature, with microbial shifts more pronounced during the summer. For example, Methylococcaceae could be used as seasonal bacterial indicators, from winter to summer, in establishing postmortem microbial clock for this site. Furthermore, Methylophilaceae (Methylophilales order) and Anaerolineaceae would differentiate for the piglet and leaf litter soils, respectively, 180 days after internment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of the Interception of Litterfall by the Understory on Carbon Cycling in Eucalyptus Plantations of South China

PubMed Central

Huang, Yuhui; Hui, Dafeng; Wen, Meili

2014-01-01

For the purposes of forest restoration, carbon (C) fixation, and economic improvement, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla) has been widely planted in South China. The understory of eucalyptus plantations is often occupied by a dense community of the fern Dicranopteris dichotoma, which intercepts tree canopy leaf litter before it reaches the ground. To understand the effects of this interception of litterfall on C cycling in eucalyptus plantations, we quantified the mass of intercepted litter and the influences of litterfall interception on litter decomposition and soil respiration. The total mass of E. urophylla litterfall collected on the understory was similar to that collected by the traditional litter trap method. All of the eucalyptus litterfall is intercepted by the D. dichotoma canopy. Of the litterfall that was intercepted by D. dichotoma, 20–40% and 60–80% was intercepted by the top (50–100 cm) and bottom (0–50 cm) of the understory canopy, respectively. Intercepted litterfall decomposed faster at the bottom of understory canopy (at the base of the plants) than at the top, and decomposition was slower on the soil surface in the absence of understory than on any location in the understory canopy. Soil respiration was highest when both the understory and litter were present and was lowest when both the understory and litter were absent. These results indicate that litterfall interception changed carbon flow between aboveground and belowground through litter decomposition and soil respiration, which changed carbon cycling in eucalyptus plantations. The effects of the understory on litter decomposition and soil respiration should be considered in ecosystem carbon models. PMID:24959853

Effect of aluminum sulfate on litter composition and ammonia emission in a single flock of broilers up to 42 days of age.

PubMed

Madrid, J; López, M J; Orengo, J; Martínez, S; Valverde, M; Megías, M D; Hernández, F

2012-08-01

New alternatives are necessary if the environmental impact linked to intensive poultry production is to be reduced, and different litter handling methods should be explored. Among these, acidifying amendments added to poultry litters has been suggested as a management practice to help reduce the potential environmental effect involved in multiple flock cycles. There have been several studies on the use of aluminum sulfate (alum) and its benefits, but almost no data are available under farm conditions in Europe. An experiment with Ross 308 broilers from 1 to 42 days of age was conducted to evaluate the effect of alum on litter composition, the solubility of some mineral elements and NH3 emission during a single flock-rearing period in commercial houses located in southeast Spain. Broilers were placed on clean wood shavings in four commercial houses, containing 20 000 broilers each. Before filling, alum was applied at a rate of 0.25 kg/m2 to the wood shavings of two poultry houses, whereas the remaining two were used as control. Litter from each poultry house was sampled every 3 to 5 days. Ammonia emissions from the poultry houses were monitored from 37 to 42 days of age. In comparison with the control group, alum treatment significantly reduced the pH level of the litter (P < 0.001) with an average difference of 1.32 ± 0.24 units. Alum-treated litter showed, on average, a higher electrical conductivity than the control litter (5.52 v. 3.63 dS/m). The dry matter (DM) and total N and P contents did not show differences between the treatments (P > 0.05). Regarding the NH4 +-N content, alum-treated litter showed a higher value than the untreated litter, with an average difference of 0.16 ± 0.07% (on a DM basis). On average, alum-treated litter had lower water-soluble P, Zn and Cu contents than the untreated litter. Alum noticeably reduced the in-house ammonia concentration (P < 0.001), with an average of 4.8 ppm at 42 days of age (62.9% lower than the control), and ammonia emissions from 37 to 42 days of age were significantly reduced by the alum treatment (P < 0.001), representing a reduction of 73.3%. The lower pH values might have reduced ammonia volatilization from the litter, with a corresponding positive effect on the building environment and poultry health. For these reasons, litter amendment with alum could be recommended as a way of reducing the pollution potential of European broiler facilities during a single flock cycle.

Marine anthropogenic litter on British beaches: A 10-year nationwide assessment using citizen science data.

PubMed

Nelms, S E; Coombes, C; Foster, L C; Galloway, T S; Godley, B J; Lindeque, P K; Witt, M J

2017-02-01

Growing evidence suggests that anthropogenic litter, particularly plastic, represents a highly pervasive and persistent threat to global marine ecosystems. Multinational research is progressing to characterise its sources, distribution and abundance so that interventions aimed at reducing future inputs and clearing extant litter can be developed. Citizen science projects, whereby members of the public gather information, offer a low-cost method of collecting large volumes of data with considerable temporal and spatial coverage. Furthermore, such projects raise awareness of environmental issues and can lead to positive changes in behaviours and attitudes. We present data collected over a decade (2005-2014 inclusive) by Marine Conservation Society (MCS) volunteers during beach litter surveys carried along the British coastline, with the aim of increasing knowledge on the composition, spatial distribution and temporal trends of coastal debris. Unlike many citizen science projects, the MCS beach litter survey programme gathers information on the number of volunteers, duration of surveys and distances covered. This comprehensive information provides an opportunity to standardise data for variation in sampling effort among surveys, enhancing the value of outputs and robustness of findings. We found that plastic is the main constituent of anthropogenic litter on British beaches and the majority of traceable items originate from land-based sources, such as public littering. We identify the coast of the Western English Channel and Celtic Sea as experiencing the highest relative litter levels. Increasing trends over the 10-year time period were detected for a number of individual item categories, yet no statistically significant change in total (effort-corrected) litter was detected. We discuss the limitations of the dataset and make recommendations for future work. The study demonstrates the value of citizen science data in providing insights that would otherwise not be possible due to logistical and financial constraints of running government-funded sampling programmes on such large scales. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of alum addition on microbial communities in poultry litter.

PubMed

Rothrock, M J; Cook, K L; Warren, J G; Sistani, K

2008-08-01

Alum [Al(2)(SO(4))(3).14H(2)O] is a common poultry litter amendment used to decrease water-soluble phosphorus or reduce ammonia volatilization, or both. Although the physiochemical effects of alum addition have been well researched, little attention has been given to the poultry litter microbial communities. The goal of this study was to use molecular biological methods [denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), community cloning, and quantitative real-time PCR] to characterize general, group-specific and pathogenic microbial communities in alum (10% wt/wt) and non-alum-treated litter. According to quantitative real-time PCR analyses, alum addition to the poultry litter resulted in significant reductions in both Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli concentrations by the end of the first month of the experiment (3 log and 2 log, respectively). The concentrations of Salmonella spp. were below detection (<5 x 10(3) cell.g(-1) of litter) for the entire experiment. The DGGE analyses revealed significant reductions in the Clostridium/Eubacterium and low %GC gram-positive groups in the alum-treated litters by the end of the first month, with no bands detectable for either group after 8 wk of incubation. Conversely, minimal effects of alum addition were observed in the Actinomycetes community. The most significant shift in the microbial community (based on DGGE analyses) occurred in the fungal population, with a large increase in diversity and abundance within 1 mo of alum addition (1 dominant band on d 0 to 9 dominant bands at 4 wk). Specifically, the incidence of Aspergillus spp. increased from 0 to 50% of the sequences in fungal clone libraries (n = 80) over the course of the experiment. This suggests that the addition of alum to poultry litter potentially shifts the microbial populations from bacterially dominated to dominated by fungi. The ramifications of this shift in dominance are still unknown, and future work will be aimed at characterizing these fungi and elucidating their role in the acidified litter environment.

Mixing effects on litter decomposition rates in a young tree diversity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiawan, Nuri Nurlaila; Vanhellemont, Margot; De Schrijver, An; Schelfhout, Stephanie; Baeten, Lander; Verheyen, Kris

2016-01-01

Litter decomposition is an essential process for biogeochemical cycling and for the formation of new soil organic matter. Mixing litter from different tree species has been reported to increase litter decomposition rates through synergistic effects. We assessed the decomposition rates of leaf litter from five tree species in a recently established tree diversity experiment on a post-agriculture site in Belgium. We used 20 different leaf litter compositions with diversity levels ranging from 1 up to 4 species. Litter mass loss in litterbags was assessed 10, 20, 25, 35, and 60 weeks after installation in the field. We found that litter decomposition rates were higher for high-quality litters, i.e., with high nitrogen content and low lignin content. The decomposition rates of mixed litter were more affected by the identity of the litter species within the mixture than by the diversity of the litter per se, but the variability in litter decomposition rates decreased as the litter diversity increased. Among the 15 different mixed litter compositions in our study, only three litter combinations showed synergistic effects. Our study suggests that admixing tree species with high-quality litter in post-agricultural plantations helps in increasing the mixture's early-stage litter decomposition rate.

Estimating Available Fuel Weight Consumed by Prescribed Fires in the South

Treesearch

Walter A. Hough

1978-01-01

A method is proposed for estimating the weight of fuel burned (available fuel) by prescribed fires in southern pine stands. Weights of available fuel in litter alone and in litter plus understory materials can be estimated. Prediction equations were developed by regression analysis of data from a variety of locations and stand conditions. They are most reliable for...

A climatic and taxonomic comparison between leaf litter and standing vegetation from a Florida swamp woodland

Treesearch

David L. Dilcher; Elizabeth A. Kowalski; Michael C. Wiemann; Luis Felipe Hinojosa; Terry A. Lott

2009-01-01

One method to determine past climate has been the use of leaf morphological characteristics of fossil leaves quantified using modern climate and canopy leaf characteristics. Fossil assemblages are composed of abscised leaves, and climate may be more accurately determined by using leaves from leaf litter instead of the canopy. To better understand whether taphonomic...

Effect of water level drawdown on decomposition in boreal peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straková, Petra; Penttilä, Timo; Laiho, Raija

2010-05-01

Plant litter production and decomposition are key processes in element cycling in most ecosystems. In peatlands, there has been a long-term imbalance between litter production and decay caused by high water levels (WL) and consequent anoxia. This has resulted in peatlands being a significant sink of carbon (C) from the atmosphere. However, peatlands are experiencing both "natural" (global climate change) and anthropogenic (ditching) changes that threaten their ability to retain this ecosystem identity and function. Many of these alterations can be traced back to WL drawdown, which can cause increased aeration, higher acidity, falling temperatures, and a greater probability of drought. Such changes are also associated with an increasing decomposition rate, and therefore a greater amount of C released back to the atmosphere. Yet studies about how the overall C balance of peatlands will be affected have come up with conflicting conclusions, demonstrating that the C store could increase, decrease, or remain static. A factor that has been largely overlooked is the change in litter type composition following persistent WL drawdown. It is the aim of our study, then, to help to resolve this issue. We studied the effects of short-term (ca. 4 years) and long-term (ca. 40 years) persistent WL drawdown on the decomposition of numerous types of above-ground and below-ground plant litters at three boreal peatland sites: bog, oligotrophic fen and mesotrophic fen. We thus believe that enough permutations have been created to obtain a good assessment of how each factor, site nutrient level, WL regime, and litter type composition, influences decomposition. We used the litter bag method to measure the decomposition rates: placed measured amounts of plant litter, or cellulose strips as a control, into closed mesh bags, and installed the bags in the natural environment for decomposition for each litter type for varying amounts of time. Following litter bag recovery, the litter was cleaned of excess debris and analyzed for changes in mass, enzyme activity, mesofauna presence, and microbial community composition, among other things. The experiment has a run-time of ten years, the results from the first two years are presented in the poster.

Study on Hydrological Functions of Litter Layers in North China

PubMed Central

Li, Xiang; Niu, Jianzhi; Xie, Baoyuan

2013-01-01

Canopy interception, throughfall, stemflow, and runoff have received considerable attention during the study of water balance and hydrological processes in forested ecosystems. Past research has either neglected or underestimated the role of hydrological functions of litter layers, although some studies have considered the impact of various characteristics of rainfall and litter on litter interception. Based on both simulated rainfall and litter conditions in North China, the effect of litter mass, rainfall intensity and litter type on the maximum water storage capacity of litter (S) and litter interception storage capacity (C) were investigated under five simulated rainfall intensities and four litter masses for two litter types. The results indicated: 1) the S values increased linearly with litter mass, and the S values of broadleaf litter were on average 2.65 times larger than the S values of needle leaf litter; 2) rainfall intensity rather than litter mass determined the maximum interception storage capacity (Cmax); Cmax increased linearly with increasing rainfall intensity; by contrast, the minimum interception storage capacity (Cmin) showed a linear relationship with litter mass, but a poor correlation with rainfall intensity; 3) litter type impacted Cmax and Cmin; the values of Cmax and Cmin for broadleaf litter were larger than those of needle leaf litter, which indicated that broadleaf litter could intercepte and store more water than needle leaf litter; 4) a gap existed between Cmax and Cmin, indicating that litter played a significant role by allowing rainwater to infiltrate or to produce runoff rather than intercepting it and allowing it to evaporate after the rainfall event; 5) Cmin was always less than S at the same litter mass, which should be considered in future interception predictions. Vegetation and precipitation characteristics played important roles in hydrological characteristics. PMID:23936188

The effect of poultry manure application rate and AlCl3 treatment on bacterial fecal indicators in runoff

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The land application of poultry litter was once considered to be the disposal of a ‘waste’ byproduct of the poultry industry, however, now due to increasing costs associated with inorganic fertilizer the application of this residual is becoming more desirable. Proper land application is paramount t...

Role of litter decomposition sensitivity to water content in non-additive litter mixture effect: theoretical demonstration and validation with a peatland litter experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogo, Sébastien; Leroy, Fabien; Zoccatelli, Renata; Bernard-Jannin, Léonard; Laggoun-Défarge, Fatima

2017-04-01

In this work, we showed theoretically that differences in litter water content, evaporation rate and reaction rate sensitivity to water content can give account of non-additive litter mixture effect. More specifically two litters with the same dependence to litter water content and contrasted water content, and 2 litters with contrasted decomposition sensitivity to litter water content can exert synergistic mixture effect on decomposition when the 2 litters interact. In these situations, water can flow from the wettest to the driest litter, changing the whole reaction rate without changing the whole litter water content. The reaction rate increase of the litter receiving the water was relatively more important than the reaction rate decrease of the litter supplying the water. These theoretical considerations were validated with experimental data. Sphagnum rubellum and Molinia caerulea decompose faster in measured mixture than expected from the rates obtained in monoculture incubation. Sphagnum rubellum litter can contain more water, which evaporates at a slower rate than Molinia caerulea. It is thus proposed that water flowed from Sphagnum rubellum litter to the Molinia caerulea litter, with a substantial increase of the decomposition of the latter. The physical and biochemical litter characteristics towards water explains a fraction of the synergistic effect of mixing the 2 litters, which suggests that other factors intervene in this effect, such as the carbon substrate.

Effectiveness of Winkler Litter Extraction and Pitfall Traps in Sampling Ant Communities and Functional Groups in a Temperate Forest.

PubMed

Mahon, Michael B; Campbell, Kaitlin U; Crist, Thomas O

2017-06-01

Selection of proper sampling methods for measuring a community of interest is essential whether the study goals are to conduct a species inventory, environmental monitoring, or a manipulative experiment. Insect diversity studies often employ multiple collection methods at the expense of researcher time and funding. Ants (Formicidae) are widely used in environmental monitoring owing to their sensitivity to ecosystem changes. When sampling ant communities, two passive techniques are recommended in combination: pitfall traps and Winkler litter extraction. These recommendations are often based on studies from highly diverse tropical regions or when a species inventory is the goal. Studies in temperate regions often focus on measuring consistent community response along gradients of disturbance or among management regimes; therefore, multiple sampling methods may be unnecessary. We compared the effectiveness of pitfalls and Winkler litter extraction in an eastern temperate forest for measuring ant species richness, composition, and occurrence of ant functional groups in response to experimental manipulations of two key forest ecosystem drivers, white-tailed deer and an invasive shrub (Amur honeysuckle). We found no significant effect of sampling method on the outcome of the ecological experiment; however, we found differences between the two sampling methods in the resulting ant species richness and functional group occurrence. Litter samples approximated the overall combined species richness and composition, but pitfalls were better at sampling large-bodied (Camponotus) species. We conclude that employing both methods is essential only for species inventories or monitoring ants in the Cold-climate Specialists functional group. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aggregation of Cricket Activity in Response to Resource Addition Increases Local Diversity.

PubMed

Szinwelski, Neucir; Rosa, Cassiano Sousa; Solar, Ricardo Ribeiro de Castro; Sperber, Carlos Frankl

2015-01-01

Crickets are often found feeding on fallen fruits among forest litter. Fruits and other sugar-rich resources are not homogeneously distributed, nor are they always available. We therefore expect that crickets dwelling in forest litter have a limited supply of sugar-rich resource, and will perceive this and displace towards resource-supplemented sites. Here we evaluate how sugar availability affects cricket species richness and abundance in old-growth Atlantic forest by spraying sugarcane syrup on leaf litter, simulating increasing availability, and collecting crickets via pitfall trapping. We found an asymptotic positive association between resource addition and species richness, and an interaction between resource addition and species identity on cricket abundance, which indicates differential effects of resource addition among cricket species. Our results indicate that 12 of the 13 cricket species present in forest litter are maintained at low densities by resource scarcity; this highlights sugar-rich resource as a short-term driver of litter cricket community structure in tropical forests. When resource was experimentally increased, species richness increased due to behavioral displacement. We present evidence that the density of many species is limited by resource scarcity and, when resources are added, behavioral displacement promotes increased species packing and alters species composition. Further, our findings have technical applicability for increasing sampling efficiency of local cricket diversity in studies aiming to estimate species richness, but with no regard to local environmental drivers or species-abundance characteristics.

Prescribed fire experiences on crop residue removal for biomass exploitations. Application to the maritime pine forests in the Mediterranean Basin.

PubMed

Molina, Juan Ramón; García, Juan Pedro; Fernández, Juan José; Rodríguez Y Silva, Francisco

2018-01-15

Socioeconomic changes, climate change, rural migration and fire exclusion have led to a high woody biomass accumulation increasing potential wildfire severity. Mechanical thinning and prescribed burning practices are commonly used to prevent large fires. The purpose of this study was to assess burning treatment effectiveness following mechanical thinning from biomass harvesting. Prescribed burning to reduce residue removal could help mitigate fire behavior, mainly in strategic management or critical focal points. Field samplings were conducted before and immediately after burnings on different environmental scenarios where fuel load was classified by categories. Prescribed fires reduced available fuel in all fuel categories, mainly in surface litter layer. Total fuel load reduction ranged from 59.07% to 86.18%. In this sense, fuel reduction effects were more pronounced when burns were conducted fewer than 10% on surface litter moisture. The difference in fuel consumption among scenarios was higher for most all woody fuel components and decomposition litter layer than for surface litter layer. Managers can use this information to design technical prescription to achieve the targets while decomposed litter retention maintaining the soil properties and biodiversity. Understanding the most effective "burn window" should help better plan prescribed burning, both in term of fire behavior and fuel consumption, without altering ecosystem properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 122.42 - Additional conditions applicable to specified categories of NPDES permits (applicable to State...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... nitrogen and phosphorus content of the manure, litter, and process wastewater, the results of calculations... paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section, the results of any soil testing for nitrogen and phosphorus taken... and phosphorus, according to the following specifications: (A) The terms include maximum application...

Poultry litter application to loblolly pine forests: growth and nutrient containment

Treesearch

Alexander L. Friend; Scott D. Roberts; Stephen H. Schoenholtz; Juanita A. Mobley; Patrick D. Gerard

2006-01-01

Forestland application of poultry manure offers an alternative to the conventional practice of pastureland application. Before such a practice is considered viable, however, it must be demonstrated that the forest ecosystem is capable of absorbing the nutrients contained in poultry manure, especially nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). From the forestry perspective, it...

[Effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on lignin and cellulose degradation of foliar litter in natural evergreen broad-leaved forest in Rainy Area of Western China.

PubMed

2016-05-01

In order to detect the effects of simulated nitrogen deposition on litter decomposition and degradation of lignin and cellulose, a one-year field experiment of simulated nitrogen deposition has been conducted using litter bag method from November 2013 to November 2014 in an evergreen broad-leaved forest, Rainy Area of West China. Four levels of nitrogen deposition were set, i.e., control (0 g N·m -2 ·a -1 ), low (5 g N·m -2 ·a -1 ), medium (15 g N·m -2 ·a -1 ) and high (30 g N·m -2 ·a -1 ) nitrogen deposition. The results indicated that foliar litter decomposed faster in summer, obviously faster than in the other seasons. N deposition significantly inhibited the decomposition of foliar litter in this evergreen broad-leaved forest. As N deposition increased, the inhibition effect was enhanced. The time of 95% mass loss (T 95% ) of foliar litter due to simulated N deposition was increased by 0.53-1.88 years compared with T 95% of control (4.81 years). N deposition significantly inhibited the degradation of lignin and cellulose. The mass remaining after one year of decomposition of lignin and cellulose in the medium and high nitrogen deposition treatments were significantly higher than that in the control. There was a significant positive linear relationship among mass remaining rate and lignin and cellulose remaining rates. The inhibiting effects of inorga-nic N on degradation of lignin and cellulose explained the inhibitory effect of N on foliar litter decomposition.

Measurement of broiler litter production rates and nutrient content using recycled litter.

PubMed

Coufal, C D; Chavez, C; Niemeyer, P R; Carey, J B

2006-03-01

It is important for broiler producers to know litter production rates and litter nutrient content when developing nutrient management plans. Estimation of broiler litter production varies widely in the literature due to factors such as geographical region, type of housing, size of broiler produced, and number of flocks reared on the same litter. Published data for N, P, and K content are also highly variable. In addition, few data are available regarding the rate of production, characteristics, and nutrient content of caked litter (cake). In this study, 18 consecutive flocks of broilers were reared on the same litter in experimental pens under simulated commercial conditions. The mass of litter and cake produced was measured after each flock. Samples of all litter materials were analyzed for pH, moisture, N, P, and K. Average litter and cake moisture content were 26.4 and 46.9%, respectively. Significant variation in litter and cake nutrient content was observed and can largely be attributed to ambient temperature differences. Average litter, cake, and total litter (litter plus cake) production rates were 153.3, 74.8, and 228.2 g of dry litter material per kg of live broiler weight (g/kg) per flock, respectively. Significant variation in litter production rates among flocks was also observed. Cumulative litter, cake, and total litter production rates after 18 flocks were 170.3, 78.7, and 249.0 g/kg, respectively. The data produced from this research can be used by broiler producers to estimate broiler litter and cake production and the nutrient content of these materials.

Effects of Litter Manipulation on Litter Decomposition in a Successional Gradients of Tropical Forests in Southern China

PubMed Central

Chen, Hao; Gurmesa, Geshere A.; Liu, Lei; Zhang, Tao; Fu, Shenglei; Liu, Zhanfeng; Dong, Shaofeng; Ma, Chuan; Mo, Jiangming

2014-01-01

Global changes such as increasing CO2, rising temperature, and land-use change are likely to drive shifts in litter inputs to forest floors, but the effects of such changes on litter decomposition remain largely unknown. We initiated a litter manipulation experiment to test the response of litter decomposition to litter removal/addition in three successional forests in southern China, namely masson pine forest (MPF), mixed coniferous and broadleaved forest (MF) and monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest (MEBF). Results showed that litter removal decreased litter decomposition rates by 27%, 10% and 8% and litter addition increased litter decomposition rates by 55%, 36% and 14% in MEBF, MF and MPF, respectively. The magnitudes of changes in litter decomposition were more significant in MEBF forest and less significant in MF, but not significant in MPF. Our results suggest that change in litter quantity can affect litter decomposition, and this impact may become stronger with forest succession in tropical forest ecosystem. PMID:24901698

Distribution of Slash and Litter After Wet- and Dry-Site Harvesting of Loblolly Pine Plantations

Treesearch

Mark H. Eisenbies; James A. Burger; Yi-Jun Xu; Steve Patterson

2002-01-01

Displacement of logging slash and forest floor litter in the process of harvesting can interfere with forest nutrient cycling and can modify soil climate in ways that could affect regeneration success and forest productivity. The objective of this study was to assess a visual method for estimating organic matter and slash biomass residues following a typical feller-...

Alum amendment effects on phosphorus release and distribution in poultry litter-amended sandy soils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Staats, K.E.; Arai, Y.; Sparks, D.L.

2004-01-01

Increased poultry production has contributed to excess nutrient problems in Atlantic Coastal Plain soils due to land application of poultry litter (PL). Aluminum sulfate [alum, Al2(SO4)3?? 14H2O] amendment of PL effectively reduces soluble phosphorus (P) in the PL; however, the effects of these litters when added to acidic, sandy soils are not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of alum-amended poultry litter in reducing P release from three Delaware Coastal Plain soils: Evesboro loamy sand (Ev; excessively drained, mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), Rumford loamy sand (Ru; well drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Hapludults), and Pocomoke sandy loam (Pm; very poorly drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Typic Umbraquults). Long-term (25 d) and short-term (24 h) desorption studies were conducted, in addition to chemical extractions and kinetic modeling, to observe the changes that alum-amended versus unamended PL caused in the soils. The Ev, Ru, and Pm soils were incubated with 9 Mg ha-1 of alum-amended or unamended PL. Long-term desorption (25 d) of the incubated material resulted in approximately 13.5% (Ev), 12.7% (Ru), and 13.3% (Pm) reductions in cumulative P desorbed when comparing soil treated with unamended and alum-amended PL. In addition, the P release from the soil treated with alum-amended litter was not significantly different from the control (soil alone). Short-term desorption (24 h) showed 7.3% (Ev), 15.4% (Ru), and 20% (Pm) reductions. The overall implication from this study is that the use of alum as a PL amendment is useful in coarse-textured soils of the Coastal Plain. With increased application of alum-amended PL, more significant decreases may be possible with little or no effect on soil quality.

Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and the incidence of ascites in broilers in response to feed restriction and litter oiling.

PubMed

McGovern, R H; Feddes, J J; Robinson, F E; Hanson, J A

1999-04-01

The effect of feed restriction and the application of canola oil to broiler straw litter to contain respirable dust on growth performance, carcass traits, and the incidence of ascites was evaluated with 800 male broilers studied in two 6-wk periods. Two pens of birds were feed restricted. Two pens of birds received feed ad libitum for the 6-wk trial. One restricted and one ad libitum pen received biweekly addition of canola oil to the litter. At 6 wk of age, 30 birds from each pen were killed for determination of breast muscle, fat pad, and heart weights. All birds were scored for the incidence of ascites at processing. A cross sectional image of each heart was digitally recorded and, using image analysis, the right ventricular area (RVA), left ventricular area (LVA), and total heart area (HA) were determined. The right ventricular wall was removed and its weight was expressed as a percentage of total heart weight (PRVW). The 40-d BW was significantly greater in the ad libitum birds (2.07 kg) than in the feed-restricted birds (1.86 kg). The right ventricular weight (RVW) (1.69 and 1.92 g) and the RVA (0.35 and 0.40 cm2) were also significantly different between the two feeding treatments. The ascites score was significantly correlated to the RVW (r = 0.50) and RVA (r = 0.52). The RVA was also correlated to the RVW (r = 0.63). Oiling the litter did not result in differences in carcass characteristics. Litter oiling significantly reduced the RVA of the ad libitum birds (0.36 cm2) compared to the ad libitum birds that did not have oiled litter (0.44 cm2). Feed restriction reduced the incidence of ascites, but also reduced gain. Litter oiling in the feed-restricted groups reduced the RVA, but did not reduce mortality.

Legacy phosphorus in calcareous soils: Effects of long-term poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effect of manure application on soil phosphorus has been intensively studied with modifications of the Hedley sequential fractionation procedure, X ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy, and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance. Modern sequential fractionation techniques, coupled with phosph...

Copper and zinc runoff from land application of composted poultry litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Regions with long-term animal manure applications based upon nitrogen (N) requirements have concerns for elevated nutrient levels. Most attention has focused on phosphorus (P), but concern of heavy metal accumulation has received attention due to perceived environmental concerns. Some nutrient-dense...

Single and Combined Effects of Pesticide Seed Dressings and Herbicides on Earthworms, Soil Microorganisms, and Litter Decomposition.

PubMed

Van Hoesel, Willem; Tiefenbacher, Alexandra; König, Nina; Dorn, Verena M; Hagenguth, Julia F; Prah, Urša; Widhalm, Theresia; Wiklicky, Viktoria; Koller, Robert; Bonkowski, Michael; Lagerlöf, Jan; Ratzenböck, Andreas; Zaller, Johann G

2017-01-01

Seed dressing, i.e., the treatment of crop seeds with insecticides and/or fungicides, aiming to protect seeds from pests and diseases, is widely used in conventional agriculture. During the growing season, those crop fields often receive additional broadband herbicide applications. However, despite this broad utilization, very little is known on potential side effects or interactions between these different pesticide classes on soil organisms. In a greenhouse pot experiment, we studied single and interactive effects of seed dressing of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. var. Capo ) with neonicotinoid insecticides and/or strobilurin and triazolinthione fungicides and an additional one-time application of a glyphosate-based herbicide on the activity of earthworms, soil microorganisms, litter decomposition, and crop growth. To further address food-web interactions, earthworms were introduced to half of the experimental units as an additional experimental factor. Seed dressings significantly reduced the surface activity of earthworms with no difference whether insecticides or fungicides were used. Moreover, seed dressing effects on earthworm activity were intensified by herbicides (significant herbicide × seed dressing interaction). Neither seed dressings nor herbicide application affected litter decomposition, soil basal respiration, microbial biomass, or specific respiration. Seed dressing did also not affect wheat growth. We conclude that interactive effects on soil biota and processes of different pesticide classes should receive more attention in ecotoxicological research.

The nutrition of poultry as a factor affecting litter quality and foot pad dermatitis - an updated review.

PubMed

Swiatkiewicz, S; Arczewska-Wlosek, A; Jozefiak, D

2017-10-01

Foot pad dermatitis (FPD), a condition of inflammation and necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads, is commonly observed in fast-growing broiler chickens and turkeys. FPD negatively affects the welfare of birds, performance indices and the economic profit of poultry meat production. Nutrition is an important factor affecting water intake, excreta moisture and litter quality and, in this way, the occurrence and intensity of FPD in birds. This article reviews and discusses the recent results published in the literature on the effects of nutritional factors on litter quality and FPD severity in broiler chickens and turkeys. Literature data on the efficacy of nutritional methods on the litter quality and FPD occurrence are not consistent. However, the results of several experiments indicate that the optimal level of crude protein, biotin and electrolytes (Na, K) in the diet, as well as feed additives such as feed enzymes hydrolysating non-starch polysaccharides and organic sources of microelements (zinc), may reduce the litter moisture as well as FPD incidence and severity in broiler chickens and turkey. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Leaf Litter Chemistry Drives the Structure and Composition of Soil Testate Amoeba Communities in a Tropical Montane Rainforest of the Ecuadorian Andes.

PubMed

Krashevska, Valentyna; Sandmann, Dorothee; Marian, Franca; Maraun, Mark; Scheu, Stefan

2017-10-01

We investigated the role of leaf litter chemistry and richness in affecting testate amoeba communities of tropical rainforest in the Ecuadorian Andes. Litterbags containing leaf litter from four dominating tree species (Clusia sp., Myrcia pubescens, Graffenrieda emarginata, and Cecropia andina) with richness 1, 2, and 4 species were established and exposed in the field for 12 months at 2000 m a.s.l. Chemical elements and compounds of leaf litter were analyzed before exposure. At the end of exposure, microbial biomass and litter mass loss were measured, and living testate amoeba species number, density, biomass, and community composition were determined. In total, 125 testate amoeba species colonized the litter in litterbags. The results suggest that high litter nitrogen and low lignin concentrations are indicators of high litter quality for testate amoebae density and species richness. Their species number and density significantly declined in the order 1 > 4 > 2 leaf litter species and varied with leaf litter chemistry being at a maximum in high-quality single leaf litter species and low in low-quality leaf litter. Further, the addition of litter of high-quality to low-quality litter increased testate amoebae biomass and density; however, the values did not exceed the ones in single high-quality litter treatments. Moreover, the structure of testate amoeba communities varied with litter chemistry, with Fe, Na, lignin, and litter C-to-N ratio being of major importance, and indicating that litter chemistry reflects habitat quality for testate amoebae. Overall, the data show that leaf litter chemistry overrides leaf litter richness in structuring testate amoeba communities.

Litter chemistry prevails over litter consumers in mediating effects of past steel industry activities on leaf litter decomposition.

PubMed

Lucisine, Pierre; Lecerf, Antoine; Danger, Michaël; Felten, Vincent; Aran, Delphine; Auclerc, Apolline; Gross, Elisabeth M; Huot, Hermine; Morel, Jean-Louis; Muller, Serge; Nahmani, Johanne; Maunoury-Danger, Florence

2015-12-15

Soil pollution has adverse effects on the performance and life history traits of microorganisms, plants, and animals, yet evidence indicates that even the most polluted sites can support structurally-complex and dynamic ecosystems. The present study aims at determining whether and how litter decomposition, one of the most important soil ecological processes leaf, is affected in a highly trace-metal polluted site. We postulated that past steel mill activities resulting in soil pollution and associated changes in soil characteristics would influence the rate of litter decomposition through two non-exclusive pathways: altered litter chemistry and responses of decomposers to lethal and sub-lethal toxic stress. We carried out a litter-bag experiment using Populus tremula L. leaf litter collected at, and allowed to decompose in, a trace metal polluted site and in three unpolluted sites used as controls. We designed a fully-factorial transplant experimental design to assess effects of litter origin and exposure site on the rate of litter decomposition. We further determined initial litter chemistry, fungal biomass, mesofauna abundance in litter bags, and the soil macrofauna community. Irrespective of the site of litter exposure, litter originating from the polluted site had a two-fold faster decomposition than litter from the unpolluted sites. Litter chemistry, notably the lignin content, seemed most important in explaining the degradation rate of the leaf litter. Abundance of meso and macro-detritivores was higher at the polluted site than at the unpolluted sites. However, litter decomposition proceeded at similar rates in polluted and unpolluted sites. Our results show that trace metal pollution and associated soil and litter changes do not necessarily weaken consumer control on litter decomposition through lethal and sub-lethal toxic stress. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ecosystem and decomposer effects on litter dynamics along an old field to old-growth forest successional gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Paul M.

2008-03-01

Identifying the biotic (e.g. decomposers, vegetation) and abiotic (e.g. temperature, moisture) mechanisms controlling litter decomposition is key to understanding ecosystem function, especially where variation in ecosystem structure due to successional processes may alter the strength of these mechanisms. To identify these controls and feedbacks, I measured mass loss and N flux in herbaceous, leaf, and wood litter along a successional gradient of ecosystem types (old field, transition forest, old-growth forest) while manipulating detritivore access to litter. Ecosystem type, litter type, and decomposers contributed directly and interactively to decomposition. Litter mass loss and N accumulation was higher while litter C:N remained lower in old-growth forests than in either old fields or transition forest. Old-growth forests influenced litter dynamics via microclimate (coolest and wettest) but also, apparently, through a decomposer community adapted to consuming the large standing stocks of leaf litter, as indicated by rapid leaf litter loss. In all ecosystem types, mass loss of herbaceous litter was greater than leaf litter which, in turn was greater than wood. However, net N loss from wood litter was faster than expected, suggesting localized N flux effects of wood litter. Restricting detritivore access to litter reduced litter mass loss and slowed the accumulation of N in litter, suggesting that macro-detritivores affect both physical and chemical characteristics of litter through selective grazing. These data suggest that the distinctive litter loss rates and efficient N cycling observed in old-growth forest ecosystems are not likely to be realized soon after old fields are restored to forested ecosystems.

Species-Specific Effects of Woody Litter on Seedling Emergence and Growth of Herbaceous Plants

PubMed Central

Koorem, Kadri; Price, Jodi N.; Moora, Mari

2011-01-01

The effect of litter on seedling establishment can influence species richness in plant communities. The effect of litter depends on amount, and also on litter type, but relatively little is known about the species-specific effects of litter. We conducted a factorial greenhouse experiment to examine the effect of litter type, using two woody species that commonly co-occur in boreonemoral forest—evergreen spruce (Picea abies), deciduous hazel (Corylus avellana), and a mixture of the two species—and litter amount—shallow (4 mm), deep (12 mm) and leachate—on seedling emergence and biomass of three understorey species. The effect of litter amount on seedling emergence was highly dependent on litter type; while spruce needle litter had a significant negative effect that increased with depth, seedling emergence in the presence of hazel broadleaf litter did not differ from control pots containing no litter. Mixed litter of both species also had a negative effect on seedling emergence that was intermediate compared to the single-species treatments. Spruce litter had a marginally positive (shallow) or neutral effect (deep) on seedling biomass, while hazel and mixed litter treatments had significant positive effects on biomass that increased with depth. We found non-additive effects of litter mixtures on seedling biomass indicating that high quality hazel litter can reduce the negative effects of spruce. Hazel litter does not inhibit seedling emergence; it increases seedling growth, and creates better conditions for seedling growth in mixtures by reducing the suppressive effect of spruce litter, having a positive effect on understorey species richness. PMID:22028890

Changes in litter quality induced by nutrient addition alter litter decomposition in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

PubMed Central

Zhu, Wenyan; Wang, Jinzhou; Zhang, Zhenhua; Ren, Fei; Chen, Litong; He, Jin-Sheng

2016-01-01

The effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition on litter decomposition are poorly understood in Tibetan alpine meadows. Leaf litter was collected from plots within a factorial N × P addition experiment and allowed to decompose over 708 days in an unfertilized plot to determine the effects of N and/or P addition on litter decomposition. Results showed that nutrient addition significantly affected initial P and P-related biochemical properties of litter from all four species. However, the responses of litter N and N-related biochemical properties to nutrient addition were quite species-specific. Litter C decomposition and N release were species-specific. However, N and P addition significantly affected litter P release. Ratios of Hemicellulose + Cellulose to N and P were significantly related to litter C decomposition; C:N ratio was a determinant of litter N release; and C:P and (Hemicellulose + Cellulose):P controlled litter P release. Overall, litter C decomposition was controlled by litter quality of different plant species, and strongly affected by P addition. Increasing N availability is likely to affect litter C decomposition more indirectly by shifting plant species composition than directly by improving litter quality, and may accelerate N and P cycles, but shift the ecosystem to P limitation. PMID:27694948

Association between litterers' profile and littering behavior: A chi-square approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmui, Mas'udah; Zaki, Suhanom Mohd; Wahid, Sharifah Norhuda Syed; Mokhtar, Noorsuraya Mohd; Harith, Siti Suhaila

2017-05-01

Littering is not a novelty, yet a prolonged issue. The solutions have been discussed for a long time; however this issue still remains unresolved. Littering is commonly associated with littering behavior and awareness. The littering behavior is normally influenced by the litter profile such as gender, family income, education level and age. Jengka Street market, which is located in Pahang, is popularly known as a trade market. It offers diversities of wet and dry goods and is awaited by local residents and tourists. This study analyzes association between litterers' profile and littering behavior. Littering behavior is measured based on factors of trash bin facilities, awareness campaign and public littering behavior. 114 respondents were involved in this study with 62 (54.39%) are female aged more than 18 years old and majority of these female respondents are diploma holders. In addition, 78.95% of the respondents have family income below than RM3,000.00 per month. Based on the data analysis, it was found that first-time visitors littered higher than frequent visitors, lack of providing trash bin facilities contributes to positive littering behavior and there is a significant association between litterers' age and littering behavior by using chi-square approach.

U.S. broiler housing ammonia emissions inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gates, R. S.; Casey, K. D.; Wheeler, E. F.; Xin, H.; Pescatore, A. J.

Using recently published baseline ammonia emissions data for U.S. broiler chicken housing, we present a method of estimating their contribution to an annual ammonia budget that is different from that used by USEPA. Emission rate increases in a linear relationship with flock age from near zero at the start of the flock to a maximum at the end of the flock, 28-65 days later. Market weight of chickens raised for meat varies from "broilers" weighing about 2 kg to "roasters" weighing about 3 kg. Multiple flocks of birds are grown in a single house annually, with variable downtime to prepare the house between flocks. The method takes into account weight and number of chickens marketed. Uncertainty in baseline emissions estimates is used so that inventory estimates are provided with error estimates. The method also incorporates the condition of litter that birds are raised upon and the varying market weight of birds grown. Using 2003 USDA data on broiler production numbers, broiler housing is estimated to contribute 8.8-11.7 kT ammonia for new and built-up litter, respectively, in Kentucky and 240-324 kT ammonia for new and built-up litter, respectively, nationally. Results suggest that a 10% uncertainty in annual emission rate is expected for the market weight categories of broilers, heavy broilers, and roasters. A 27-47% reduction in annual housing emission rate is predicted if new rather than built-up litter were used for every flock. The estimating method can be adapted to other meat bird building emissions and future ammonia emission strategies, with suitable insertion of an age-dependent emission factor or slope into a predictive model equation. The method can be readily applied and is an alternative to that used by USEPA.

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... reaching surface waters. (3) Multi-year phosphorus application means phosphorus applied to a field in excess of the crop needs for that year. In multi-year phosphorus applications, no additional manure... phosphorus has been removed from the field via harvest and crop removal. (c) Requirement to develop and...

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... reaching surface waters. (3) Multi-year phosphorus application means phosphorus applied to a field in excess of the crop needs for that year. In multi-year phosphorus applications, no additional manure... phosphorus has been removed from the field via harvest and crop removal. (c) Requirement to develop and...

Does the precipitation redistribution of the canopy sense in the moisture pattern of the forest litter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagyvai-Kiss, Katalin Anita; Kalicz, Péter; Csáfordi, Péter; Kucsara, Mihály; Gribovszki, Zoltán

2013-04-01

Precipitation is trapped and temporarily stored by the surfaces of forest crown (canopy interception) and forest litter (litter interception). The stemflow and throughfall reach the litter, thus theoretically the litter moisture content depends on these parts of precipitation. Nowadays the moisture pattern of the forest floor, both spatial and temporal scale, have growing respect for the forestry. The transition to the continuous cover forestry induce much higher variability compared to the even aged, more-less homogeneous, monocultural stands. The gap cutting is one of the key methods in the Hungarian forestry. There is an active discussion among the forest professionals how to determine the optimal gap size to maintain the optimal conditions for the seedlings. Among the open questions is how to modify surrounding trees the moisture pattern of the forest floor in the gap? In the early steps of a multidisciplinary project we processed some available data, to estimate the spatial dependency between the water content of forest litter and the spatial pattern of the canopy represented by the tree trunk. The maximum water content depends on dry weight of litter, thus we also analysed that parameter. Data were measured in three different forest ecosystems: a middle age beech (Fagus sylvatica), a sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and a spruce (Picea abies) stand. The study site (Hidegvíz Valley Research Cathcment) is located in Sopron Hills at the eastern border of the Alps. Litter samples were collected under each stand (occasionally 10-10 pieces from 40?40 cm area) and locations of the samples and neighbouring trees were mapped. We determined dry weight and the water content of litter in laboratory. The relationship between water content and the distance of tree trunks in case of spruce and oak stands were not significant and in case of the beech stand was weakly significant. Climate change effects can influence significantly forest floor moisture content, therefore this factor has also taken into account. Acknowledgement: The research was financially supported by the TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0004 and TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0013 joint EU-national research projects.

Tobacco litter costs and public policy: a framework and methodology for considering the use of fees to offset abatement costs

PubMed Central

Peterson, N Andrew; Kiss, Noemi; Ebeid, Omar; Doyle, Alexis S

2011-01-01

Objectives Growing concern over the costs, environmental impact and safety of tobacco product litter (TPL) has prompted states and cities to undertake a variety of policy initiatives, of which litter abatement fees are part. The present work describes a framework and methodology for calculating TPL costs and abatement fees. Methods Abatement is associated with four categories of costs: (1) mechanical and manual abatement from streets, sidewalks and public places, (2) mechanical and manual abatement from storm water and sewer treatment systems, (3) the costs associated with harm to the ecosystem and harm to industries dependent on clean and healthy ecosystems, and (4) the costs associated with direct harm to human health. The experiences of the City of San Francisco's recently proposed tobacco litter abatement fee serve as a case study. Results City and municipal TPL costs are incurred through manual and mechanical clean-up of surfaces and catchment areas. According to some studies, public litter abatement costs to US cities range from US$3 million to US$16 million. TPL typically comprises between 22% and 36% of all visible litter, implying that total public TPL direct abatement costs range from about US$0.5 million to US$6 million for a city the size of San Francisco. The costs of mitigating the negative externalities of TPL in a city the size of San Francisco can be offset by implementing a fee of approximately US$0.20 per pack. Conclusions Tobacco litter abatement costs to cities can be substantial, even when the costs of potential environmental pollution and tourism effects are excluded. One public policy option to address tobacco litter is levying of fees on cigarettes sold. The methodology described here for calculating TPL costs and abatement fees may be useful to state and local authorities who are considering adoption of this policy initiative. PMID:21504923

Preliminary investigation of the transport of small plastic litter along a vegetated riverbank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Da; Valyrakis, Manousos

2017-04-01

Plastics are widely used in consumer products, due to its low cost, low weight and high durability compared to other types of materials. Contamination of marine ecosystems due to plastics (including microplastics) is a challenge that has received a lot of attention due to the significant risks it poses for the environment and human health. Plastics find their way to the ocean from land via the river system. Studying and obtaining a better understanding of the mechanisms contributing to the fate of plastic litter is therefore important in proactively devising methods to reduce their quantity or produce designs to trap plastic pollutants and prevent them from entering the ocean through estuaries. In this context, it is a common observation of hydraulic practitioners and field geomorphologists, that plastic litter can be trapped within riparian vegetation patches along streams or canals, which can be washed away in periods of high flows. To this goal this study aims to use a series of purpose specific physical experiments to examine the mechanisms of dispersion of plastic litter along the water surface of a channel with simulated riparian vegetation. The set of experiments are conducted in a recirculating flume with rigid riverbank and riparian vegetation modeled by a large number of acrylic rods, placed on the top of the riverbank section. Six different sizes of pieces of Styrofoam are used to simulate plastic litter. These are released from different locations upstream and in the vicinity of the riparian vegetation for various configurations (linear, staggered and random) of characteristic solid density. The trajectory of the plastic litter is recorded with a camera offering a top view of the arrangement. From the analysis of this a variety of results are obtained including transport metrics (including transport velocity and time to trapping) and litter-trapping location. The relation between the size of the litter, the vegetation configuration and the traveling distance is summarized.

The impact of environmental conditions on Campylobacter jejuni survival in broiler faeces and litter.

PubMed

Smith, Shaun; Meade, Joseph; Gibbons, James; McGill, Kevina; Bolton, Declan; Whyte, Paul

2016-01-01

Campylobacter jejuni is the leading bacterial food-borne pathogen within the European Union, and poultry meat is an important vehicle for its transmission to humans. However, there is limited knowledge about how this organism persists in broiler litter and faeces. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a number of environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and oxygen, on Campylobacter survival in both broiler litter and faeces. Used litter was collected from a Campylobacter-negative broiler house after final depopulation and fresh faeces were collected from transport crates. Samples were confirmed as Campylobacter negative according to modified ISO methods for veterinary samples. Both sample matrices were inoculated with 9 log10 CFU/ml C. jejuni and incubated under high (≥85%) and low (≤70%) relative humidity conditions at three different temperatures (20°C, 25°C, and 30°C) under both aerobic and microaerophilic atmospheres. Inoculated litter samples were then tested for Campylobacter concentrations at time zero and every 2 hours for 12 hours, while faecal samples were examined at time zero and every 24 hours for 120 hours. A two-tailed t-test assuming unequal variance was used to compare mean Campylobacter concentrations in samples under the various temperature, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. C. jejuni survived significantly longer (P≤0.01) in faeces, with a minimum survival time of 48 hours, compared with 4 hours in used broiler litter. C. jejuni survival was significantly enhanced at 20°C in all environmental conditions in both sample matrices tested compared with survival at 25°C and 30°C. In general, survival was greater in microaerophilic compared with aerobic conditions in both sample matrices. Humidity, at the levels examined, did not appear to significantly impact C. jejuni survival in any sample matrix. The persistence of Campylobacter in broiler litter and faeces under various environmental conditions has implications for farm litter management, hygiene, and disinfection practices.

Between-litter variation in developmental studies of hormones and behavior: Inflated false positives and diminished power.

PubMed

Williams, Donald R; Carlsson, Rickard; Bürkner, Paul-Christian

2017-10-01

Developmental studies of hormones and behavior often include littermates-rodent siblings that share early-life experiences and genes. Due to between-litter variation (i.e., litter effects), the statistical assumption of independent observations is untenable. In two literatures-natural variation in maternal care and prenatal stress-entire litters are categorized based on maternal behavior or experimental condition. Here, we (1) review both literatures; (2) simulate false positive rates for commonly used statistical methods in each literature; and (3) characterize small sample performance of multilevel models (MLM) and generalized estimating equations (GEE). We found that the assumption of independence was routinely violated (>85%), false positives (α=0.05) exceeded nominal levels (up to 0.70), and power (1-β) rarely surpassed 0.80 (even for optimistic sample and effect sizes). Additionally, we show that MLMs and GEEs have adequate performance for common research designs. We discuss implications for the extant literature, the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology, and provide recommendations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plant litter functional diversity effects on litter mass loss depend on the macro-detritivore community.

PubMed

Patoine, Guillaume; Thakur, Madhav P; Friese, Julia; Nock, Charles; Hönig, Lydia; Haase, Josephine; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael; Eisenhauer, Nico

2017-11-01

A better understanding of the mechanisms driving litter diversity effects on decomposition is needed to predict how biodiversity losses affect this crucial ecosystem process. In a microcosm study, we investigated the effects of litter functional diversity and two major groups of soil macro-detritivores on the mass loss of tree leaf litter mixtures. Furthermore, we tested the effects of litter trait community means and dissimilarity on litter mass loss for seven traits relevant to decomposition. We expected macro-detritivore effects on litter mass loss to be most pronounced in litter mixtures of high functional diversity. We used 24 leaf mixtures differing in functional diversity, which were composed of litter from four species from a pool of 16 common European tree species. Earthworms, isopods, or a combination of both were added to each litter combination for two months. Litter mass loss was significantly higher in the presence of earthworms than in that of isopods, whereas no synergistic effects of macro-detritivore mixtures were found. The effect of functional diversity of the litter material was highest in the presence of both macro-detritivore groups, supporting the notion that litter diversity effects are most pronounced in the presence of different detritivore species. Species-specific litter mass loss was explained by nutrient content, secondary compound concentration, and structural components. Moreover, dissimilarity in N concentrations increased litter mass loss, probably because detritivores having access to nutritionally diverse food sources. Furthermore, strong competition between the two macro-detritivores for soil surface litter resulted in a decrease of survival of both macro-detritivores. These results show that the effects of litter functional diversity on decomposition are contingent upon the macro-detritivore community and composition. We conclude that the temporal dynamics of litter trait diversity effects and their interaction with detritivore diversity are key to advancing our understanding of litter mass loss in nature.

Plant litter functional diversity effects on litter mass loss depend on the macro-detritivore community

PubMed Central

Patoine, Guillaume; Thakur, Madhav P.; Friese, Julia; Nock, Charles; Hönig, Lydia; Haase, Josephine; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael; Eisenhauer, Nico

2017-01-01

A better understanding of the mechanisms driving litter diversity effects on decomposition is needed to predict how biodiversity losses affect this crucial ecosystem process. In a microcosm study, we investigated the effects of litter functional diversity and two major groups of soil macro-detritivores on the mass loss of tree leaf litter mixtures. Furthermore, we tested the effects of litter trait community means and dissimilarity on litter mass loss for seven traits relevant to decomposition. We expected macro-detritivore effects on litter mass loss to be most pronounced in litter mixtures of high functional diversity. We used 24 leaf mixtures differing in functional diversity, which were composed of litter from four species from a pool of 16 common European tree species. Earthworms, isopods, or a combination of both were added to each litter combination for two months. Litter mass loss was significantly higher in the presence of earthworms than in that of isopods, whereas no synergistic effects of macro-detritivore mixtures were found. The effect of functional diversity of the litter material was highest in the presence of both macro-detritivore groups, supporting the notion that litter diversity effects are most pronounced in the presence of different detritivore species. Species-specific litter mass loss was explained by nutrient content, secondary compound concentration, and structural components. Moreover, dissimilarity in N concentrations increased litter mass loss, probably because detritivores having access to nutritionally diverse food sources. Furthermore, strong competition between the two macro-detritivores for soil surface litter resulted in a decrease of survival of both macro-detritivores. These results show that the effects of litter functional diversity on decomposition are contingent upon the macro-detritivore community and composition. We conclude that the temporal dynamics of litter trait diversity effects and their interaction with detritivore diversity are key to advancing our understanding of litter mass loss in nature. PMID:29180828

Tree litter and forest understorey vegetation: a conceptual framework to understand the effects of tree litter on a perennial geophyte, Anemone nemorosa.

PubMed

Baltzinger, Marie; Archaux, Frédéric; Dumas, Yann

2012-05-01

Litter is a key factor in structuring plant populations, through positive or negative interactions. The litter layer forms a mechanical barrier that is often strongly selective against individuals lacking hypocotyle plasticity. Litter composition also interacts with plant growth by providing beneficial nutrients or, inversely, by allowing harmful allelopathic leaching. As conspicuous litter fall accumulation is often observed under deciduous forests, interactions between tree litter and understorey plant populations are worthy of study. In a 1-year ex-situ experiment, the effects of tree litter on the growth of Anemone nemorosa, a small perennial forest geophyte, were investigated. Three 'litter quantity' treatments were defined, representative of forest floor litter (199, 356·5 and 514 g m(-2)), which were crossed with five 'litter composition' treatments (Quercus petraea, Fagus sylvatica, Carpinus betulus, Q. petraea + F. sylvatica and Q. petraea + C. betulus), plus a no-litter control. Path analysis was then used to investigate the pathways linking litter characteristics and components of adult plant growth. As expected, the heavier the litter, the longer the petiole; rhizome growth, however, was not depreciated by the litter-induced petiole lengthening. Both rhizome mass increment and number of initiated buds marginally increased with the amount of litter. Rhizome mass increment was in fact determined primarily by leaf area and leaf life span, neither of which was unequivocally correlated with any litter characteristics. However, the presence of litter significantly increased leafing success: following a late frost event, control rhizomes growing in the absence of litter experienced higher leaf mortality before leaf unfolding. The study questions the role of litter as a physical or chemical barrier to ground vegetation; to better understand this role, there is a need for ex-situ, longer-term experiments coupled with in-situ observations in the forest.

The effect of refined functional carbohydrates from enzymatically hydrolyzed yeast on the transmission of environmental Salmonella Senftenberg among broilers and proliferation in broiler housing.

PubMed

Walker, G K; Jalukar, S; Brake, J

2018-04-01

Hatching eggs collected from resident broiler breeders at 48 wk of age were used to produce male and female chicks that were assigned sex separately to 96 new litter pens and fed either a 0 or 50 g/MT RFC (refined functional carbohydrate feed additive derived from yeast) diet. There were 24 replicate pens of 12 broilers each per diet per sex. Feed intake and BW were determined at 14, 28, and 42 d of age. Litter was sampled by pen using sterile socks at 35 d and tested for Salmonella spp. using an enzyme linked fluorescence assay method. Salmonella spp. was isolated from 7 of 48 control-fed broiler pens but no RFC-fed pens (P ≤ 0.05). Thereafter, 48 males and 48 females were selected based on litter Salmonella presence and RFC treatment. The cecas of these broilers were aseptically excised after feed withdrawal and lairage and tested for presence of Salmonella spp. There were 18 of the 48 control-fed broilers confirmed positive from litter-positive pens but none from litter-negative pens fed RFC. The serovar of litter and cecal Salmonella isolates was Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Senftenberg (S. Senftenberg). Female broilers that were fed RFC exhibited greater BW at 28 d (P ≤ 0.05) and 42 d (P ≤ 0.05) while RFC-fed males exhibited improved feed efficiency during the 15-28 d period (P = 0.06). These data demonstrated that dietary RFC reduced the prevalence of Salmonella in the litter and ceca of broilers when fed continuously while not being detrimental to broiler live performance.

Leaf litter breakdown, microbial respiration and shredder production in metal-polluted streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlisle, D.M.; Clements, W.H.

2005-01-01

1. If species disproportionately influence ecosystem functioning and also differ in their sensitivities to environmental conditions, the selective removal of species by anthropogenic stressors may lead to strong effects on ecosystem processes. We evaluated whether these circumstances held for several Colorado, U.S.A. streams stressed by Zn. 2. Benthic invertebrates and chemistry were sampled in five second-third order streams for 1 year. Study streams differed in dissolved metal concentrations, but were otherwise similar in chemical and physical characteristics. Secondary production of leaf-shredding insects was estimated using the increment summation and size-frequency methods. Leaf litter breakdown rates were estimated by retrieving litter-bags over a 171 day period. Microbial activity on leaf litter was measured in the laboratory using changes in oxygen concentration over a 48 h incubation period. 3. Dissolved Zn concentrations varied eightfold among two reference and three polluted streams. Total secondary production of shredders was negatively associated with metal contamination. Secondary production in reference streams was dominated by Taenionema pallidum. Results of previous studies and the current investigation demonstrate that this shredder is highly sensitive to metals in Colorado headwater streams. Leaf litter breakdown rates were similar between reference streams and declined significantly in the polluted streams. Microbial respiration at the most contaminated site was significantly lower than at reference sites. 4. Our results supported the hypothesis that some shredder species contribute disproportionately to leaf litter breakdown. Furthermore, the functionally dominant taxon was also the most sensitive to metal contamination. We conclude that leaf litter breakdown in our study streams lacked functional redundancy and was therefore highly sensitive to contaminant-induced alterations in community structure. We argue for the necessity of simultaneously measuring community structure and ecosystem function in anthropogenically stressed ecosystems.

[Characteristics of floor litter and soil arthropod community in different types ot subtropical forest in Ailao Mountain of Yunnan, Southwest China].

PubMed

Yang, Zhao; Yang, Xiao-Dong

2011-11-01

By using line transect method, an investigation was conducted on the floor litter and soil arthropod community in a mid mountain wet evergreen broad-leaved forest, a mossy dwarf forest, and a Populus bonatii forest in Ailao Mountain of Yunnan in April (dry and hot season), June (rainy season), and December (dry and cold season), 2005. In both dry and rainy seasons, the existing floor litter mass, C storage, and C/N ratio in the three forests all increased in the order of mossy dwarf forest > P. bonatii forest > evergreen broad-leaved forest, but the N storage had less difference. In the floor litter layer of the forests, Acari and Collembola were the dominant groups of soil arthropod community, while Diptera larvae, Coleoptera, ants, and Homoptera were the common groups. The Sorenson coefficients of soil arthropod community in the three forests were extremely great. No significant differences were observed in the soil arthropod density (ind x m(-2)) in the floor litter layer among the three forests, but the relative density (ind x g(-1)) of soil arthropods was higher in the evergreen broad-leaved forest and P. bonatii forest than in the mossy dwarf forest. In the three forests, the density of soil arthropods was significantly higher in dry season than in rainy season, but the Shannon diversity index had less difference. There were significant positive correlations between the existing floor litter mass and the individual density (ind x m(-2)) and dominant groups of soil arthropod communities in dry and hot season (April), but negative correlations between the existing floor litter mass and the relative density (ind x g(-1)) of soil arthropod communities and Acari in dry and cold season (December). The individual densities of Collembola and Coleoptera also had positive correlations with the N storage of the existing floor litter mass in the three forests. It was considered that the floor litter and the development of soil arthropod community in the litter layer of the subtropical forests in Ailao Mountain had a close relation with the vegetation structure of the forests, and the individual density and the diversity of the soil arthropod community were controlled by the floor litter, whereas the environmental factors such as temperature and moisture in the forests also had obvious effects on the seasonal dynamics of the individual density of the soil arthropods.

Natural zeolites in diet or litter of broilers.

PubMed

Schneider, A F; Almeida, D S De; Yuri, F M; Zimmermann, O F; Gerber, M W; Gewehr, C E

2016-04-01

This study aims to analyse the influence of adding natural zeolites (clinoptilolite) to the diet or litter of broilers and their effects on growth performance, carcass yield and litter quality. Three consecutive flocks of broilers were raised on the same sawdust litter, from d 1 to d 42 of age, and distributed in three treatments (control with no added zeolites, addition of 5 g/kg zeolite to diet and addition of 100 g/kg zeolites to litter). The addition of zeolites to the diet or litter did not affect growth performance or carcass yield. The addition of zeolites to the diet did not influence moisture content of the litter, ammonia volatilisation was reduced only in the first flock and pH of litter was reduced in the second and third flock. However, the addition of zeolites to the litter reduced moisture content, litter pH and ammonia volatilisation in all flocks analysed. The addition of 5 g/kg zeolite to the diet in three consecutive flocks was not effective in maintaining litter quality, whereas the addition of 100 g/kg natural zeolites to sawdust litter reduced litter moisture and ammonia volatilisation in three consecutive flocks raised on the same litter.

Growth, carcass characteristics, and incidence of ascites in broilers exposed to environmental fluctuations and oiled litter.

PubMed

McGovern, R H; Feddes, J J; Robinson, F E; Hanson, J A

2000-03-01

The effects of diurnal temperature fluctuations and removal of respirable dust, by application of canola oil to straw litter, on growth, carcass traits, and the degree of ascites was evaluated with 1,200 male broilers studied in two replicated 6-wk trials. Each trial used four pens of 150 birds. The temperature treatment consisted of a fluctuation of 3 C in temperature above the required temperature during the day (0600 to 1800 h) and 3 C below the required temperature at night (1800 to 0600 h) for a 6 C change in daily temperature. The control temperature was constant. All pens had the same mean daily temperature. In each trial, one control temperature pen and one fluctuation temperature pen received bi-weekly applications of canola oil to the litter (1.1 L/m2 of oil over 6 wk). At 6 wk of age, 30 birds from each pen were killed for determination of breast muscle, fatpad, and heart weights. All birds were scored for lesions of ascites at time of processing. A score of 0 or 1 represented slight pericardial effusion, slight pulmonary congestion, and edema. A score of 4 represented birds with marked accumulation of ascitic fluid in one or more ceolomic cavities (other than the pericardium) and advanced liver lesions. A cross-sectional image of each 4-mm heart slice (cross-section of the ventricles) was digitally recorded, and with image analysis we determined the right ventricular area (RVA), left ventricular area (LVA), and total heart area (HA). The final BW of the broilers were significantly different, the oiled-litter treatment (2,249 g) had lower weight gain compared with the nonoiled litter treatment (2,293 g). There were no differences in fatpad weight, shank length, lung weight, and percentage breast muscle between the main treatments. The Pectoralis minor and Pectoralis major weight were significantly heavier in the temperature fluctuation treatment than in the control temperature treatment by 3.0 and 12.0 g, respectively. The birds subjected to the control temperature treatment had a lower RVW than the birds subjected to the fluctuating temperature treatment. Temperature fluctuations also resulted in a 1.4% increase in the incidence of mortality. Temperature fluctuations negatively impact broiler growth due to heat loss when litter oiling was excessive.

Repeated compost application effects on phosphorus runoff in the Virginia Piedmont.

PubMed

Spargo, John T; Evanylo, Gregory K; Alley, Marcus M

2006-01-01

Increasing amounts of animal and municipal wastes are being composted before land application to improve handling and spreading characteristics, and to reduce odor and disease incidence. Repeated applications of composted biosolids and manure to cropland may increase the risk for P enrichment of agricultural runoff. We conducted field research in 2003 and 2004 on a Fauquier silty clay loam (Ultic Hapludalfs) to compare the effects of annual (since 1999) applications of composted and uncomposted organic residuals on P runoff characteristics. Biosolids compost (BSC), poultry litter-yard waste compost (PLC), and uncomposted poultry litter (PL) were applied based on estimated plant-available N. A commercial fertilizer treatment (CF) and an unamended control treatment (CTL) were also included. Corn (Zea mays L.) and a cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) cover crop were planted each year. We applied simulated rainfall in fall 2004 and analyzed runoff for dissolved reactive P (DRP), total dissolved P (TDP), total P (TP), total organic C (TOC), and total suspended solids (TSS). End of season soil samples were analyzed for Mehlich-3 P (M3P), EPA 3050 P (3050P), water soluble P (WSP), degree of P saturation (DPS), soil C, and bulk density. Compost treatments significantly increased soil C, decreased bulk density, and increased M3P, 3050P, WSP, and DPS. The concentration of DRP, TDP, and TP in runoff was highest in compost treatments, but the mass of DRP and TDP was not different among treatments because infiltration was higher and runoff lower in compost-amended soil. Improved soil physical properties associated with poultry litter-yard waste compost application decreased loss of TP and TSS.

Cross-fostering in gray wolves (Canis lupus lupus).

PubMed

Scharis, Inger; Amundin, Mats

2015-01-01

Cross-fostering in canids, with captive-bred pups introduced into endangered wild populations, might aid conservation efforts by increasing genetic diversity and lowering the risk of inbreeding depression. The gray wolf (Canis lupus lupus) population in Scandinavia suffers from severe inbreeding due to a narrow genetic base and geographical isolation. This study aimed at evaluating the method to cross-foster wolf pups from zoo-born to zoo-born litters. The following was assessed: female initial acceptance of foster pups, growth rate in relation to age difference between foster pups and pups in recipient litters and survival over the first 33 weeks. The study included four litters added by two foster pups in each. The age differences between the foster pups and the recipient litters were 2-8 days. After augmentation, all four females accepted the foster pups, demonstrated by her moving the entire litter to a new den site. Growth rate was dependent on the age difference of the pups in the foster litters, with a considerably slower growth rate in the 8 days younger pups. However, these pups later appeared to be at no disadvantage. Foster pups had a higher survival rate than females' pups, however, the causes of death were probably not kin or non-kin related. The results indicate that cross-fostering works in gray wolves and that this might be a plausible way to increase genetic variation in the wild population. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Interaction of initial litter quality and thinning intensity on litter decomposition rate, nitrogen accumulation and release in a pine plantation

Treesearch

Xiao Chen; Deborah Page-Dumroese; Ruiheng Lv; Weiwei Wang; Guolei Li; Yong Liu

2014-01-01

Thinning alters litter quality and microclimate under forests. Both of these two changes after thinning induce alterations of litter decomposition rates and nutrient cycling. However, a possible interaction between these two changes remains unclear. We placed two types of litter (LN, low N concentration litter; HN, high N concentration litter) in a Chinese pine (Pinus...

Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes

PubMed Central

García-Palacios, Pablo; Maestre, Fernando T.; Kattge, Jens; Wall, Diana H.

2015-01-01

Climate and litter quality have been identified as major drivers of litter decomposition at large spatial scales. However, the role played by soil fauna remains largely unknown, despite its importance for litter fragmentation and microbial activity. We synthesized litterbag studies to quantify the effect sizes of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates at the global and biome scales, and to assess how climate, litter quality and soil fauna interact to determine such rates. Soil fauna consistently enhanced litter decomposition at both global and biome scales (average increment ~27%). However, climate and litter quality differently modulated the effects of soil fauna on decomposition rates between biomes, from climate-driven biomes to those where climate effects were mediated by changes in litter quality. Our results advocate for the inclusion of biome-specific soil fauna effects on litter decomposition as a mean to reduce the unexplained variation in large-scale decomposition models. PMID:23763716

Eutrophication triggers contrasting multilevel feedbacks on litter accumulation and decomposition in fens.

PubMed

Emsens, W-J; Aggenbach, C J S; Grootjans, A P; Nfor, E E; Schoelynck, J; Struyf, E; van Diggelen, R

2016-10-01

Eutrophication is a major threat for the persistence of nutrient-poor fens, as multilevel feedbacks on decomposition rates could trigger carbon loss and increase nutrient cycling. Here, we experimentally investigate the effects of macronutrient (NPK) enrichment on litter quality of six species of sedge (Carex sp.), which we relate to litter decomposition rates in a nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich environment. Our research focused on four levels: we examined how eutrophication alters (1) fresh litter production ("productivity shift"), (2) litter stoichiometry within the same species ("intraspecific shift"), (3) overall litter stoichiometry of the vegetation under the prediction that low-competitive species are outcompeted by fast-growing competitors ("interspecific shift"), and (4) litter decomposition rates due to an altered external environment (e.g., shifts in microbial activity; "exogenous shift"). Eutrophication triggered a strong increase in fresh litter production. Moreover, individuals of the same species produced litter with lower C:N and C:P ratios, higher K contents, and lower lignin, Ca and Mg contents (intraspecific shift), which increased litter decomposability. In addition, species typical for eutrophic conditions produced more easily degradable litter than did species typical for nutrient-poor conditions (interspecific shift). However, the effects of nutrient loading of the external environment (exogenous shift) were contradictory. Here, interactions between litter type and ambient nutrient level indicate that the (exogenous) effects of eutrophication on litter decomposition rates are strongly dependent of litter quality. Moreover, parameters of litter quality only correlated with decomposition rates for litter incubated in nutrient-poor environments, but not in eutrophic environments. This suggests that rates of litter decomposition can be uncoupled from litter stoichiometry under eutrophic conditions. In conclusion, our results show that eutrophication affects litter accumulation and -decomposition at multiple levels, in which stimulatory and inhibitory effects interact. The cumulative effect of these interactions ultimately determine whether peatlands remain sinks or become sources of carbon under eutrophic conditions. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Direct and Indirect Effects of UV-B Exposure on Litter Decomposition: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Song, Xinzhang; Peng, Changhui; Jiang, Hong; Zhu, Qiuan; Wang, Weifeng

2013-01-01

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure in the course of litter decomposition may have a direct effect on decomposition rates via changing states of photodegradation or decomposer constitution in litter while UV-B exposure during growth periods may alter chemical compositions and physical properties of plants. Consequently, these changes will indirectly affect subsequent litter decomposition processes in soil. Although studies are available on both the positive and negative effects (including no observable effects) of UV-B exposure on litter decomposition, a comprehensive analysis leading to an adequate understanding remains unresolved. Using data from 93 studies across six biomes, this introductory meta-analysis found that elevated UV-B directly increased litter decomposition rates by 7% and indirectly by 12% while attenuated UV-B directly decreased litter decomposition rates by 23% and indirectly increased litter decomposition rates by 7%. However, neither positive nor negative effects were statistically significant. Woody plant litter decomposition seemed more sensitive to UV-B than herbaceous plant litter except under conditions of indirect effects of elevated UV-B. Furthermore, levels of UV-B intensity significantly affected litter decomposition response to UV-B (P<0.05). UV-B effects on litter decomposition were to a large degree compounded by climatic factors (e.g., MAP and MAT) (P<0.05) and litter chemistry (e.g., lignin content) (P<0.01). Results suggest these factors likely have a bearing on masking the important role of UV-B on litter decomposition. No significant differences in UV-B effects on litter decomposition were found between study types (field experiment vs. laboratory incubation), litter forms (leaf vs. needle), and decay duration. Indirect effects of elevated UV-B on litter decomposition significantly increased with decay duration (P<0.001). Additionally, relatively small changes in UV-B exposure intensity (30%) had significant direct effects on litter decomposition (P<0.05). The intent of this meta-analysis was to improve our understanding of the overall effects of UV-B on litter decomposition. PMID:23818993

Impact of litter quantity on the soil bacteria community during the decomposition of Quercus wutaishanica litter.

PubMed

Zeng, Quanchao; Liu, Yang; An, Shaoshan

2017-01-01

The forest ecosystem is the main component of terrestrial ecosystems. The global climate and the functions and processes of soil microbes in the ecosystem are all influenced by litter decomposition. The effects of litter decomposition on the abundance of soil microorganisms remain unknown. Here, we analyzed soil bacterial communities during the litter decomposition process in an incubation experiment under treatment with different litter quantities based on annual litterfall data (normal quantity, 200 g/(m 2 /yr); double quantity, 400 g/(m 2 /yr) and control, no litter). The results showed that litter quantity had significant effects on soil carbon fractions, nitrogen fractions, and bacterial community compositions, but significant differences were not found in the soil bacterial diversity. The normal litter quantity enhanced the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes and reduced the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Plantctomycets and Nitrospiare. The Beta-, Gamma-, and Deltaproteobacteria were significantly less abundant in the normal quantity litter addition treatment, and were subsequently more abundant in the double quantity litter addition treatment. The bacterial communities transitioned from Proteobacteria-dominant (Beta-, Gamma-, and Delta) to Actinobacteria-dominant during the decomposition of the normal quantity of litter. A cluster analysis showed that the double litter treatment and the control had similar bacterial community compositions. These results suggested that the double quantity litter limited the shift of the soil bacterial community. Our results indicate that litter decomposition alters bacterial dynamics under the accumulation of litter during the vegetation restoration process, which provides important significant guidelines for the management of forest ecosystems.

Effects of Plant Functional Group Loss on Soil Microbial Community and Litter Decomposition in a Steppe Vegetation.

PubMed

Xiao, Chunwang; Zhou, Yong; Su, Jiaqi; Yang, Fan

2017-01-01

Globally, many terrestrial ecosystems are experiencing a rapid loss of biodiversity. Continued improvements in our understanding of interrelationships between plant diversity and soil microbes are critical to address the concern over the consequences of the decline in biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and services. By removing forbs, or grasses, or, to an extreme scenario, both forbs and grasses in a steppe vegetation in Inner Mongolia, we studied how plant functional group (PFG) loss affects soil microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and litter decomposition using a litter-bag method. PFG loss significantly decreased above- and below-ground plant biomass, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and nitrogen (SMBN), but had no effect on the ratio of SMBC to SMBN. Although the ratio of fungal to bacterial PLFAs remained unaffected, PFG loss significantly reduced the amount of bacterial, fungal, and total PLFAs. PFG loss decreased litter monthly mass loss and decay constant, and such decrease was significant when both forbs and grasses were removed. Our results provide robust evidence that PFG loss in grassland ecosystem can lead to a rapid response of soil microbial activity which may affect litter decomposition and soil nutrient cycling, suggesting that the assessment of plant-microbe interactions in soils is an integral component of ecosystem response to biodiversity loss.

Influence of Litter Diversity on Dissolved Organic Matter Release and Soil Carbon Formation in a Mixed Beech Forest

PubMed Central

Scheibe, Andrea; Gleixner, Gerd

2014-01-01

We investigated the effect of leaf litter on below ground carbon export and soil carbon formation in order to understand how litter diversity affects carbon cycling in forest ecosystems. 13C labeled and unlabeled leaf litter of beech (Fagus sylvatica) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior), characterized by low and high decomposability, were used in a litter exchange experiment in the Hainich National Park (Thuringia, Germany). Litter was added in pure and mixed treatments with either beech or ash labeled with 13C. We collected soil water in 5 cm mineral soil depth below each treatment biweekly and determined dissolved organic carbon (DOC), δ13C values and anion contents. In addition, we measured carbon concentrations and δ13C values in the organic and mineral soil (collected in 1 cm increments) up to 5 cm soil depth at the end of the experiment. Litter-derived C contributes less than 1% to dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected in 5 cm mineral soil depth. Better decomposable ash litter released significantly more (0.50±0.17%) litter carbon than beech litter (0.17±0.07%). All soil layers held in total around 30% of litter-derived carbon, indicating the large retention potential of litter-derived C in the top soil. Interestingly, in mixed (ash and beech litter) treatments we did not find a higher contribution of better decomposable ash-derived carbon in DOM, O horizon or mineral soil. This suggest that the known selective decomposition of better decomposable litter by soil fauna has no or only minor effects on the release and formation of litter-derived DOM and soil organic matter. Overall our experiment showed that 1) litter-derived carbon is of low importance for dissolved organic carbon release and 2) litter of higher decomposability is faster decomposed, but litter diversity does not influence the carbon flow. PMID:25486628

Influence of litter diversity on dissolved organic matter release and soil carbon formation in a mixed beech forest.

PubMed

Scheibe, Andrea; Gleixner, Gerd

2014-01-01

We investigated the effect of leaf litter on below ground carbon export and soil carbon formation in order to understand how litter diversity affects carbon cycling in forest ecosystems. 13C labeled and unlabeled leaf litter of beech (Fagus sylvatica) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior), characterized by low and high decomposability, were used in a litter exchange experiment in the Hainich National Park (Thuringia, Germany). Litter was added in pure and mixed treatments with either beech or ash labeled with 13C. We collected soil water in 5 cm mineral soil depth below each treatment biweekly and determined dissolved organic carbon (DOC), δ13C values and anion contents. In addition, we measured carbon concentrations and δ13C values in the organic and mineral soil (collected in 1 cm increments) up to 5 cm soil depth at the end of the experiment. Litter-derived C contributes less than 1% to dissolved organic matter (DOM) collected in 5 cm mineral soil depth. Better decomposable ash litter released significantly more (0.50±0.17%) litter carbon than beech litter (0.17±0.07%). All soil layers held in total around 30% of litter-derived carbon, indicating the large retention potential of litter-derived C in the top soil. Interestingly, in mixed (ash and beech litter) treatments we did not find a higher contribution of better decomposable ash-derived carbon in DOM, O horizon or mineral soil. This suggest that the known selective decomposition of better decomposable litter by soil fauna has no or only minor effects on the release and formation of litter-derived DOM and soil organic matter. Overall our experiment showed that 1) litter-derived carbon is of low importance for dissolved organic carbon release and 2) litter of higher decomposability is faster decomposed, but litter diversity does not influence the carbon flow.

Accuracy of the cosmic-ray soil water content probe in humid forest ecosystems: The worst case scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogena, H. R.; Huisman, J. A.; Baatz, R.; Hendricks Franssen, H.-J.; Vereecken, H.

2013-09-01

Soil water content is one of the key state variables in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere continuum due to its important role in the exchange of water and energy at the soil surface. A new promising method to measure integral soil water content at the field or small catchment scale is the cosmic-ray probe (CRP). Recent studies of CRP measurements have mainly presented results from test sites located in very dry areas and from agricultural fields with sandy soils. In this study, distributed continuous soil water content measurements from a wireless sensor network (SoilNet) were used to investigate the accuracy of CRP measurements for soil water content determination in a humid forest ecosystem. Such ecosystems are less favorable for CRP applications due to the presence of a litter layer. In addition, lattice water and carbohydrates of soil organic matter and belowground biomass reduce the effective sensor depth and thus were accounted for in the calibration of the CRP. The hydrogen located in the biomass decreased the level of neutron count rates and thus also decreased the sensitivity of the cosmic-ray probe, which in turn resulted in an increase of the measurement uncertainty. This uncertainty was compensated by using longer integration times (e.g., 24 h). For the Wüstebach forest site, the cosmic-ray probe enabled the assessment of integral daily soil water content dynamics with a RMSE of about 0.03 cm3/cm3 without explicitly considering the litter layer. By including simulated water contents of the litter layer in the calibration, a better accuracy could be achieved.

Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes.

PubMed

García-Palacios, Pablo; Maestre, Fernando T; Kattge, Jens; Wall, Diana H

2013-08-01

Climate and litter quality have been identified as major drivers of litter decomposition at large spatial scales. However, the role played by soil fauna remains largely unknown, despite its importance for litter fragmentation and microbial activity. We synthesised litterbag studies to quantify the effect sizes of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates at the global and biome scales, and to assess how climate, litter quality and soil fauna interact to determine such rates. Soil fauna consistently enhanced litter decomposition at both global and biome scales (average increment ~ 37%). [corrected]. However, climate and litter quality differently modulated the effects of soil fauna on decomposition rates between biomes, from climate-driven biomes to those where climate effects were mediated by changes in litter quality. Our results advocate for the inclusion of biome-specific soil fauna effects on litter decomposition as a mean to reduce the unexplained variation in large-scale decomposition models. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Postnatal overfeeding promotes early onset and exaggeration of high-fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease through disordered hepatic lipid metabolism in rats.

PubMed

Ji, Chenlin; Dai, Yanyan; Jiang, Weiwei; Liu, Juan; Hou, Miao; Wang, Junle; Burén, Jonas; Li, Xiaonan

2014-11-01

Exposure to overnutrition in critical or sensitive developmental periods may increase the risk of developing obesity and metabolic syndrome in adults. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome, but the relationship among postnatal nutrition, lipid metabolism, and NAFLD progression during development remains poorly understood. Here we investigated in a rat model whether postnatal overfeeding increases susceptibility to NAFLD in response to a high-fat diet. Litters from Sprague-Dawley dams were culled to three (small litters) or ten (normal litters) pups and then weaned onto a standard or high-fat diet at postnatal day 21 to generate normal-litter, small-litter, normal-litter/high-fat, and small-litter/high-fat groups. At age 16 weeks, the small-litter and both high-fat groups showed obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Hepatic disorders appeared earlier in the small-litter/high-fat rats with greater liver mass gain and higher hepatic triglycerides and steatosis score versus normal-litter/high-fat rats. Hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity and mRNA expression were increased in small-litter rats and aggravated in small-litter/high-fat rats but not in normal-litter/high-fat rats. The high expression in small-litter/high-fat rats coincided with high sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c mRNA and protein expression. However, mRNA expression of enzymes involved in hepatic fatty acid oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1) and output (microsomal triglyceride transfer protein) was decreased under a high-fat diet regardless of litter size. In conclusion, overfeeding related to small-litter rearing during lactation contributes to the NAFLD phenotype when combined with a high-fat diet, possibly through up-regulated hepatic lipogenesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interrelations between the microbiotas in the litter and in the intestines of commercial broiler chickens.

PubMed

Cressman, Michael D; Yu, Zhongtang; Nelson, Michael C; Moeller, Steven J; Lilburn, Michael S; Zerby, Henry N

2010-10-01

The intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens and the microbiota in the litter have been well studied, but the interactions between these two microbiotas remain to be determined. Therefore, we examined their reciprocal effects by analyzing the intestinal microbiotas of broilers reared on fresh pine shavings versus reused litter, as well as the litter microbiota over a 6-week cycle. Composite ileal mucosal and cecal luminal samples from birds (n = 10) reared with both litter conditions (fresh versus reused) were collected at 7, 14, 21, and 42 days of age. Litter samples were also collected at days 7, 14, 21, and 42. The microbiotas were profiled and compared within sample types based on litter condition using PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The microbiotas were further analyzed using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries constructed from microbiota DNA extracted from both chick intestinal and litter samples collected at day 7. Results showed significant reciprocal effects between the microbiotas present in the litter and those in the intestines of broilers. Fresh litter had more environmental bacteria, while reused litter contained more bacteria of intestinal origin. Lactobacillus spp. dominated the ileal mucosal microbiota of fresh-litter chicks, while a group of bacteria yet to be classified within Clostridiales dominated in the ileal mucosal microbiota in the reused-litter chicks. The Litter condition (fresh versus reused) seemed to have a more profound impact on the ileal microbiota than on the cecal microbiota. The data suggest that the influence of fresh litter on ileal microbiota decreased as broilers grew, compared with temporal changes observed under reused-litter rearing conditions.

Influence of Soil Moisture on Litter Respiration in the Semiarid Loess Plateau

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yanjun; Guo, Shengli; Liu, Qingfang; Jiang, Jishao

2014-01-01

Understanding the response mechanisms of litter respiration to soil moisture in water-limited semi-arid regions is of vital importance to better understanding the interplay between ecological processes and the local carbon cycle. In situ soil respiration was monitored during 2010–2012 under various conditions (normal litter, no litter, and double litter treatments) in a 30-year-old artificial black locust plantation (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) on the Loess Plateau. Litter respiration with normal and double litter treatments exhibited similar seasonal variation, with the maximum value obtained in summer (0.57 and 1.51 μmol m−2 s−1 under normal and double litter conditions, respectively) and the minimum in spring (0.27 and 0.69 μmol m−2 s−1 under normal and double litter conditions, respectively). On average, annual cumulative litter respiration was 115 and 300 g C m−2 y−1 under normal and double litter conditions, respectively. Using a soil temperature of 17°C as the critical point, the relationship between litter respiration and soil moisture was found to follow quadratic functions well, whereas the determination coefficient was much greater at high soil temperature than at low soil temperature (33–35% vs. 22–24%). Litter respiration was significantly higher in 2010 and 2012 than in 2011 under both normal litter (132–165 g C m−2 y−1 vs. 48 g C m−2 y−1) and double litter (389–418 g C m−2 y−1 vs. 93 g C m−2 y−1) conditions. Such significant interannual variations were largely ascribed to the differences in summer rainfall. Our study demonstrates that, apart from soil temperature, moisture also has significant influence on litter respiration in semi-arid regions. PMID:25474633

Riparian litter inputs to streams in the central Oregon Coast Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Stephanie K.; Hibbs, David E.; Perakis, Steven S.

2013-01-01

Riparian-zone vegetation can influence terrestrial and aquatic food webs through variation in the amount, timing, and nutritional content of leaf and other litter inputs. We investigated how riparian-forest community composition, understory density, and lateral slope shaped vertical and lateral litter inputs to 16 streams in the Oregon Coast Range. Riparian forests dominated by deciduous red alder delivered greater annual vertical litter inputs to streams (504 g m−2 y−1) than did riparian forests dominated by coniferous Douglas-fir (394 g m−2 y−1). Deciduous forests also contributed greater lateral litter inputs per meter of stream bank on one side (109 g m−1 y−1) than did coniferous forests (63 g m−1 y−1). Total litter inputs from deciduous forests exceeded those from coniferous forests most strongly in November, coincident with an autumn peak in litter inputs. Lateral litter inputs contributed most to total inputs during winter in both forest types. Annual lateral litter movement increased with slope at deciduous sites, but only in spring/summer months at coniferous sites. Neither experimental removal of understory vegetation nor installation of mesh fences to block downslope litter movement affected lateral litter inputs to streams, suggesting that ground litter moves <5 m downslope annually. N concentrations of several litter fractions were higher at deciduous sites and, when combined with greater litter amounts, yielded twice as much total litter N flux to streams in deciduous than coniferous sites. The presence of red alder in riparian forests along many small streams of the deeply incised and highly dendritic basins of the Oregon Coast Range enhances total fluxes and seasonality of litter delivery to both terrestrial and aquatic food webs in this region and complements the shade and large woody debris provided by large coniferous trees.

Influence of nitrogen additions on litter decomposition, nutrient dynamics, and enzymatic activity of two plant species in a peatland in Northeast China.

PubMed

Song, Yanyu; Song, Changchun; Ren, Jiusheng; Tan, Wenwen; Jin, Shaofei; Jiang, Lei

2018-06-01

Nitrogen (N) availability affects litter decomposition and nutrient dynamics, especially in N-limited ecosystems. We investigated the response of litter decomposition to N additions in Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium uliginosum peatlands. These two species dominate peatlands in Northeast China. In 2012, mesh bags containing senesced leaf litter of Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium uliginosum were placed in N addition plots and sprayed monthly for two years with NH 4 NO 3 solution at dose rates of 0, 6, 12, and 24gNm -2 year -1 (CK, N1, N2 and N3, respectively). Mass loss, N and phosphorus (P) content, and enzymatic activity were measured over time as litter decomposed. In the control plots, V. uliginosum litter decomposed faster than E. vaginatum litter. N1, N2, and N3 treatments increased the mass losses of V. uliginosum litter by 6%, 9%, and 4% respectively, when compared with control. No significant influence of N additions was found on the decomposition of E. vaginatum litter. However, N and P content in E. vaginatum litter and V. uliginosum litter significantly increased with N additions. Moreover, N additions significantly promoted invertase and β-glucosidase activity in E. vaginatum and V. uliginosum litter. However, only in V. uliginosum litter was polyphenol oxidase activity significantly enhanced. Our results showed that initial litter quality and polyphenol oxidase activity influence the response of plant litter to N additions in peatland ecosystems. Increased N availability may change peatland soil N and P cycling by enhancing N and P immobilization during litter decomposition. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Facilitative and inhibitory effect of litter on seedling emergence and early growth of six herbaceous species in an early successional old field ecosystem.

PubMed

Li, Qiang; Yu, Pujia; Chen, Xiaoying; Li, Guangdi; Zhou, Daowei; Zheng, Wei

2014-01-01

In the current study, a field experiment was conducted to examine effects of litter on seedling emergence and early growth of four dominant weed species from the early successional stages of old field ecosystem and two perennial grassland species in late successional stages. Our results showed that increased litter cover decreased soil temperature and temperature variability over time and improved soil moisture status. Surface soil electrical conductivity increased as litter increased. The increased litter delayed seedling emergence time and rate. The emergence percentage of seedlings and establishment success rate firstly increased then decreased as litter cover increased. When litter biomass was below 600 g m(-2), litter increased seedlings emergence and establishment success in all species. With litter increasing, the basal diameter of seedling decreased, but seedling height increased. Increasing amounts of litter tended to increase seedling dry weight and stem leaf ratio. Different species responded differently to the increase of litter. Puccinellia tenuiflora and Chloris virgata will acquire more emergence benefits under high litter amount. It is predicted that Chloris virgata will dominate further in this natural succession old field ecosystem with litter accumulation. Artificial P. tenuiflora seeds addition may be required to accelerate old field succession toward matured grassland.

Facilitative and Inhibitory Effect of Litter on Seedling Emergence and Early Growth of Six Herbaceous Species in an Early Successional Old Field Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Li, Qiang; Yu, Pujia; Chen, Xiaoying; Li, Guangdi; Zhou, Daowei; Zheng, Wei

2014-01-01

In the current study, a field experiment was conducted to examine effects of litter on seedling emergence and early growth of four dominant weed species from the early successional stages of old field ecosystem and two perennial grassland species in late successional stages. Our results showed that increased litter cover decreased soil temperature and temperature variability over time and improved soil moisture status. Surface soil electrical conductivity increased as litter increased. The increased litter delayed seedling emergence time and rate. The emergence percentage of seedlings and establishment success rate firstly increased then decreased as litter cover increased. When litter biomass was below 600 g m−2, litter increased seedlings emergence and establishment success in all species. With litter increasing, the basal diameter of seedling decreased, but seedling height increased. Increasing amounts of litter tended to increase seedling dry weight and stem leaf ratio. Different species responded differently to the increase of litter. Puccinellia tenuiflora and Chloris virgata will acquire more emergence benefits under high litter amount. It is predicted that Chloris virgata will dominate further in this natural succession old field ecosystem with litter accumulation. Artificial P. tenuiflora seeds addition may be required to accelerate old field succession toward matured grassland. PMID:25110722

Relationship of cryptorchidism with sex ratios and litter sizes in 12 dog breeds.

PubMed

Gubbels, Ed J; Scholten, Janneke; Janss, Luc; Rothuizen, Jan

2009-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify the influence of genetic carriership for cryptorchidism on litter sizes and sex ratios in the offspring. Weaning data of 11,230 litters in 12 purebred dog breeds were evaluated. Parents were classified as cryptorchidism 'carriers' (C) when at least one of their offspring was found cryptorchid. Subsequently the effects of 'carrier' and 'non-carrier' (NC) parents on their litters were studied. In litters from C x C parents we found an increased number of males per litter in all breeds, a reduced number of females per litter in 8 breeds and an increased litter size in 11 breeds in comparison with litters from NC x NC parents. Over all breeds the effects on litter size, on number of males per litter and on sex ratio were highly significant. Mixed litters from C x NC and NC x C did not show these effects and were not significantly different from the NC x NC offspring. Our results suggest a general mechanism in the dog species which causes cryptorchidism as well as increased male/female ratios and increased litter sizes. A consequence of such a mechanism is that selection in favor of increasing reproduction output frustrates selective efforts to eliminate cryptorchidism.

Estrogenic activity, estrogens, and calcium in runoff post-layer litter application from rainfall simulated events

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Estrogens in runoff from fields fertilized with animal wastes have been implicated as endocrine disruptors of fish in recipient surface waters. The goal of this study was to measure estrogenic activity in runoff post-application of animal waste with the greatest potential for estrogenic activity - ...

Can't See the Wood for the Litter: Evaluation of Litter Behavior Modification in a Forest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindemann-Matthies, Petra; Bonigk, Isabel; Benkowitz, Dorothee

2012-01-01

This study investigated elementary school children's (n = 171) litter behavior during guided forest tours following two different treatments. Four classes received a verbal appeal not to litter in the forest, while another four classes received both a verbal appeal and a demonstration of the desired litter behavior (picking up litter, putting it…

Litter-Spinning Retarders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John C.

1995-01-01

Aerodynamic plates stop litter from spinning during hoisting by helicopter. Features of proposed litter-spinning retarders include convenience of deployment and independence from ground restraint. Retarder plate(s) folded flat against bottom of litter during storage or while litter is loaded. Plate(s) held in storage position by latch that releases manually or automatically as litter is hoisted. Upon release, springs move plates into deployed position.

Comparative performance of three sampling techniques to detect airborne Salmonella species in poultry farms.

PubMed

Adell, Elisa; Moset, Verónica; Zhao, Yang; Jiménez-Belenguer, Ana; Cerisuelo, Alba; Cambra-López, María

2014-01-01

Sampling techniques to detect airborne Salmonella species (spp.) in two pilot scale broiler houses were compared. Broilers were inoculated at seven days of age with a marked strain of Salmonella enteritidis. The rearing cycle lasted 42 days during the summer. Airborne Salmonella spp. were sampled weekly using impaction, gravitational settling, and impingement techniques. Additionally, Salmonella spp. were sampled on feeders, drinkers, walls, and in the litter. Environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, and airborne particulate matter (PM) concentration) were monitored during the rearing cycle. The presence of Salmonella spp. was determined by culture-dependent and molecular methods. No cultivable Salmonella spp. were recovered from the poultry houses' surfaces, the litter, or the air before inoculation. After inoculation, cultivable Salmonella spp. were recovered from the surfaces and in the litter. Airborne cultivable Salmonella spp. Were detected using impaction and gravitational settling one or two weeks after the detection of Salmonella spp. in the litter. No cultivable Salmonella spp. were recovered using impingement based on culture-dependent techniques. At low airborne concentrations, the use of impingement for the quantification or detection of cultivable airborne Salmonella spp. is not recommended. In these cases, a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent methods is recommended. These data are valuable to improve current measures to control the transmission of pathogens in livestock environments and for optimising the sampling and detection of airborne Salmonella spp. in practical conditions.

The use of refused tea as litter material for broiler chickens.

PubMed

Atapattu, N S B M; Wickramasinghe, K P

2007-05-01

A completely randomized design experiment was conducted to determine the suitability of refused tea (RT) as a litter material for broiler chickens. Physiochemical properties of RT were compared with paddy husk (PH). Subsequently, broilers were raised on RT- or PH-based litter to compare the performances and litter qualities. Twenty-day-old broiler chicks (n = 150) were randomly allocated into 6 deep litter pens so that each treatment had 3 replicates. Chicks received 0.8 ft(2) of floor spacing until d 28 and 1.3 ft(2) thereafter. Each cage had a feeder and a drinker. Litter materials and litter samples taken on 28, 35, and 39 d were analyzed for bulk density, moisture, ash, and N. Chick mortality was low (1.3%) and similar on 2 types of litters. Live weights on d 28, 35, 39, and weight gains, feed intakes, dressing percentages, and feed conversion ratios were not affected by the type of litter material. The bulk density, moisture level, and pH of the RT were comparable with PH. Even though the water-holding capacity of PH (213%) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than RT (70%), the latter material had significantly higher (P < 0.01) water-releasing capacity compared with the former (17.9 vs. 13.6%). Throughout the experiment the RT litter had around 10% units higher moisture level than PH litter. By d 39, the moisture content of the RT litter was (48%) significantly higher (P = 0.05) than PH litter (37%). The N contents of RT litter were higher (P < 0.05) than those of PH on d 28, 35, and 39, being 8.1, 7.8, and 7% and 3.4, 3.6, and 3%, respectively. It was concluded that RT could be successfully used as an alternative litter material for broilers. A higher N content in RT-based spent broiler litter would make it be a better organic fertilizer and ruminant feed compared with PH-based litter.

Cigarette Litter: Smokers’ Attitudes and Behaviors

PubMed Central

Rath, Jessica M.; Rubenstein, Rebecca A.; Curry, Laurel E.; Shank, Sarah E.; Cartwright, Julia C.

2012-01-01

Cigarette butts are consistently the most collected items in litter clean-up efforts, which are a costly burden to local economies. In addition, tobacco waste may be detrimental to our natural environment. The tobacco industry has conducted or funded numerous studies on smokers’ littering knowledge and behavior, however, non-industry sponsored research is rare. We sought to examine whether demographics and smokers’ knowledge and beliefs toward cigarette waste as litter predicts littering behavior. Smokers aged 18 and older (n = 1,000) were interviewed about their knowledge and beliefs towards cigarette waste as litter. Respondents were members of the Research Now panel, an online panel of over three million respondents in the United States. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to determine factors significantly predictive of ever having littered cigarette butts or having littered cigarette butts within the past month (p-value < 0.05). The majority (74.1%) of smokers reported having littered cigarette butts at least once in their life, by disposing of them on the ground or throwing them out of a car window. Over half (55.7%) reported disposing of cigarette butts on the ground, in a sewer/gutter, or down a drain in the past month. Those who did not consider cigarette butts to be litter were over three and half times as likely to report having ever littered cigarette butts (OR = 3.68, 95%CI = 2.04, 6.66) and four times as likely to have littered cigarette butts in the past month (OR = 4.00, 95%CI = 2.53, 6.32). Males were significantly more likely to have littered cigarette butts in the past month compared to females (OR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.14, 1.94). Holding the belief that cigarette butts are not litter was the only belief in this study that predicted ever or past-month littering of cigarette waste. Messages in anti-cigarette-litter campaigns should emphasize that cigarette butts are not just litter but are toxic waste and are harmful when disposed of improperly. PMID:22829798

Fallout volume and litter type affect 137Cs concentration difference in litter between forest and stream environments.

PubMed

Sakai, Masaru; Gomi, Takashi; Negishi, Junjiro N

2016-11-01

It is important to understand the changes in the 137 Cs concentration in litter through leaching when considering that 137 Cs is transferred from basal food resources to animals in forested streams. We found that the difference of 137 Cs activity concentration in litter between forest and stream was associated with both litter type and 137 Cs fallout volume around Fukushima, Japan. The 137 Cs activity concentrations in the litter of evergreen conifers tended to be greater than those in the litter of broad-leaved deciduous trees because of the absence of deciduous leaves during the fallout period in March 2011. Moreover, 137 Cs activity concentrations in forest litter were greater with respect to the 137 Cs fallout volume. The 137 Cs activity concentrations in stream litter were much lower than those in forest litter when those in forest litter were higher. The 137 Cs leaching patterns indicated that the differences in 137 Cs activity concentration between forest and stream litter could change with changes in both fallout volume and litter type. Because litter is an important basal food resource in the food webs of both forests and streams, the 137 Cs concentration gradient reflects to possible 137 Cs transfer from lower to higher trophic animals. Our findings will improve our understanding of the spatial heterogeneity and variability of 137 Cs concentrations in animals resident to the contaminated landscape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Species diversity and chemical properties of litter influence non-additive effects of litter mixtures on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling

PubMed Central

Mao, Bing; Mao, Rong; Zeng, De-Hui

2017-01-01

Decomposition of litter mixtures generally cannot be predicted from the component species incubated in isolation. Therefore, such non-additive effects of litter mixing on soil C and N dynamics remain poorly understood in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, litters of Mongolian pine and three dominant understory species and soil were collected from a Mongolian pine plantation in Northeast China. In order to examine the effects of mixed-species litter on soil microbial biomass N, soil net N mineralization and soil respiration, four single litter species and their mixtures consisting of all possible 2-, 3- and 4-species combinations were added to soils, respectively. In most instances, species mixing produced synergistic non-additive effects on soil microbial biomass N and soil respiration, but antagonistic non-additive effects on net N mineralization. Species composition rather than species richness explained the non-additive effects of species mixing on soil microbial biomass N and net N mineralization, due to the interspecific differences in litter chemical composition. Both litter species composition and richness explained non-additive soil respiration responses to mixed-species litter, while litter chemical diversity and chemical composition did not. Our study indicated that litter mixtures promoted soil microbial biomass N and soil respiration, and inhibited net N mineralization. Soil N related processes rather than soil respiration were partly explained by litter chemical composition and chemical diversity, highlighting the importance of functional diversity of litter on soil N cycling. PMID:28686660

Species diversity and chemical properties of litter influence non-additive effects of litter mixtures on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.

PubMed

Mao, Bing; Mao, Rong; Zeng, De-Hui

2017-01-01

Decomposition of litter mixtures generally cannot be predicted from the component species incubated in isolation. Therefore, such non-additive effects of litter mixing on soil C and N dynamics remain poorly understood in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, litters of Mongolian pine and three dominant understory species and soil were collected from a Mongolian pine plantation in Northeast China. In order to examine the effects of mixed-species litter on soil microbial biomass N, soil net N mineralization and soil respiration, four single litter species and their mixtures consisting of all possible 2-, 3- and 4-species combinations were added to soils, respectively. In most instances, species mixing produced synergistic non-additive effects on soil microbial biomass N and soil respiration, but antagonistic non-additive effects on net N mineralization. Species composition rather than species richness explained the non-additive effects of species mixing on soil microbial biomass N and net N mineralization, due to the interspecific differences in litter chemical composition. Both litter species composition and richness explained non-additive soil respiration responses to mixed-species litter, while litter chemical diversity and chemical composition did not. Our study indicated that litter mixtures promoted soil microbial biomass N and soil respiration, and inhibited net N mineralization. Soil N related processes rather than soil respiration were partly explained by litter chemical composition and chemical diversity, highlighting the importance of functional diversity of litter on soil N cycling.

Highly reduced mass loss rates and increased litter layer in radioactively contaminated areas.

PubMed

Mousseau, Timothy A; Milinevsky, Gennadi; Kenney-Hunt, Jane; Møller, Anders Pape

2014-05-01

The effects of radioactive contamination from Chernobyl on decomposition of plant material still remain unknown. We predicted that decomposition rate would be reduced in the most contaminated sites due to an absence or reduced densities of soil invertebrates. If microorganisms were the main agents responsible for decomposition, exclusion of large soil invertebrates should not affect decomposition. In September 2007 we deposited 572 bags with uncontaminated dry leaf litter from four species of trees in the leaf litter layer at 20 forest sites around Chernobyl that varied in background radiation by more than a factor 2,600. Approximately one quarter of these bags were made of a fine mesh that prevented access to litter by soil invertebrates. These bags were retrieved in June 2008, dried and weighed to estimate litter mass loss. Litter mass loss was 40% lower in the most contaminated sites relative to sites with a normal background radiation level for Ukraine. Similar reductions in litter mass loss were estimated for individual litter bags, litter bags at different sites, and differences between litter bags at pairs of neighboring sites differing in level of radioactive contamination. Litter mass loss was slightly greater in the presence of large soil invertebrates than in their absence. The thickness of the forest floor increased with the level of radiation and decreased with proportional loss of mass from all litter bags. These findings suggest that radioactive contamination has reduced the rate of litter mass loss, increased accumulation of litter, and affected growth conditions for plants.

Litter Breakdown and Microbial Succession on Two Submerged Leaf Species in a Small Forested Stream

PubMed Central

Newman, Molli M.; Liles, Mark R.; Feminella, Jack W.

2015-01-01

Microbial succession during leaf breakdown was investigated in a small forested stream in west-central Georgia, USA, using multiple culture-independent techniques. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and water oak (Quercus nigra) leaf litter were incubated in situ for 128 days, and litter breakdown was quantified by ash-free dry mass (AFDM) method and microbial assemblage composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and bar-coded next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Leaf breakdown was faster for red maple than water oak. PLFA revealed a significant time effect on microbial lipid profiles for both leaf species. Microbial assemblages on maple contained a higher relative abundance of bacterial lipids than oak, and oak microbial assemblages contained higher relative abundance of fungal lipids than maple. RISA showed that incubation time was more important in structuring bacterial assemblages than leaf physicochemistry. DGGE profiles revealed high variability in bacterial assemblages over time, and sequencing of DGGE-resolved amplicons indicated several taxa present on degrading litter. Next-generation sequencing revealed temporal shifts in dominant taxa within the phylum Proteobacteria, whereas γ-Proteobacteria dominated pre-immersion and α- and β-Proteobacteria dominated after 1 month of instream incubation; the latter groups contain taxa that are predicted to be capable of using organic material to fuel further breakdown. Our results suggest that incubation time is more important than leaf species physicochemistry in influencing leaf litter microbial assemblage composition, and indicate the need for investigation into seasonal and temporal dynamics of leaf litter microbial assemblage succession. PMID:26098687

Can Probiotics Improve the Environmental Microbiome and Resistome of Commercial Poultry Production?

PubMed Central

Pedroso, Adriana A.; Hurley-Bacon, Anne L.; Zedek, Andrea S.; Kwan, Tiffany W.; Jordan, Andrea P. O.; Avellaneda, Gloria; Hofacre, Charles L.; Oakley, Brian B.; Collett, Stephen R.; Maurer, John J.; Lee, Margie D.

2013-01-01

Food animal production systems have become more consolidated and integrated, producing large, concentrated animal populations and significant amounts of fecal waste. Increasing use of manure and litter as a more “natural” and affordable source of fertilizer may be contributing to contamination of fruits and vegetables with foodborne pathogens. In addition, human and animal manure have been identified as a significant source of antibiotic resistance genes thereby serving as a disseminator of resistance to soil and waterways. Therefore, identifying methods to remediate human and animal waste is critical in developing strategies to improve food safety and minimize the dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In this study, we sought to determine whether withdrawing antibiotic growth promoters or using alternatives to antibiotics would reduce the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes or prevalence of pathogens in poultry litter. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) paired with high throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the bacterial community composition of litter from broiler chickens that were treated with streptogramin growth-promoting antibiotics, probiotics, or prebiotics. The prevalence of resistance genes and pathogens was determined from sequencing results or PCR screens of litter community DNA. Streptogramin antibiotic usage did not elicit statistically significant differences in Shannon diversity indices or correlation coefficients among the flocks. However, T-RFLP revealed that there were inter-farm differences in the litter composition that was independent of antibiotic usage. The litter from all farms, regardless of antibiotic usage, contained streptogramin resistance genes (vatA, vatB, and vatE), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance genes (ermA and ermB), the tetracycline resistance gene tetM and class 1 integrons. There was inter-farm variability in the distribution of vatA and vatE with no statistically significant differences with regards to usage. Bacterial diversity was higher in litter when probiotics or prebiotics were administered to flocks but as the litter aged, diversity decreased. No statistically signficant differences were detected in the abundance of class 1 integrons where 3%–5% of the community was estimated to harbor a copy. Abundance of pathogenic Clostridium species increased in aging litter despite the treatment while the abundance of tetracycline-resistant coliforms was unaffected by treatment. However some treatments decreased the prevalence of Salmonella. These findings suggest that withdrawing antibiotics or administering alternatives to antibiotics can change the litter bacterial community and reduce the prevalence of some pathogenic bacteria, but may not immediately impact the prevalence of antibiotic resistance. PMID:24071920

Can probiotics improve the environmental microbiome and resistome of commercial poultry production?

PubMed

Pedroso, Adriana A; Hurley-Bacon, Anne L; Zedek, Andrea S; Kwan, Tiffany W; Jordan, Andrea P O; Avellaneda, Gloria; Hofacre, Charles L; Oakley, Brian B; Collett, Stephen R; Maurer, John J; Lee, Margie D

2013-09-25

Food animal production systems have become more consolidated and integrated, producing large, concentrated animal populations and significant amounts of fecal waste. Increasing use of manure and litter as a more "natural" and affordable source of fertilizer may be contributing to contamination of fruits and vegetables with foodborne pathogens. In addition, human and animal manure have been identified as a significant source of antibiotic resistance genes thereby serving as a disseminator of resistance to soil and waterways. Therefore, identifying methods to remediate human and animal waste is critical in developing strategies to improve food safety and minimize the dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In this study, we sought to determine whether withdrawing antibiotic growth promoters or using alternatives to antibiotics would reduce the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes or prevalence of pathogens in poultry litter. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) paired with high throughput sequencing was used to evaluate the bacterial community composition of litter from broiler chickens that were treated with streptogramin growth-promoting antibiotics, probiotics, or prebiotics. The prevalence of resistance genes and pathogens was determined from sequencing results or PCR screens of litter community DNA. Streptogramin antibiotic usage did not elicit statistically significant differences in Shannon diversity indices or correlation coefficients among the flocks. However, T-RFLP revealed that there were inter-farm differences in the litter composition that was independent of antibiotic usage. The litter from all farms, regardless of antibiotic usage, contained streptogramin resistance genes (vatA, vatB, and vatE), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B resistance genes (ermA and ermB), the tetracycline resistance gene tetM and class 1 integrons. There was inter-farm variability in the distribution of vatA and vatE with no statistically significant differences with regards to usage. Bacterial diversity was higher in litter when probiotics or prebiotics were administered to flocks but as the litter aged, diversity decreased. No statistically significant differences were detected in the abundance of class 1 integrons where 3%-5% of the community was estimated to harbor a copy. Abundance of pathogenic Clostridium species increased in aging litter despite the treatment while the abundance of tetracycline-resistant coliforms was unaffected by treatment. However some treatments decreased the prevalence of Salmonella. These findings suggest that withdrawing antibiotics or administering alternatives to antibiotics can change the litter bacterial community and reduce the prevalence of some pathogenic bacteria, but may not immediately impact the prevalence of antibiotic resistance.

Dephosphorylation and quantification of organic phosphorus in poultry litter by purified phytic-acid high affinity Aspergillus phosphohydrolases.

PubMed

Dao, Thanh H; Hoang, Khanh Q

2008-08-01

Extracellular phosphohydrolases mediate the dephosphorylation of phosphoesters and influence bioavailability and loss of agricultural P to the environment to pose risks of impairment of sensitive aquatic ecosystems. Induction and culture of five strains of Aspergillus were conducted to develop a source of high-affinity and robust phosphohydrolases for detecting environmental P and quantifying bioactive P pools in heterogeneous environmental specimens. Enzyme stability and activity against organic P in poultry litter were evaluated in 71 samples collected across poultry producing regions of Arkansas, Maryland, and Oklahoma of the US Differences existed in strains' adaptability to fermentation medium as they showed a wide range of phytate-degrading activity. Phosphohydrolases from Aspergillus ficuum had highest activity when the strain was cultured on a primarily chemical medium, compared to Aspergillus oryzae which preferred a wheat bran-based organic medium. Kinetics parameters of A. ficuum enzymes (K(m)=210 microM; V(max) of 407 nmol s(-1)) indicated phytic acid-degrading potential equivalent to that of commercial preparations. Purified A. ficuum phosphohydrolases effectively quantified litter bioactive P pools, showing that organic P occurred at an average of 54 (+/-14)% of total P, compared to inorganic phosphates, which averaged 41 (+/-12)%. Litter management and land application options must consider the high water-extractable and organic P concentrations and the biological availability of the organic enzyme-labile P pool. Robustness of A. ficuum enzymes and simplicity of the in situ ligand-based enzyme assay may thus increase routine assessment of litter bioactive P composition to sense for on-farm accumulation of such environmentally-sensitive P forms.

Pulse frequency and soil-litter mixing alter the control of cumulative precipitation over litter decomposition.

PubMed

Joly, François-Xavier; Kurupas, Kelsey L; Throop, Heather L

2017-09-01

Macroclimate has traditionally been considered the predominant driver of litter decomposition. However, in drylands, cumulative monthly or annual precipitation typically fails to predict decomposition. In these systems, the windows of opportunity for decomposer activity may rather depend on the precipitation frequency and local factors affecting litter desiccation, such as soil-litter mixing. We used a full-factorial microcosm experiment to disentangle the relative importance of cumulative precipitation, pulse frequency, and soil-litter mixing on litter decomposition. Decomposition, measured as litter carbon loss, saturated with increasing cumulative precipitation when pulses were large and infrequent, suggesting that litter moisture no longer increased and/or microbial activity was no longer limited by water availability above a certain pulse size. More frequent precipitation pulses led to increased decomposition at high levels of cumulative precipitation. Soil-litter mixing consistently increased decomposition, with greatest relative increase (+194%) under the driest conditions. Collectively, our results highlight the need to consider precipitation at finer temporal scale and incorporate soil-litter mixing as key driver of decomposition in drylands. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Effects of prescribed burning and litter type on litter decomposition and nutrient release in mixed-grass prairie in Eastern Montana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fire can affect litter decomposition and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. Here, we examined the effect of summer fire and three litter types on litter decomposition and litter C and N dynamics in a northern mixed-grass prairie over a 24 month period starting ca. 14 months after fire. Over all...

Can species-specific differences in foliar chemistry influence leaf litter decomposition in grassland species?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanaullah, M.; Chabbi, A.; Rumpel, C.

2009-04-01

The influence of litter quality on its rate of decomposition is a crucial aspect of C cycle. In this study we concentrated on grassland ecosystems where leaf litter is one of the major sources of C input. To quantify the contribution of initial leaf chemistry within different plant species, the decomposition of chemically different leaf litter of three grassland species (Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea and Dactylis glomerata) was monitored, using the litter bag technique. Litter of different maturity stages i.e. green (fresh leaves) and brown litter (brown leaves were still attached to the plant), were incubated on bare soil surface. Samples were taken at different time intervals (0, 2, 4, 8, 20 and 44 weeks) and were analyzed for mass loss, organic C and N contents and stable isotopic signatures (C and N). Changes in litter chemistry were addressed by determining lignin-derived phenols after CuO oxidation and non-cellulosic polysaccharides after acid hydrolysis followed by gas chromatography. Green litter was chemically different from brown litter due to higher initial N and lower lignin contents. While in grassland species, both L. perenne and D. glomerata were similar in their initial chemical composition compared with F. arundinacea. Green litter showed higher rate of degradation. In green litter, Percent lignin remaining of initial (% OI) followed the similar decomposition pattern as of C remaining indicating lignin as controlling factor in decomposition. Constant Acid-to-Aldehyde ratios of lignin-derived phenols (vanillyl and syringyl) did not suggest any transformation in lignin structures. In green litter, increase in non-cellulosic polysaccharides ratios (C6/C5 and deoxy/C5) proposed microbial-derived sugars, while there was no significant increase in these ratios in brown litter. In conclusion, due to the differences in initial chemical composition (initial N and lignin contents), green litter decomposition was higher than brown litter in all grassland species. Regardless of similarities in initial composition of grassland species, green and brown litter of Lolium perenne decomposed more rapidly compared with other two species. So, Species related differences in initial litter chemistry did not control its degradation.

Degradation of roxarsone in a silt loam soil and its toxicity assessment.

PubMed

Liang, Tengfang; Ke, Zhengchen; Chen, Qing; Liu, Li; Chen, Guowei

2014-10-01

The land application of poultry or swine litter, containing large amounts of roxarsone, causes serious arsenic pollution in soil. Understanding biotransformation process of roxarsone and its potential risks favors proper disposal of roxarsone-contaminated animal litter, yet remains not achieved. We report an experimental study of biotransformation process of roxarsone in a silt loam soil under various soil moisture and temperature conditions, and the toxicity of roxarsone and its products from degradation. Results showed that soil moisture and higher temperature promoted roxarsone degradation, associating with emergent pentavalent arsenic. Analysis of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis activity revealed that roxarsone does not exert acute toxic on soil microbes. With the release of inorganic arsenic, FDA hydrolysis activity was inhibited gradually, as evidenced by ecotoxicological assessment using Photobacterium leiognathi. The results shade new lights on the dynamic roxarsone biotransformation processes in soil, which is important for guiding appropriate disposal of poultry or swine litter in the environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

McDonald's Litter Hunt: A Community Litter Control System for Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNees, M. Patrick; And Others

1979-01-01

Describes a community litter control program. Special adhesive stickers were randomly placed on existing litter throughout a community and youth were rewarded with special prizes for participating in the program. Litter was reduced 32 percent across the city. (Author/MA)

[Contributions of soil fauna to litter decomposition in alpine/subalpine forests].

PubMed

Liu, Rui-Long; Li, Wei-Min; Yang, Wan-Qin; Tan, Bo; Wang, Wen-Jun; Xu, Zhen-Feng; Wu, Fu-Zhong

2013-12-01

A field experiment was conducted using the litterbag method to quantify the contribution of soil fauna to litter mass loss of Salix paraplesia, Sabina saltuaria, Betula albosinensis and Abies faxoniana during different key periods of the decomposition process of the first year (from November 2011 to October 2012). The results showed that the mass loss rate showed S. paraplesia > B. albosinensis > A. faxoniana > S. saltuaria, and the rate in the growing season was greater than in the freeze-thaw season. The contribution rate of soil fauna to the mass decomposition displayed as S. saltuaria (26.7%) > A. faxoniana (18.8%) > B. albosinensis (15.7%) > S. paraplesia (13.2%), which was higher in the freeze-thaw season than in the growing season for litter of B. albo-sinensis and A. faxoniana while vice versa for litter of B. albosinensis and A. faxoniana. The contribution of soil fauna was mainly related to organic C, P and N/P in the freeze-thaw season, while N, C/N, lignin and lignin/cellulose in the growing season.

Litter of the hemiparasite Bartsia alpina enhances plant growth: evidence for a functional role in nutrient cycling.

PubMed

Quested, Helen M; Press, Malcolm C; Callaghan, Terry V

2003-05-01

Hemiparasitic angiosperms concentrate nutrients in their leaves and also produce high quality litter, which can decompose faster and release more nutrients than that of surrounding species. The impact of these litters on plant growth may be particularly important in nutrient-poor communities where hemiparisites can be abundant, such as the sub-Arctic. We tested the hypothesis that plant growth is enhanced by the litter of the hemiparasite Bartsia alpina, in comparison with litter of co-occurring dwarf shrub species, using a pot based bioassay approach. Growth of Betula nana and Poa alpina was up to 51% and 41% greater, respectively, in the presence of Bartsia alpina litter than when grown with dwarf shrub litter (Vaccinium uliginosum, Betula nana and Empetrum nigrum subsp. hermaphroditum). The nutrient concentrations of Betula nana plants grown with Bartsia alpina litter were almost double those of plants grown with dwarf shrub litter, and a significantly greater proportion of biomass was allocated to shoots rather than roots, strongly suggesting that nutrient availability was higher where Bartsia alpina litter was present. The presence of litter from dwarf shrubs, or the moss Hylocomium splendens, did not reduce the positive effect of Bartsia alpina litter on plant growth. E. nigrum litter did not appear to affect plant growth substantially differently from litter of other dwarf shrub species, despite earlier reports of its allelopathic action. The enhanced nutrient uptake and growth of plants in the presence of Bartsia alpina (and potentially other hemiparasitic species) litter could have important implications for communities in which it occurs, including enhanced survival of seedlings of co-occurring species and increased resource patchiness.

Spatial Patterns of Plant Litter and Sedimentation in a Tidal Freshwater Marsh and Implications for Marsh Persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmore, A. J.; Cadol, D. D.; Palinkas, C. M.; Engelhardt, K. A.

2014-12-01

The maintenance of marsh platform elevation under sea level rise is dependent on sedimentation and biomass conversion to soil organic material. These physical and biological processes interact within the tidal zone, resulting in elevation-dependent processes contributing to marsh accretion. Here we explore spatial pattern in plant litter, a variable related to productivity, to understand its role in physical and biological interactions in a freshwater marsh. Plant litter that persists through the dormant season has an extended period of influence on ecosystem processes. We conducted a field and remote sensing analysis of plant litter height, biomass, vertical cover, and stem density (collectively termed plant litter structure) at a tidal freshwater marsh located along the Potomac River estuary. We completed two years of repeat RTK GPS surveys with corresponding measurements of litter height (over 2000 observations) to train a non-parametric random forest decision tree to predict litter height. LiDAR and field observations show that plant litter height increases with increasing elevation, although important deviations from this relationship are apparent. These spatial patterns exhibit stability from year to year and lead to corresponding patterns in soil organic matter content, revealed by loss on ignition of surface sediments. The amount of mineral material embedded within plant litter decreases with increasing elevation, representing an important trade-off with litter structure. Therefore, at low elevations where litter structure is short and sparse, the role of plant litter is to capture sediment; at high elevations where litter structure is tall and dense, litter contributes organic matter to soil development. Despite these tradeoffs, changes in elevation over time are consistent across elevation, with only small positive differences in elevation gain over time at elevations where the most sediment is deposited or where litter exhibits the most biomass.

Artificial neural networks for modeling time series of beach litter in the southern North Sea.

PubMed

Schulz, Marcus; Matthies, Michael

2014-07-01

In European marine waters, existing monitoring programs of beach litter need to be improved concerning litter items used as indicators of pollution levels, efficiency, and effectiveness. In order to ease and focus future monitoring of beach litter on few important litter items, feed-forward neural networks consisting of three layers were developed to relate single litter items to general categories of marine litter. The neural networks developed were applied to seven beaches in the southern North Sea and modeled time series of five general categories of marine litter, such as litter from fishing, shipping, and tourism. Results of regression analyses show that general categories were predicted significantly moderately to well. Measured and modeled data were in the same order of magnitude, and minima and maxima overlapped well. Neural networks were found to be eligible tools to deliver reliable predictions of marine litter with low computational effort and little input of information. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ingestion of marine litter by loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, in Portuguese continental waters.

PubMed

Nicolau, Lídia; Marçalo, Ana; Ferreira, Marisa; Sá, Sara; Vingada, José; Eira, Catarina

2016-02-15

The accumulation of litter in marine and coastal environments is a major threat to marine life. Data on marine litter in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, found along the Portuguese continental coast was presented. Out of the 95 analysed loggerheads, litter was present in 56 individuals (59.0%) and most had less than 10 litter items (76.8%) and less than 5 g (dm) (96.8%). Plastic was the main litter category (frequency of occurrence=56.8%), while sheet (45.3%) was the most relevant plastic sub-category. There was no influence of loggerhead stranding season, cause of stranding or size on the amount of litter ingested (mean number and dry mass of litter items per turtle). The high ingested litter occurrence frequency in this study supports the use of the loggerhead turtle as a suitable tool to monitor marine litter trends, as required by the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Allelopathic activity and chemical constituents of walnut (Juglans regia) leaf litter in walnut-winter vegetable agroforestry system.

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Xu, Zheng; Hu, Tingxing; Rehman, Hafeez Ur; Chen, Hong; Li, Zhongbin; Ding, Bo; Hu, Hongling

2014-01-01

Walnut agroforestry systems have many ecological and economic benefits when intercropped with cool-season species. However, decomposing leaf litter is one of the main sources of allelochemicals in such systems. In this study, lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. angustata) was grown in the soil incorporated with walnut leaf litter to assess its allelopathic activity. Lettuce growth and physiological processes were inhibited by walnut leaf litter, especially during early growth stage (1-2 euphylla period) or with large amount of litter addition. The plants treated by small amount of leaf litter recovered their growth afterwards, while the inhibition for 180 g leaf litter persisted until harvest. Twenty-eight compounds were identified in the leaf litter, and several of them were reported to be phytotoxic, which may be responsible for the stress induced by walnut leaf litter. Thus, for highest economic value of vegetables such as lettuce, excessive incorporation of leaf litter should be discouraged.

Flammability across the gymnosperm phylogeny: the importance of litter particle size.

PubMed

Cornwell, William K; Elvira, Alba; van Kempen, Lute; van Logtestijn, Richard S P; Aptroot, André; Cornelissen, J Hans C

2015-04-01

Fire is important to climate, element cycles and plant communities, with many fires spreading via surface litter. The influence of species on the spread of surface fire is mediated by their traits which, after senescence and abscission, have 'afterlife' effects on litter flammability. We hypothesized that differences in litter flammability among gymnosperms are determined by litter particle size effects on litterbed packing. We performed a mesocosm fire experiment comparing 39 phylogenetically wide-ranging gymnosperms, followed by litter size and shape manipulations on two chemically contrasting species, to isolate the underlying mechanism. The first-order control on litter flammability was, indeed, litter particle size in both experiments. Most gymnosperms were highly flammable, but a prominent exception was the non-Pinus Pinaceae, in which small leaves abscised singly produced dense, non-flammable litterbeds. There are two important implications: first, ecosystems dominated by gymnosperms that drop small leaves separately will develop dense litter layers, which will be less prone to and inhibit the spread of surface litter fire. Second, some of the needle-leaved species previously considered to be flammable in single-leaf experiments were among the least flammable in litter fuel beds, highlighting the role of the litter traits of species in affecting surface fire regimes. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Tracing C Fluxes From Leaf Litter To Microbial Respired CO2 And Specific Soil Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubino, M.; Lubritto, C.; D'Onofrio, A.; Gleixner, G.; Terrasi, F.; Cotrufo, F. M.

2004-12-01

Despite litter decomposition is one of the major process controlling soil C stores and nutrient cycling, yet C dynamics during litter decay are poorly understood and quantified. Here we report the results of a laboratory experiment where 13C depleted leaf litter was incubated on a 13C enriched soil with the aims to: i) partition the C loss during litter decay into microbial respired-CO2 and C input into the soil; ii) identify the soil compounds where litter derived C is retained; iii) assess whether litter quality is a determinant of both the above processes. Three 13C-depleted leaf litter(delta13C ca. -43), differing in their degradability, were incubated on C4 soil (delta13C ca. -18) under laboratory controlled conditions for 8 months, with litter respiration and delta13C-CO2 being measured at regular intervals. At harvest, Compound Specific Isotope Analyses was performed on soil and litter samples in order to follow the fate of litter-derived C compounds in the various pools of SOMƒn The delta13C of soils carbohydrates, alkanes and Phospho Lipids Fatty Acids (PLFA) were measured, and the mixing model approach used to quantify the contribution of litter derived C to the specific compounds.

Odour emissions from poultry litter - A review litter properties, odour formation and odorant emissions from porous materials.

PubMed

Dunlop, Mark W; Blackall, Patrick J; Stuetz, Richard M

2016-07-15

Odour emissions from meat chicken sheds can at times cause odour impacts on surrounding communities. Litter is seen as the primary source of this odour. Formation and emission of odour from meat chicken litter during the grow-out period are influenced by various factors such as litter conditions, the environment, microbial activity, properties of the odorous gases and management practices. Odour emissions vary spatially and temporally. This variability has made it challenging to understand how specific litter conditions contribute to odour emissions from the litter and production sheds. Existing knowledge on odorants, odour formation mechanisms and emission processes that contribute to odour emissions from litter are reviewed. Litter moisture content and water thermodynamics (i.e. water activity, Aw) are also examined as factors that contribute to microbial odour formation, physical litter conditions and the exchange of individual odorant gases at the air-water interface. Substantial opportunities exist for future research on litter conditions and litter formation mechanisms and how these contribute to odour emissions. Closing this knowledge gap will improve management strategies that intercept and interfere with odour formation and emission processes leading to an overall reduction in the potential to cause community impacts. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Litter Decomposition and CO2 Release: Considering Changes in Litter Quantity

PubMed Central

Li, Hui-Chao; Hu, Ya-Lin; Mao, Rong; Zhao, Qiong; Zeng, De-Hui

2015-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the impacts of changes in litter quantity under simulated N deposition on litter decomposition, CO2 release, and soil C loss potential in a larch plantation in Northeast China. We conducted a laboratory incubation experiment using soil and litter collected from control and N addition (100 kg ha−1 year−1 for 10 years) plots. Different quantities of litter (0, 1, 2 and 4 g) were placed on 150 g soils collected from the same plots and incubated in microcosms for 270 days. We found that increased litter input strongly stimulated litter decomposition rate and CO2 release in both control and N fertilization microcosms, though reduced soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) concentration. Carbon input (C loss from litter decomposition) and carbon output (the cumulative C loss due to respiration) elevated with increasing litter input in both control and N fertilization microcosms. However, soil C loss potentials (C output–C input) reduced by 62% in control microcosms and 111% in N fertilization microcosms when litter addition increased from 1 g to 4 g, respectively. Our results indicated that increased litter input had a potential to suppress soil organic C loss especially for N addition plots. PMID:26657180

Spatiotemporal variations in litter mass and their relationships with climate in temperate grassland: A case study from Xilingol grassland, Inner Mongolia (China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Hongrui; Zhang, Bei

2018-02-01

Clarifying spatiotemporal variations of litter mass and their relationships with climate factors will advance our understanding of ecosystem structure and functioning in grasslands. Our objective is to investigate the spatiotemporal variations of litter mass in the growing season and their relationships with precipitation and temperature in the Xilingol grassland using MOD09A1 data. With widely used STI (simple tillage index), we firstly estimated the litter mass of Xilingol grassland in the growing season from 2000 to 2014. Then we investigated the variations of litter mass in the growing season at regional and site scales. We further explored the spatiotemporal relationships between litter mass and precipitation and temperature at both scales. The litter mass increased with increasing mean annual precipitation and decreasing mean annual temperature at regional scale. The variations of litter mass at given sites followed quadratic function curves in the growing season, and litter mass generally attained maximums between August 1 and September 1. Positive spatial relationship was observed between litter mass variations and precipitation, and negative spatial relationship was found between litter mass variations and temperature in the growing season. There was no significant relationship between inter-annual variations of litter mass and precipitation and temperature at given sites. Results illustrate that precipitation and temperature are important drivers in shaping ecosystem functioning as reflected in litter mass at regional scale in the Xilingol grassland. Our findings also suggest the action of distinct mechanism in controlling litter mass variations at regional and sites scales.

Land-use legacies regulate decomposition dynamics following bioenergy crop conversion

DOE PAGES

Kallenbach, Cynthia M.; Stuart Grandy, A.

2014-07-14

Land-use conversion into bioenergy crop production can alter litter decomposition processes tightly coupled to soil carbon and nutrient dynamics. Yet, litter decomposition has been poorly described in bioenergy production systems, especially following land-use conversion. Predicting decomposition dynamics in postconversion bioenergy production systems is challenging because of the combined influence of land-use legacies with current management and litter quality. To evaluate how land-use legacies interact with current bioenergy crop management to influence litter decomposition in different litter types, we conducted a landscape-scale litterbag decomposition experiment. We proposed land-use legacies regulate decomposition, but their effects are weakened under higher quality litter andmore » when current land use intensifies ecosystem disturbance relative to prior land use. We compared sites left in historical land uses of either agriculture (AG) or Conservation Reserve Program grassland (CRP) to those that were converted to corn or switchgrass bioenergy crop production. Enzyme activities, mass loss, microbial biomass, and changes in litter chemistry were monitored in corn stover and switchgrass litter over 485 days, accompanied by similar soil measurements. Across all measured variables, legacy had the strongest effect (P < 0.05) relative to litter type and current management, where CRP sites maintained higher soil and litter enzyme activities and microbial biomass relative to AG sites. Decomposition responses to conversion depended on legacy but also current management and litter type. Within the CRP sites, conversion into corn increased litter enzymes, microbial biomass, and litter protein and lipid abundances, especially on decomposing corn litter, relative to nonconverted CRP. However, conversion into switchgrass from CRP, a moderate disturbance, often had no effect on switchgrass litter decomposition parameters. Thus, legacies shape the direction and magnitude of decomposition responses to bioenergy crop conversion and therefore should be considered a key influence on litter and soil C cycling under bioenergy crop management.« less

Ecohydrology of the wetland-forestland interface: hydrophobicity in leaf litter and its potential effect on surface evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probert, Samantha; Kettridge, Nicholas; Devito, Kevin; Hurley, Alexander

2017-04-01

Riparian wetlands represent an important ecotone at the interface of peatlands and forests within the Western Boreal Plain of Canada. Water storage and negative feedbacks to evaporation in these systems is crucial for the conservation and redistribution of water during dry periods and providing ecosystem resilience to disturbance. Litter cover can alter the relative importance of the physical processes that drive soil evaporation. Negative feedbacks to drying are created as the hydrophysical properties of the litter and soil override atmospheric controls on evaporation in dry conditions, subsequently dampening the effects of external forcings on the wetland moisture balance. In this study, water repellency in leaf litter has been shown to significantly correlate with surface-atmosphere interactions, whereby severely hydrophobic leaf litter is linked to the highest surface resistances to evaporation, and therefore lowest instantaneous evaporation. Decreasing moisture is associated with increasing hydrophobicity, which may reduce the evaporative flux further as the dry hydrophobic litter creates a hydrological disconnect between soil moisture and the atmosphere. In contrast, hydrophilic litter layers exhibited higher litter moistures, which is associated with reduced resistances to evaporation and enhanced evaporative fluxes. Water repellency of the litter layer has a greater control on evaporation than the presence or absence of litter itself. Litter removal had no significant effect on instantaneous evaporation or surface resistance to evaporation except under the highest evaporation conditions, where litter layers produced higher resistance values than bare peat soils. However, litter removal modified the dominant physical controls on evaporation: moisture loss in plots with leaf litter was driven by leaf and soil hydrophysical properties. Contrastingly, bare peat soils following litter removal exhibited cooler, wetter surfaces and were more strongly correlated to atmospheric controls. The interaction between evaporation, hydrophobicity and moisture of the soil surface, or litter, presents a potentially significant negative feedback to drying across wetland-forestland interfaces.

Warming and Nitrogen Addition Increase Litter Decomposition in a Temperate Meadow Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Gong, Shiwei; Guo, Rui; Zhang, Tao; Guo, Jixun

2015-01-01

Background Litter decomposition greatly influences soil structure, nutrient content and carbon sequestration, but how litter decomposition is affected by climate change is still not well understood. Methodology/Principal Findings A field experiment with increased temperature and nitrogen (N) addition was established in April 2007 to examine the effects of experimental warming, N addition and their interaction on litter decomposition in a temperate meadow steppe in northeastern China. Warming, N addition and warming plus N addition reduced the residual mass of L. chinensis litter by 3.78%, 7.51% and 4.53%, respectively, in 2008 and 2009, and by 4.73%, 24.08% and 16.1%, respectively, in 2010. Warming, N addition and warming plus N addition had no effect on the decomposition of P. communis litter in 2008 or 2009, but reduced the residual litter mass by 5.58%, 15.53% and 5.17%, respectively, in 2010. Warming and N addition reduced the cellulose percentage of L. chinensis and P. communis, specifically in 2010. The lignin percentage of L. chinensis and P. communis was reduced by warming but increased by N addition. The C, N and P contents of L. chinensis and P. communis litter increased with time. Warming and N addition reduced the C content and C:N ratios of L. chinensisand P. communis litter, but increased the N and P contents. Significant interactive effects of warming and N addition on litter decomposition were observed (P<0.01). Conclusion/Significance The litter decomposition rate was highly correlated with soil temperature, soil water content and litter quality. Warming and N addition significantly impacted the litter decomposition rate in the Songnen meadow ecosystem, and the effects of warming and N addition on litter decomposition were also influenced by the quality of litter. These results highlight how climate change could alter grassland ecosystem carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in soil by influencing litter decomposition. PMID:25774776

Exploiting the synergistic effect of concurrent data signals: Low-level fusion of liquid chromatographic with dual detection data.

PubMed

Teglia, Carla M; Azcarate, Silvana M; Alcaráz, Mirta R; Goicoechea, Héctor C; Culzoni, María J

2018-08-15

A low-level data fusion strategy was developed and implemented for data processing of second-order liquid chromatographic data with dual detection, i.e. absorbance and fluorescence monitoring. The synergistic effect of coupling individual information provided by two different detectors was evaluated by analyzing the results gathered after the application of a series of data preprocessing steps and chemometric resolution. The chemometric modeling involved data analysis by MCR-ALS, PARAFAC and N-PLS. Their ability to handle the new data block was assessed through the estimation of the analytical figures of merits achieved in the prediction of a validation set containing fifteen fluorescent and non-fluorescent veterinary active ingredients that can be found in poultry litter. Eventually, the feasibility of the application of the fusion strategy to real poultry litter samples containing the studied compounds was verified. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen emissions from broilers measured by mass balance over eighteen consecutive flocks.

PubMed

Coufal, C D; Chavez, C; Niemeyer, P R; Carey, J B

2006-03-01

Emission of nitrogen in the form of ammonia from poultry rearing facilities has been an important topic for the poultry industry because of concerns regarding the effects of ammonia on the environment. Sound scientific data is needed to accurately estimate air emissions from poultry operations. Many factors, such as season of the year, ambient temperature and humidity, bird health, and management practices can influence ammonia volatilization from broiler rearing facilities. Precise results are often difficult to attain from commercial facilities, particularly over long periods of time. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to determine nitrogen loss from broilers in a research facility under conditions simulating commercial production for 18 consecutive flocks. Broilers were reared to 40 to 42 d of age and fed diets obtained from a commercial broiler integrator. New rice hulls were used for litter for the first flock, and the same litter was recycled for all subsequent flocks with caked litter removed between flocks. All birds, feeds, and litter materials entering and leaving the facility were quantified, sampled, and analyzed for total nitrogen content. Nitrogen loss was calculated by the mass balance method in which loss was equal to the difference between the nitrogen inputs and the nitrogen outputs. Nitrogen partitioning as a percentage of inputs averaged 15.29, 6.84, 55.52, 1.27, and 21.08% for litter, caked litter, broiler carcasses, mortalities, and nitrogen loss, respectively, over all eighteen flocks. During the production of 18 flocks of broilers on the same recycled litter, the average nitrogen emission rate was calculated to range from 4.13 to 19.74 g of N/ kg of marketed broiler (grams of nitrogen per kilogram) and averaged 11.07 g of N/kg. Nitrogen loss was significantly (P < 0.05) greater for flocks reared in summer vs. winter. Results of this experiment have demonstrated that the rate of nitrogen volatilization from broiler grow-out facilities varies significantly on a flock-to-flock basis.

The influence of litter composition across the litter–soil interface on mass loss, nitrogen dynamics and the decomposer community

EPA Science Inventory

Many studies have investigated the influence of plant litter species composition on decomposition, but results have been context-dependent. Litter and soil are considered to constitute a decomposition continuum, but whether litter and soil ecosystems respond to litter identity an...

Greenhouse gas and ammonia emission from a litter-windrowing in bird houses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of emerging poultry manure management practices is in house windrowing to disinfect the litter. With this practice, growers windrow the litter in broiler houses between flocks, usually for 2 weeks. This results in high litter temperatures that can reduce pathogens in the litter. However, this p...

Ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from broiler houses with downtime windrowed litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An emerging poultry manure management practice is in house windrowing to disinfect the litter. With this practice, growers windrow the litter in broiler houses between flocks, usually for 2 weeks. This results in high litter temperatures that can reduce pathogens in the litter. However, this practi...

Effect of litter moisture on the development of footpad dermatitis in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Taira, Kazuyo; Nagai, Toshimune; Obi, Takeshi; Takase, Kozo

2014-04-01

Broiler chicks were reared on either wet litter or dry litter to compare the development of footpad dermatitis (FPD). Broilers reared on wet litter first developed FPD at 14 days of age. Their FPD scores increased sharply after 21 days of age, reaching 2.92 at 42 days. In broilers reared on dry litter, FPD was first observed at 28 days of age, and the FPD score was only 0.70 at 42 days. When 21- or 28-day-old broilers that had been reared on wet litter and had developed FPD were moved to dry litter, the progression of FPD was suppressed or delayed. These results suggest that reducing litter moisture is effective in preventing FPD and suppressing disease progression.

Plant litter decomposition and nutrient release in peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bragazza, Luca; Buttler, Alexandre; Siegenthaler, Andy; Mitchell, Edward A. D.

Decomposition of plant litter is a crucial process in controlling the carbon balance of peatlands. Indeed, as long as the rate of litter decomposition remains lower than the rate of above- and belowground litter production, a net accumulation of peat and, thus, carbon will take place. In addition, decomposition controls the release of important nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the availability of which affects the structure and the functioning of plant communities. This chapter describes the role of the main drivers in affecting mass loss and nutrient release from recently deposited plant litter. In particular, the rate of mass loss of Sphagnum litter and vascular plant litter is reviewed in relation to regional climatic conditions, aerobic/anaerobic conditions, and litter chemistry. The rate of nutrient release is discussed in relation to the rate of mass loss and associated litter chemistry by means of a specific case study.

Trees as templates for tropical litter arthropod diversity.

PubMed

Donoso, David A; Johnston, Mary K; Kaspari, Michael

2010-09-01

Increased tree species diversity in the tropics is associated with even greater herbivore diversity, but few tests of tree effects on litter arthropod diversity exist. We studied whether tree species influence patchiness in diversity and abundance of three common soil arthropod taxa (ants, gamasid mites, and oribatid mites) in a Panama forest. The tree specialization hypothesis proposes that tree-driven habitat heterogeneity maintains litter arthropod diversity. We tested whether tree species differed in resource quality and quantity of their leaf litter and whether more heterogeneous litter supports more arthropod species. Alternatively, the abundance-extinction hypothesis states that arthropod diversity increases with arthropod abundance, which in turn tracks resource quantity (e.g., litter depth). We found little support for the hypothesis that tropical trees are templates for litter arthropod diversity. Ten tree species differed in litter depth, chemistry, and structural variability. However, the extent of specialization of invertebrates on particular tree taxa was low and the more heterogeneous litter between trees failed to support higher arthropod diversity. Furthermore, arthropod diversity did not track abundance or litter depth. The lack of association between tree species and litter arthropods suggests that factors other than tree species diversity may better explain the high arthropod diversity in tropical forests.

Riparian plant litter quality increases with latitude.

PubMed

Boyero, Luz; Graça, Manuel A S; Tonin, Alan M; Pérez, Javier; J Swafford, Andrew; Ferreira, Verónica; Landeira-Dabarca, Andrea; A Alexandrou, Markos; Gessner, Mark O; McKie, Brendan G; Albariño, Ricardo J; Barmuta, Leon A; Callisto, Marcos; Chará, Julián; Chauvet, Eric; Colón-Gaud, Checo; Dudgeon, David; Encalada, Andrea C; Figueroa, Ricardo; Flecker, Alexander S; Fleituch, Tadeusz; Frainer, André; Gonçalves, José F; Helson, Julie E; Iwata, Tomoya; Mathooko, Jude; M'Erimba, Charles; Pringle, Catherine M; Ramírez, Alonso; Swan, Christopher M; Yule, Catherine M; Pearson, Richard G

2017-09-05

Plant litter represents a major basal resource in streams, where its decomposition is partly regulated by litter traits. Litter-trait variation may determine the latitudinal gradient in decomposition in streams, which is mainly microbial in the tropics and detritivore-mediated at high latitudes. However, this hypothesis remains untested, as we lack information on large-scale trait variation for riparian litter. Variation cannot easily be inferred from existing leaf-trait databases, since nutrient resorption can cause traits of litter and green leaves to diverge. Here we present the first global-scale assessment of riparian litter quality by determining latitudinal variation (spanning 107°) in litter traits (nutrient concentrations; physical and chemical defences) of 151 species from 24 regions and their relationships with environmental factors and phylogeny. We hypothesized that litter quality would increase with latitude (despite variation within regions) and traits would be correlated to produce 'syndromes' resulting from phylogeny and environmental variation. We found lower litter quality and higher nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in the tropics. Traits were linked but showed no phylogenetic signal, suggesting that syndromes were environmentally determined. Poorer litter quality and greater phosphorus limitation towards the equator may restrict detritivore-mediated decomposition, contributing to the predominance of microbial decomposers in tropical streams.

Long-term litter decomposition controlled by manganese redox cycling

PubMed Central

Keiluweit, Marco; Nico, Peter; Harmon, Mark E.; Mao, Jingdong; Pett-Ridge, Jennifer; Kleber, Markus

2015-01-01

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has been observed between the manganese (Mn) content of litter and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. Here, we show that long-term litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is tightly coupled to Mn redox cycling. Over 7 years of litter decomposition, microbial transformation of litter was paralleled by variations in Mn oxidation state and concentration. A detailed chemical imaging analysis of the litter revealed that fungi recruit and redistribute unreactive Mn2+ provided by fresh plant litter to produce oxidative Mn3+ species at sites of active decay, with Mn eventually accumulating as insoluble Mn3+/4+ oxides. Formation of reactive Mn3+ species coincided with the generation of aromatic oxidation products, providing direct proof of the previously posited role of Mn3+-based oxidizers in the breakdown of litter. Our results suggest that the litter-decomposing machinery at our coniferous forest site depends on the ability of plants and microbes to supply, accumulate, and regenerate short-lived Mn3+ species in the litter layer. This observation indicates that biogeochemical constraints on bioavailability, mobility, and reactivity of Mn in the plant–soil system may have a profound impact on litter decomposition rates. PMID:26372954

Leaf Litter Mixtures Alter Microbial Community Development: Mechanisms for Non-Additive Effects in Litter Decomposition

PubMed Central

Chapman, Samantha K.; Newman, Gregory S.; Hart, Stephen C.; Schweitzer, Jennifer A.; Koch, George W.

2013-01-01

To what extent microbial community composition can explain variability in ecosystem processes remains an open question in ecology. Microbial decomposer communities can change during litter decomposition due to biotic interactions and shifting substrate availability. Though relative abundance of decomposers may change due to mixing leaf litter, linking these shifts to the non-additive patterns often recorded in mixed species litter decomposition rates has been elusive, and links community composition to ecosystem function. We extracted phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) from single species and mixed species leaf litterbags after 10 and 27 months of decomposition in a mixed conifer forest. Total PLFA concentrations were 70% higher on litter mixtures than single litter types after 10 months, but were only 20% higher after 27 months. Similarly, fungal-to-bacterial ratios differed between mixed and single litter types after 10 months of decomposition, but equalized over time. Microbial community composition, as indicated by principal components analyses, differed due to both litter mixing and stage of litter decomposition. PLFA biomarkers a15∶0 and cy17∶0, which indicate gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria respectively, in particular drove these shifts. Total PLFA correlated significantly with single litter mass loss early in decomposition but not at later stages. We conclude that litter mixing alters microbial community development, which can contribute to synergisms in litter decomposition. These findings advance our understanding of how changing forest biodiversity can alter microbial communities and the ecosystem processes they mediate. PMID:23658639

Long-term litter decomposition controlled by manganese redox cycling.

PubMed

Keiluweit, Marco; Nico, Peter; Harmon, Mark E; Mao, Jingdong; Pett-Ridge, Jennifer; Kleber, Markus

2015-09-22

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has been observed between the manganese (Mn) content of litter and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. Here, we show that long-term litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is tightly coupled to Mn redox cycling. Over 7 years of litter decomposition, microbial transformation of litter was paralleled by variations in Mn oxidation state and concentration. A detailed chemical imaging analysis of the litter revealed that fungi recruit and redistribute unreactive Mn(2+) provided by fresh plant litter to produce oxidative Mn(3+) species at sites of active decay, with Mn eventually accumulating as insoluble Mn(3+/4+) oxides. Formation of reactive Mn(3+) species coincided with the generation of aromatic oxidation products, providing direct proof of the previously posited role of Mn(3+)-based oxidizers in the breakdown of litter. Our results suggest that the litter-decomposing machinery at our coniferous forest site depends on the ability of plants and microbes to supply, accumulate, and regenerate short-lived Mn(3+) species in the litter layer. This observation indicates that biogeochemical constraints on bioavailability, mobility, and reactivity of Mn in the plant-soil system may have a profound impact on litter decomposition rates.

On-farm Campylobacter and Escherichia coli in commercial broiler chickens: Re-used bedding does not influence Campylobacter emergence and levels across sequential farming cycles

PubMed Central

Chinivasagam, H. N.; Estella, W.; Rodrigues, H.; Mayer, D. G.; Weyand, C.; Tran, T.; Onysk, A.; Diallo, I.

2016-01-01

Limitations in quality bedding material have resulted in the growing need to re-use litter during broiler farming in some countries, which can be of concern from a food-safety perspective. The aim of this study was to compare the Campylobacter levels in ceca and litter across three litter treatments under commercial farming conditions. The litter treatments were (a) the use of new litter after each farming cycle; (b) an Australian partial litter re-use practice; and (c) a full litter re-use practice. The study was carried out on two farms over two years (Farm 1, from 2009–2010 and Farm 2, from 2010–2011), across three sheds (35,000 to 40,000 chickens/shed) on each farm, adopting three different litter treatments across six commercial cycles. A random sampling design was adopted to test litter and ceca for Campylobacter and Escherichia coli, prior to commercial first thin-out and final pick-up. Campylobacter levels varied little across litter practices and farming cycles on each farm and were in the range of log 8.0–9.0 CFU/g in ceca and log 4.0–6.0 MPN/g for litter. Similarly the E. coli in ceca were ∼log 7.0 CFU/g. At first thin-out and final pick-up, the statistical analysis for both litter and ceca showed that the three-way interaction (treatments by farms by times) was highly significant (P < 0.01), indicating that the patterns of Campylobacter emergence/presence across time vary between the farms, cycles and pickups. The emergence and levels of both organisms were not influenced by litter treatments across the six farming cycles on both farms. Either C. jejuni or C. coli could be the dominant species across litter and ceca, and this phenomenon could not be attributed to specific litter treatments. Irrespective of the litter treatments in place, cycle 2 on Farm 2 remained Campylobacter-free. These outcomes suggest that litter treatments did not directly influence the time of emergence and levels of Campylobacter and E. coli during commercial farming. PMID:26908887

The influence of litter quality and micro-habitat on litter decomposition and soil properties in a silvopasture system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, G.; Deora, R.; Singh, G.

2013-07-01

Studies to understand litter processes and soil properties are useful for maintaining pastureland productivity as animal husbandry is the dominant occupation in the hot arid region. We aimed to quantify how micro-habitats and combinations of litters of the introduced leguminous tree Colophospermum mopane with the grasses Cenchrus ciliaris or Lasiurus sindicus influence decomposition rate and soil nutrient changes in a hot desert silvopasture system. Litter bags with tree litter alone (T), tree + C. ciliaris in 1:1 ratio (TCC) and tree + L. sindicus 1:1 ratio (TLS) litter were placed inside and outside of the C. mopane canopy and at the surface, 3-7 cm and 8-12 cm soil depths. We examined litter loss, soil fauna abundance, organic carbon (SOC), total (TN), ammonium (NH4-N) and nitrate (NO3-N) nitrogen, phosphorus (PO4-P), soil respiration (SR) and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) in soil adjacent to each litter bag. After 12 months exposure, the mean residual litter was 40.2% of the initial value and annual decomposition rate constant (k) was 0.98 (0.49-1.80). Highest (p < 0.01) litter loss was in the first four months, when faunal abundance, SR, DHA and humidity were highest but it decreased with time. These variables and k were highest under the tree canopies. The litter loss and k were highest (p < 0.01) in TLS under the tree canopy, but the reverse trend was found for litter outside the canopy. Faunal abundance, litter loss, k, nutrient release and biochemical activities were highest (p < 0.01) in the 3-7 cm soil layer. Positive correlations of litter loss and soil fauna abundance with soil nutrients, SR and DHA demonstrated the interactions of litter quality and micro-habitats together with soil fauna on increased soil fertility. These results suggest that a Colophospermum mopane and L. sindicus silvopasture system best promotes faunal abundance, litter decomposition and soil fertility. The properties of these species and the associated faunal resources may be utilised as an ecosystem-restoration strategy in designing a silvopasture system. This may help to control land degradation and increase productivity sustainably in this environment.

Long-term marine litter monitoring in the remote Great Australian Bight, South Australia.

PubMed

Edyvane, K S; Dalgetty, A; Hone, P W; Higham, J S; Wace, N M

2004-06-01

The Anxious Bay beach litter clearance is the longest running annual survey of ocean-based litter in Australia. It's remoteness from centres of human population and location (with respect to prevailing winds and currents) make it an ideal place for monitoring ocean or ship-based litter in Australia's southern oceans and particularly, the Great Australian Bight. Over the 1991-1999 period, a large but gradual decline in the amount of beach washed litter was recorded (with minor peaks recorded during the 1992 and 1994 surveys). Beach washed litter decreased by approximately 86%, from 344 kg recorded in 1991 (13.2 kg/km) to 49 kg in 1999 (i.e. 1.9 kg/km), reaching a maximum of 390 kg in 1992 (or 15 kg/km of beach). However, a sharp increase in litter was recorded in 2000 (i.e. 252 kg or 9.7 kg/km). This increase in litter yield in 2000 is probably due to stronger than average onshore surface flow (or Ekman Transport) in the western Eyre Peninsula and Bight region. Prior to the survey in 2000, the results appeared to indicate that ocean litter on Anxious Bay beach was beginning to level out at around 50-70 kg/year (i.e. 2-3 kg/km). As the beach surveys involve the assumption that the beach is completely cleared of litter, this may represent a baseline level for ocean-based litter in the region. The yields and type of litter collected from the annual survey indicates that the majority of litter washed ashore originates from commercial fishing activities within the Great Australian Bight. Most of the fishing-related litter was directly sourced to the Southern Rock Lobster Fishery (i.e. bait buckets, baskets, pots), the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (i.e. codends, trawl nets) and the Southern Shark Fishery (i.e. monofilament gillnets and longlines). Between 1994 and 1999, large reductions were observed in the amount of bait straps (77% reduction), lobster bait baskets/buckets (86% reduction), nets/ropes (62% reduction) and floats/buoys (83% reduction). Significantly, fishing-related litter in the Bight has reduced at a slower rate than domestic litter. While the level of glass and soft plastics on the beach have both reduced by almost 93% (i.e. 103-7 kg and 119-8 kg, respectively), the level of hard plastics, has diminished at a slower rate, with reductions of only 75% (i.e. 122-30 kg). Some fisheries (i.e. rock lobster, Southern Shark Fishery) have shown marked reductions in fishing-related litter. This is probably due, to some extent, to significant reductions in fishing effort in the region, although this requires further investigation. The information from the Anxious Bay beach litter survey is crucial in monitoring trends in ocean litter in Australia's southern oceans and compliance with international litter regulations. While fishing-related litter remains the major source of ship-based or ocean litter in Australia's southern oceans, the continued reduction in ship-based litter since 1991 supports increasing compliance to MARPOL (Annex V) by commercial fisheries and shipping in the Great Australian Bight. While Australia participates in marine debris monitoring programs in the Antarctic (under CCAMLR), there is currently no national program or management framework to assess, manage and monitor ocean-based litter along Australia's coasts, and monitor compliance with MARPOL. Apart from the commitments under CCAMLR for Antarctic (and sub-Antarctic) marine environments, there are no other regional programs, guidelines or monitoring protocols or to assess and manage ocean litter in the Southern Ocean.

Fertilization, weed control, and pine litter influence loblolly pine stem productivity and root development

Treesearch

James D. Haywood; Allan E. Tiarks; Mary A. Sword

1997-01-01

Following site preparation, three cultural treatments and three open-pollinated loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) families were studied on a gently sloping Beauregard silt loam in central Louisiana. The treatments were: (1) fertilization (either broadcast application of 177 kg N and 151 kg P/ha or none); (2) herbicide application (either broadcast...

40 CFR 122.42 - Additional conditions applicable to specified categories of NPDES permits (applicable to State...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...; (vii) Identify protocols for appropriate testing of manure, litter, process wastewater, and soil; (viii... under roof (beef cattle, broilers, layers, swine weighing 55 pounds or more, swine weighing less than 55... paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section, the results of any soil testing for nitrogen and phosphorus taken...

40 CFR 122.42 - Additional conditions applicable to specified categories of NPDES permits (applicable to State...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...; (vii) Identify protocols for appropriate testing of manure, litter, process wastewater, and soil; (viii... under roof (beef cattle, broilers, layers, swine weighing 55 pounds or more, swine weighing less than 55... paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section, the results of any soil testing for nitrogen and phosphorus taken...

40 CFR 122.42 - Additional conditions applicable to specified categories of NPDES permits (applicable to State...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...; (vii) Identify protocols for appropriate testing of manure, litter, process wastewater, and soil; (viii... under roof (beef cattle, broilers, layers, swine weighing 55 pounds or more, swine weighing less than 55... paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section, the results of any soil testing for nitrogen and phosphorus taken...

Effects of dietary coarsely ground corn and litter type on broiler live performance, litter characteristics, gastrointestinal tract development, apparent ileal digestibility of energy and nitrogen, and intestinal morphology.

PubMed

Xu, Y; Stark, C R; Ferket, P R; Williams, C M; Auttawong, S; Brake, J

2015-03-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the dietary inclusion of 2 coarsely ground corn (CC) levels (0 or 50%) in diets of broilers reared on 2 litter types (new wood shavings or used litter) on live performance, litter characteristics, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of energy and nitrogen (N), and intestinal morphology. No interaction effects between CC level and litter type were observed on live performance. No litter effect was observed on live performance. Dietary inclusion of 50% CC increased BW at 35 d (P<0.01) and improved cumulative feed conversion ratio (FCR) at 35 and 49 d of age (P<0.01). The 50% CC treatment increased absolute and relative gizzard weight (P<0.01) and decreased jejunum unit weight (g/cm) (P<0.01). The new litter treatment (litter N) increased absolute and relative proventriculus weight (P<0.05) but did not affect gizzard weight. An interaction effect between CC level and litter type was observed for litter N, where the 50% CC treatment reduced litter N regardless of litter type (P<0.01), but litter N was reduced by new litter only among birds fed 0% CC (P<0.05). The 50% CC inclusion increased litter pH (P<0.05) and improved the AID of energy and N by 6.8% (P<0.01) and 3.5% (P<0.05), respectively. The 50% CC treatment increased jejunum villi tip width (P<0.05) and villi surface area (P<0.01), and decreased the muscularis layer thickness (P<0.01), whereas new litter increased jejunum villi and ileum villi height (P<0.05), jejunum villi surface area (P<0.01), and the ratio of jejunum villi height to crypt depth (P<0.01). This study showed that birds fed pelleted and screened diets containing 50% CC exhibited improved BW, FCR, and AID of energy and N, in conjunction with altered morphology of the GIT and intestinal mucosa. Litter type affected some GIT traits and functions but did not affect live performance. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

The Influence of Plant Litter on Soil Water Repellency: Insight from 13C NMR Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Cesarano, Gaspare; Incerti, Guido; Bonanomi, Giuliano

2016-01-01

Soil water repellency (SWR, i.e. reduced affinity for water owing to the presence of organic hydrophobic coatings on soil particles) has relevant hydrological implications because low rates of infiltration enhance water runoff, and untargeted diffusion of fertilizers and pesticides. Previous studies investigated the occurrence of SWR in ecosystems with different vegetation cover but did not clarify its relationships with litter biochemical quality. Here, we investigated the capability of different plant litter types to induce SWR by using fresh and decomposed leaf materials from 12 species, to amend a model sandy soil over a year-long microcosm experiment. Water repellency, measured by the Molarity of an Ethanol Droplet (MED) test, was tested for the effects of litter species and age, and compared with litter quality assessed by 13C-CPMAS NMR in solid state and elemental chemical parameters. All litter types were highly water repellent, with MED values of 18% or higher. In contrast, when litter was incorporated into the soil, only undecomposed materials induced SWR, but with a large variability of onset and peak dynamics among litter types. Surprisingly, SWR induced by litter addition was unrelated to the aliphatic fraction of litter. In contrast, lignin-poor but labile C-rich litter, as defined by O-alkyl C and N-alkyl and methoxyl C of 13C-CPMAS NMR spectral regions, respectively, induced a stronger SWR. This study suggests that biochemical quality of plant litter is a major controlling factor of SWR and, by defining litter quality with 13C-CPMAS NMR, our results provide a significant novel contribution towards a full understanding of the relationships between plant litter biochemistry and SWR.

Litter quality mediated nitrogen effect on plant litter decomposition regardless of soil fauna presence.

PubMed

Zhang, Weidong; Chao, Lin; Yang, Qingpeng; Wang, Qingkui; Fang, Yunting; Wang, Silong

2016-10-01

Nitrogen addition has been shown to affect plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. The way that nitrogen deposition impacts the relationship between plant litter decomposition and altered soil nitrogen availability is unclear, however. This study examined 18 co-occurring litter types in a subtropical forest in China in terms of their decomposition (1 yr of exposure in the field) with nitrogen addition treatment (0, 0.4, 1.6, and 4.0 mol·N·m -2 ·yr -1 ) and soil fauna exclusion (litter bags with 0.1 and 2 cm mesh size). Results showed that the plant litter decomposition rate is significantly reduced because of nitrogen addition; the strength of the nitrogen addition effect is closely related to the nitrogen addition levels. Plant litters with diverse quality responded to nitrogen addition differently. When soil fauna was present, the nitrogen addition effect on medium-quality or high-quality plant litter decomposition rate was -26% ± 5% and -29% ± 4%, respectively; these values are significantly higher than that of low-quality plant litter decomposition. The pattern is similar when soil fauna is absent. In general, the plant litter decomposition rate is decreased by soil fauna exclusion; an average inhibition of -17% ± 1.5% was exhibited across nitrogen addition treatment and litter quality groups. However, this effect is weakly related to nitrogen addition treatment and plant litter quality. We conclude that the variations in plant litter quality, nitrogen deposition, and soil fauna are important factors of decomposition and nutrient cycling in a subtropical forest ecosystem. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

The effect of leaf litter cover on surface runoff and soil erosion in Northern China.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Niu, Jianzhi; Xie, Baoyuan

2014-01-01

The role of leaf litter in hydrological processes and soil erosion of forest ecosystems is poorly understood. A field experiment was conducted under simulated rainfall in runoff plots with a slope of 10%. Two common types of litter in North China (from Quercus variabilis, representing broadleaf litter, and Pinus tabulaeformis, representing needle leaf litter), four amounts of litter, and five rainfall intensities were tested. Results revealed that the litter reduced runoff and delayed the beginning of runoff, but significantly reduced soil loss (p<0.05). Average runoff yield was 29.5% and 31.3% less than bare-soil plot, and for Q. variabilis and P. tabulaeformis, respectively, and average sediment yield was 85.1% and 79.9% lower. Rainfall intensity significantly affected runoff (R = 0.99, p<0.05), and the efficiency in runoff reduction by litter decreased considerably. Runoff yield and the runoff coefficient increased dramatically by 72.9 and 5.4 times, respectively. The period of time before runoff appeared decreased approximately 96.7% when rainfall intensity increased from 5.7 to 75.6 mm h-1. Broadleaf and needle leaf litter showed similarly relevant effects on runoff and soil erosion control, since no significant differences (p≤0.05) were observed in runoff and sediment variables between two litter-covered plots. In contrast, litter mass was probably not a main factor in determining runoff and sediment because a significant correlation was found only with sediment in Q. variabilis litter plot. Finally, runoff yield was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with sediment yield. These results suggest that the protective role of leaf litter in runoff and erosion processes was crucial, and both rainfall intensity and litter characteristics had an impact on these processes.

The Effect of Leaf Litter Cover on Surface Runoff and Soil Erosion in Northern China

PubMed Central

Li, Xiang; Niu, Jianzhi; Xie, Baoyuan

2014-01-01

The role of leaf litter in hydrological processes and soil erosion of forest ecosystems is poorly understood. A field experiment was conducted under simulated rainfall in runoff plots with a slope of 10%. Two common types of litter in North China (from Quercus variabilis, representing broadleaf litter, and Pinus tabulaeformis, representing needle leaf litter), four amounts of litter, and five rainfall intensities were tested. Results revealed that the litter reduced runoff and delayed the beginning of runoff, but significantly reduced soil loss (p<0.05). Average runoff yield was 29.5% and 31.3% less than bare-soil plot, and for Q. variabilis and P. tabulaeformis, respectively, and average sediment yield was 85.1% and 79.9% lower. Rainfall intensity significantly affected runoff (R = 0.99, p<0.05), and the efficiency in runoff reduction by litter decreased considerably. Runoff yield and the runoff coefficient increased dramatically by 72.9 and 5.4 times, respectively. The period of time before runoff appeared decreased approximately 96.7% when rainfall intensity increased from 5.7 to 75.6 mm h−1. Broadleaf and needle leaf litter showed similarly relevant effects on runoff and soil erosion control, since no significant differences (p≤0.05) were observed in runoff and sediment variables between two litter-covered plots. In contrast, litter mass was probably not a main factor in determining runoff and sediment because a significant correlation was found only with sediment in Q. variabilis litter plot. Finally, runoff yield was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with sediment yield. These results suggest that the protective role of leaf litter in runoff and erosion processes was crucial, and both rainfall intensity and litter characteristics had an impact on these processes. PMID:25232858

Impact of fresh or used litter on the posthatch immune system of commercial broilers.

PubMed

Lee, K W; Lillehoj, H S; Lee, S H; Jang, S I; Ritter, G Donald; Bautista, D A; Lillehoj, E P

2011-12-01

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of exposure of growing broiler chickens of commercial origin to used poultry litter on intestinal and systemic immune responses. The litter types evaluated were fresh wood shavings or used litter obtained from commercial poultry farms with or without a history of gangrenous dermatitis (GD). Immune parameters measured were serum nitric oxide (NO) levels, serum antibody titers against Eimeria or Clostridium perfringens, mitogen-induced spleen cell proliferation, and intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte or splenic lymphocyte subpopulations. At 43 days posthatch, birds raised on used litter from a GD farm had higher serum NO levels and greater Eimeria or C. perfringens antibody levels compared with chickens raised on fresh litter or used, non-GD litter. Birds raised on non-GD and GD used litter had greater spleen cell mitogenic responses compared with chickens raised on fresh litter. Finally, spleen and intestinal lymphocyte subpopulations were increased or decreased depending on the litter type and the surface marker analyzed. Although it is likely that the presence of Eimeria oocysts and endemic viruses varies qualitatively and quantitatively between flocks and, by extension, varies between different used litter types, we believe that these data provide evidence that exposure of growing chicks to used poultry litter stimulates humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, presumably due to contact with contaminating enteric pathogens.

Changes in litter near an aluminum reduction plant

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beyer, W.N.; Fleming, W.J.; Swineford, D.

1987-01-01

Litter was collected from eight sites at distances as far as 33 km from an AI reduction plant in western Tennessee. As a result of an accumulation of fine litter (< 4.75 mm) the weight of the litter per unit area was abnormally high at the two sites within 2 km of the plant. Compared to litter collected far from the plant, it had a lower fiber content, was more sapric, and was less acid. Fluoride emissions from the plant were suggested as the probable cause of litter changes. Concentrations of water-extractable and acid-extractable F- in the litter, the 0- to 5-cm soil layer, and the 5- to 15-cm soil layer were strongly correlated with distance from the plant. Total acid-extractable F- in the litter and upper 15 cm of soil was about 41 times as much at the closest site (700 mg/kg) as at the most distant sites (12 and 16 mg/kg). In a bioassay of litter from our study sites, woodlice (Porcellio scaber Latr.) had an abnormally high mortality in litter that contained 440 mg/kg or more of acid-extractable F-. However, when F- was added as NaF to litter, a significant increase in mortality was observed only in treatments exceeding 800 mg/kg. The decrease in the rate of decomposition of the litter might eventually induce a deficiency of soil macronutrients, but none was detected.

Impact of poultry litter cake, cleanout, and bedding following chemical amendments on soil C and N mineralization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter is a great alternative N source for crop production. However, recent poultry litter management changes and increased chemical amendment use may impact litter plant N availability. Thus, research was initiated to evaluate the effect that broiler house cake and total cleanout litter ame...

Poultry litter placement effects on cotton seedling emergence and early growth stage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in using poultry litter (PL) as a nutrient source for row crop production has increased in the Southeastern U.S. Poultry litter is generally broadcasted on the soil surface. This practice exposes litter N to volatilization and litter P to loss with surface water runoff, which potentially ne...

Beach litter occurrence in sandy littorals: The potential role of urban areas, rivers and beach users in central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poeta, Gianluca; Conti, Luisa; Malavasi, Marco; Battisti, Corrado; Acosta, Alicia Teresa Rosario

2016-11-01

Litter washed ashore on the coastline, also called beach litter, constitutes one of the most obvious signs of marine litter pollution. Surveys of beach litter represent a fundamental tool for monitoring pollution in the marine environment and have been used world-wide to classify and quantify marine litter. Identifying the sources of marine and beach litter is, together with education, the prime weapon in combating this type of pollution. This work investigates the impact of three main potential land sources on litter occurrence: urban areas, rivers and beach users. Three sources were analyzed simultaneously on a broad scale (Lazio region, central Italy) using a random sampling design and fitting a generalized linear mixed-effect model. The results show that urban areas are the main drivers for the occurrence of marine litter along central Italy's coastal ecosystems, suggesting that the presence of such litter on Lazio beaches could be effectively reduced by identifying failings in recycling and waste collection procedures and by improving waste processing systems and sewage treatment in urban areas.

Marine litter in submarine canyons of the Bay of Biscay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Beld, Inge M. J.; Guillaumont, Brigitte; Menot, Lénaïck; Bayle, Christophe; Arnaud-Haond, Sophie; Bourillet, Jean-François

2017-11-01

Marine litter is a matter of increasing concern worldwide, from shallow seas to the open ocean and from beaches to the deep-seafloor. Indeed, the deep sea may be the ultimate repository of a large proportion of litter in the ocean. We used footage acquired with a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and a towed camera to investigate the distribution and composition of litter in the submarine canyons of the Bay of Biscay. This bay contains many submarine canyons housing Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) such as scleractinian coral habitats. VMEs are considered to be important for fish and they increase the local biodiversity. The objectives of the study were to investigate and discuss: (i) litter density, (ii) the principal sources of litter, (iii) the influence of environmental factors on the distribution of litter, and (iv) the impact of litter on benthic communities. Litter was found in all 15 canyons and at three sites on the edge of the continental shelf/canyon, in 25 of 29 dives. The Belle-île and Arcachon Canyons contained the largest amounts of litter, up to 12.6 and 9.5 items per 100 images respectively. Plastic items were the most abundant (42%), followed by fishing-related items (16%). The litter had both a maritime and a terrestrial origin. The main sources could be linked to fishing activities, major shipping lanes and river discharges. Litter appeared to accumulate at water depths of 801-1100 m and 1401-1700 m. In the deeper of these two depth ranges, litter accumulated on a geologically structured area, accounting for its high frequency at this depth. A larger number of images taken in areas of coral in the shallower of these two depth ranges may account for the high frequency of litter detection at this depth. A larger number of litter items, including plastic objects in particular, were observed on geological structures and in coral areas than on areas of bare substratum. The distribution of fishing-related items was similar for the various types of relief. Litter items were mostly colonised by scleractinian corals and hydroids. Several fish species and a lithodid crab seemed to associate with the accumulated litter. This extensive study showed litter to be widely distributed in the submarine canyons of the Bay of Biscay. These findings increase our understanding of the distribution of litter, its composition and accumulation and its impact on benthic communities.

Advances in poultry litter disposal technology--a review.

PubMed

Kelleher, B P; Leahy, J J; Henihan, A M; O'Dwyer, T F; Sutton, D; Leahy, M J

2002-05-01

The land disposal of waste from the poultry industry and subsequent environmental implications has stimulated interest into cleaner and more useful disposal options. The review presented here details advances in the three main alternative disposal routes for poultry litter, specifically in the last decade. Results of experimental investigations into the optimisation of composting, anaerobic digestion and direct combustion are summarised. These technologies open up increased opportunities to market the energy and nutrients in poultry litter to agricultural and non-agricultural uses. Common problems experienced by the current technologies are the existence and fate of nitrogen as ammonia, pH and temperature levels, moisture content and the economics of alternative disposal methods. Further advancement of these technologies is currently receiving increased interest, both academically and commercially. However, significant financial incentives are required to attract the agricultural industry.

Effect of Litter Moisture on the Development of Footpad Dermatitis in Broiler Chickens

PubMed Central

TAIRA, Kazuyo; NAGAI, Toshimune; OBI, Takeshi; TAKASE, Kozo

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Broiler chicks were reared on either wet litter or dry litter to compare the development of footpad dermatitis (FPD). Broilers reared on wet litter first developed FPD at 14 days of age. Their FPD scores increased sharply after 21 days of age, reaching 2.92 at 42 days. In broilers reared on dry litter, FPD was first observed at 28 days of age, and the FPD score was only 0.70 at 42 days. When 21- or 28-day-old broilers that had been reared on wet litter and had developed FPD were moved to dry litter, the progression of FPD was suppressed or delayed. These results suggest that reducing litter moisture is effective in preventing FPD and suppressing disease progression. PMID:24366153

Effect of Poultry Litter Treatment (PLT) on death due to ascites in broilers.

PubMed

Terzich, M; Quarles, C; Goodwin, M A; Brown, J

1998-01-01

The purposes of this study were to determine the effect of Poultry Litter Treatment (PLT) on levels of litter moisture, litter nitrogen, atmospheric ammonia, and death due to ascites. Data were collected from chicks raised in containment conditions that resembled commercial settings. The ascites death rate (5.9%) in broiler chicks on PLT-treated litter was significantly (chi 2 = 15.5, df = 1, P = 0.0001) lower than that (31.5%) in broiler chicks raised on untreated litter. Likewise, atmospheric ammonia levels in pens that had been treated with PLT were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those in pens that received no treatment. Under the conditions of the present study, litter moisture and litter nitrogen levels were not different (P > 0.05) among treatments at any sample interval.

Management intensity alters decomposition via biological pathways

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wickings, Kyle; Grandy, A. Stuart; Reed, Sasha; Cleveland, Cory

2011-01-01

Current conceptual models predict that changes in plant litter chemistry during decomposition are primarily regulated by both initial litter chemistry and the stage-or extent-of mass loss. Far less is known about how variations in decomposer community structure (e.g., resulting from different ecosystem management types) could influence litter chemistry during decomposition. Given the recent agricultural intensification occurring globally and the importance of litter chemistry in regulating soil organic matter storage, our objectives were to determine the potential effects of agricultural management on plant litter chemistry and decomposition rates, and to investigate possible links between ecosystem management, litter chemistry and decomposition, and decomposer community composition and activity. We measured decomposition rates, changes in litter chemistry, extracellular enzyme activity, microarthropod communities, and bacterial versus fungal relative abundance in replicated conventional-till, no-till, and old field agricultural sites for both corn and grass litter. After one growing season, litter decomposition under conventional-till was 20% greater than in old field communities. However, decomposition rates in no-till were not significantly different from those in old field or conventional-till sites. After decomposition, grass residue in both conventional- and no-till systems was enriched in total polysaccharides relative to initial litter, while grass litter decomposed in old fields was enriched in nitrogen-bearing compounds and lipids. These differences corresponded with differences in decomposer communities, which also exhibited strong responses to both litter and management type. Overall, our results indicate that agricultural intensification can increase litter decomposition rates, alter decomposer communities, and influence litter chemistry in ways that could have important and long-term effects on soil organic matter dynamics. We suggest that future efforts to more accurately predict soil carbon dynamics under different management regimes may need to explicitly consider how changes in litter chemistry during decomposition are influenced by the specific metabolic capabilities of the extant decomposer communities.

Through the sands of time: Beach litter trends from nine cleaned north cornish beaches.

PubMed

Watts, Andrew J R; Porter, Adam; Hembrow, Neil; Sharpe, Jolyon; Galloway, Tamara S; Lewis, Ceri

2017-09-01

Marine litter and its accumulation on beaches is an issue of major current concern due to its significant environmental and economic impacts. Yet our understanding of spatio-temporal trends in beach litter and the drivers of these trends are currently limited by the availability of robust long term data sets. Here we present a unique data set collected systematically once a month, every month over a six year period for nine beaches along the North Coast of Cornwall, U.K. to investigate the key drivers of beach litter in the Bude, Padstow and Porthcothan areas. Overall, an average of 0.02 litter items m -2 per month were collected during the six year study, with Bude beaches (Summerleaze, Crooklets and Widemouth) the most impacted (0.03 ± 0.004 litter items m -2 per month). The amount of litter collected each month decreased by 18% and 71% respectively for Padstow (Polzeath, Trevone and Harlyn) and Bude areas over the 6 years, possibly related to the regular cleaning, however litter increased by 120% despite this monthly cleaning effort on the Padstow area beaches. Importantly, at all nine beaches the litter was dominated by small, fragmented plastic pieces and rope fibres, which account for 32% and 17% of all litter items collected, respectively. The weathered nature of these plastics indicates they have been in the marine environment for an extended period of time. So, whilst classifying the original source of these plastics is not possible, it can be concluded they are not the result of recent public littering. This data highlights both the extent of the marine litter problem and that current efforts to reduce littering by beach users will only tackle a fraction of this litter. Such information is vital for developing effective management strategies for beach and marine litter at both regional and global levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Litter production and breakdown in swamps dominated by palms (Arecaceae) in northeastern Costa Rica].

PubMed

Myers, Ronald L

2013-09-01

In Raffia (Raphia taedigera) palm-swamps, it is frequent to observe high mounds at the base of the palm clumps. These mounds are formed by the accumulation of litter and organic matter, or might result from upturned roots of wind-thrown trees. The mounds serve as anchorage site for the palms, and could be important for the establishment of woody tree species in the swamp. The formation of these mounds might be explained by the unequal accumulation of organic matter in the wetland, or by differences in decomposition rates between Raffia litter versus the litter produced in adjacent mixed forests. To distinguish between these hypotheses, I compared the spatial distribution of litter in a R. taedigera swamp with the litter distribution on an adjacent slope forest, where litter distribution is expected to be homogeneous. In addition, I compared decomposition rates of major components of fine litter in three different environments: two wetlands dominated by palms (R. taedigera and Manicaria saccifera) and a slope forest that experiences lower inundation effects. On the palm swamp, noticeable concentration of litter was observed near the bases of clumps of palm as opposed to the swamp floor. In the adjacent slope forest, the magnitude of the differences in the distribution of litter is small and there is no accumulation at the base of emergent trees. It was also found that litter production increases during heavy rains and storms that follow dry periods. The swamp environment, independent of the litter, showed significantly lower decomposition rates than the surrounding forest slope. Furthermore, R. taedigera litter decomposes as fast as the slope forest litter. Overall, these results suggest that resistance to decomposition is not a major factor in the formation of mounds at the bases of R. taedigera clumps. Instead, litter accumulation contributes to the formation of the mounds that rise above the surface of the swamp.

Early-stage changes in natural (13)C and (15)N abundance and nutrient dynamics during different litter decomposition.

PubMed

Gautam, Mukesh Kumar; Lee, Kwang-Sik; Song, Byeong-Yeol; Lee, Dongho; Bong, Yeon-Sik

2016-05-01

Decomposition, nutrient, and isotopic (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) dynamics during 1 year were studied for leaf and twig litters of Pinus densiflora, Castanea crenata, Erigeron annuus, and Miscanthus sinensis growing on a highly weathered soil with constrained nutrient supply using litterbags in a cool temperate region of South Korea. Decay constant (k/year) ranged from 0.58 to 1.29/year, and mass loss ranged from 22.36 to 58.43 % among litter types. The results demonstrate that mass loss and nutrient dynamics of decomposing litter were influenced by the seasonality of mineralization and immobilization processes. In general, most nutrients exhibited alternate phases of rapid mineralization followed by gradual immobilization, except K, which was released throughout the field incubation. At the end of study, among all the nutrients only N and P showed net immobilization. Mobility of different nutrients from decomposing litter as the percentage of initial litter nutrient concentration was in the order of K > Mg > Ca > N ≈ P. The δ(13)C (0.32-6.70 ‰) and δ(15)N (0.74-3.90 ‰) values of residual litters showed nonlinear increase and decrease, respectively compared to initial isotopic values during decomposition. Litter of different functional types and chemical quality converged toward a conservative nutrient use strategy through mechanisms of slow decomposition and slow nutrient mobilization. Our results indicate that litter quality and season, are the most important regulators of litter decomposition in these forests. The results revealed significant relationships between litter decomposition rates and N, C:N ratio and P, and seasonality (temperature). These results and the convergence of different litters towards conservative nutrient use in these nutrient constrained ecosystems imply optimization of litter management because litter removal can have cascading effects on litter decomposition and nutrient availability in these systems.

Litter aeration and spread of Salmonella in broilers.

PubMed

Bodí, Sara González; Garcia, Arantxa Villagra; García, Santiago Vega; Orenga, Clara Marín

2013-08-01

Litter quality in the poultry sector is one of the main parameters of health, productivity, and animal welfare. Therefore, innovative management methods have been developed to improve the quality of litter. One of them is litter aeration (LA) by tumbling. However, there is little information related to the effect of this technique on the spreading of pathogens of public health importance such as Salmonella. In this context, the objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology of Salmonella in poultry farms, when serial LA were implemented during the rearing cycle of broilers. For this purpose, an experimental broiler farm with 3 identical rooms was used in the study. Two rooms were assigned to the LA treatment, and the other one served as the control room. Environmental samples were taken in poultry houses after LA in 4 consecutive weeks at the end of the cycle. All samples collected were analyzed according to the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 6579:2002, Annex D). The results of this study showed that in the control and treated rooms, the percentage of positive samples for Salmonella decreased in the first 3 LA sessions (LA 1, LA 2, and LA 3). However, in the last LA session of rearing (LA 4), the percentage of positive samples increased from 8.2 to 33.2% in the control room instead the treated rooms where the positive samples decreased (P = 0.017). Thus, the aeration of the litter as litter management technique in poultry broiler production does not increase the shedding or the spread of Salmonella throughout broiler houses. In addition, it could be an effective technique to reduce the infective pressure of this bacterium in several areas of the farm or in certain moments of the rearing period with more risk of multiplication and spreading of Salmonella.

Intestinal Microbiota of Broiler Chickens As Affected by Litter Management Regimens

PubMed Central

Wang, Lingling; Lilburn, Mike; Yu, Zhongtang

2016-01-01

Poultry litter is a mixture of bedding materials and enteric bacteria excreted by chickens, and it is typically reused for multiple growth cycles in commercial broiler production. Thus, bacteria can be transmitted from one growth cycle to the next via litter. However, it remains poorly understood how litter reuse affects development and composition of chicken gut microbiota. In this study, the effect of litter reuse on the microbiota in litter and in chicken gut was investigated using 2 litter management regimens: fresh vs. reused litter. Samples of ileal mucosa and cecal digesta were collected from young chicks (10 days of age) and mature birds (35 days of age). Based on analysis using DGGE and pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons, the microbiota of both the ileal mucosa and the cecal contents was affected by both litter management regimen and age of birds. Faecalibacterium, Oscillospira, Butyricicoccus, and one unclassified candidate genus closely related to Ruminococcus were most predominant in the cecal samples, while Lactobacillus was predominant in the ileal samples at both ages and in the cecal samples collected at day 10. At days 10 and 35, 8 and 3 genera, respectively, in the cecal luminal microbiota differed significantly in relative abundance between the 2 litter management regimens. Compared to the fresh litter, reused litter increased predominance of halotolerant/alkaliphilic bacteria and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, a butyrate-producing gut bacterium. This study suggests that litter management regimens affect the chicken GI microbiota, which may impact the host nutritional status and intestinal health. PMID:27242676

Negative and positive interactions among plants: effects of competitors and litter on seedling emergence and growth of forest and grassland species.

PubMed

Loydi, A; Donath, T W; Otte, A; Eckstein, R L

2015-05-01

Living plant neighbours, but also their dead aboveground remains (i.e. litter), may individually exert negative or positive effects on plant recruitment. Although living plants and litter co-occur in most ecosystems, few studies have addressed their combined effects, and conclusions are ambivalent. Therefore, we examined the response in terms of seedling emergence and growth of herbaceous grassland and forest species to different litter types and amounts and the presence of competitors. We conducted a pot experiment testing the effects of litter type (grass, oak), litter amount (low, medium, high) and interspecific competition (presence or absence of four Festuca arundinacea individuals) on seedling emergence and biomass of four congeneric pairs of hemicryptophytes from two habitat types (woodland, grassland). Interactions between litter and competition were weak. Litter presence increased competitor biomass. It also had positive effects on seedling emergence at low litter amounts and negative effects at high litter amounts, while competition had no effect on seedling emergence. Seedling biomass was negatively affected by the presence of competitors, and this effect was stronger in combination with high amounts of litter. Litter affected seedling emergence while competition determined the biomass of the emerged individuals, both affecting early stages of seedling recruitment. High litter accumulation also reduced seedling biomass, but this effect seemed to be additive to competitor effects. This suggests that live and dead plant mass can affect species recruitment in natural systems, but the mechanisms by which they operate and their timing differ. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...: Open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, and agricultural well heads. (2) Vegetated buffer means a... surface waters, open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, agricultural well heads, or other conduits to...

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...: Open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, and agricultural well heads. (2) Vegetated buffer means a... surface waters, open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, agricultural well heads, or other conduits to...

40 CFR 412.4 - Best management practices (BMPs) for land application of manure, litter, and process wastewater.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...: Open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, and agricultural well heads. (2) Vegetated buffer means a... surface waters, open tile line intake structures, sinkholes, agricultural well heads, or other conduits to...

Forest composition modifies litter dynamics and decomposition in regenerating tropical dry forest.

PubMed

Schilling, Erik M; Waring, Bonnie G; Schilling, Jonathan S; Powers, Jennifer S

2016-09-01

We investigated how forest composition, litter quality, and rainfall interact to affect leaf litter decomposition across three successional tropical dry forests in Costa Rica. We monitored litter stocks and bulk litter turnover in 18 plots that exhibit substantial variation in soil characteristics, tree community structure, fungal communities (including forests dominated by ecto- or arbuscular mycorrhizal host trees), and forest age. Simultaneously, we decomposed three standard litter substrates over a 6-month period spanning an unusually intense drought. Decay rates of standard substrates depended on the interaction between litter identity and forest type. Decomposition rates were correlated with tree and soil fungal community composition as well as soil fertility, but these relationships differed among litter types. In low fertility soils dominated by ectomycorrhizal oak trees, bulk litter turnover rates were low, regardless of soil moisture. By contrast, in higher fertility soils that supported mostly arbuscular mycorrhizal trees, bulk litter decay rates were strongly dependent on seasonal water availability. Both measures of decomposition increased with forest age, as did the frequency of termite-mediated wood decay. Taken together, our results demonstrate that soils and forest age exert strong control over decomposition dynamics in these tropical dry forests, either directly through effects on microclimate and nutrients, or indirectly by affecting tree and microbial community composition and traits, such as litter quality.

Maternal-Neonatal Pheromone/Interomone Added to Cat Litter Improves Litter Box Use and Reduces Aggression in Pair-Housed Cats.

PubMed

McGlone, John J; Garcia, Arlene; Thompson, William G; Pirner, Glenna M

2018-03-27

Introducing a new cat into a household with one or more resident cats can be a significant source of stress for the cats involved. These studies sought to determine if rabbit maternal-neonatal pheromone (2-methyl-2-butenal [2M2B]) in litter impacted cat social behaviors and litter box use. Study 1 determined that cats preferred to eliminate in litter containing 2M2B; other semiochemicals tested did not change litter box use. Cats prone to aggression were identified in an intermediate pilot study, and eight pairs of these cats were selected for Study 2. In Study 2, cat pairs were provided litter containing either vehicle or 2M2B for 24 hours. Cats experiencing control litter displayed more aggression during the first 6 hours (p < .01) and spent more time using the litter box 12 hours and 18 hours after pairing compared with cats experiencing litter with 2M2B (p = .02). These results suggest 2M2B-infused cat litter may act as an interomone in cats housed domestically to prevent initial occurrences of aggression and may improve cat welfare in multicat households.

Can persuasive and demonstrative messages to visitors reduce littering in river beaches?

PubMed

Cingolani, Ana M; Barberá, Iván; Renison, Daniel; Barri, Fernando R

2016-12-01

Littering of public areas is a significant problem worldwide. Here we evaluate the success of persuasive and demonstrative messages at reducing littering in highly visited river beaches in Argentina. We made an intervention at the beaches which consisted of a personalized verbal request asking visitors to take their litter to the waste cans (persuasive message) while they were exposed to the example of picking up the litter already left on the beach (demonstrative message). We conducted 102 observations distributed over 29 dates, two years and four beaches. Each observation consisted of three or four rounds: before the presence of visitors we cleaned the beaches, during the stay of visitors we made the intervention (once or twice) in two out of the four beaches, and early next morning we estimated the amount of litter left per beach. Litter weight ranged from 0 to 53gvisitor -1 day -1 . Littering per visitor was reduced an average of 35% due to the intervention (p=0.049). We also found differences among beaches (p=0.001), and an increase in littering with crowding (p=0.005). We show for the first time that the personalized request combined with the example of picking up litter is effective in reducing littering in a Latin American country. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Reciprocal Effects of Litter from Exotic and Congeneric Native Plant Species via Soil Nutrients

PubMed Central

Meisner, Annelein; de Boer, Wietse; Cornelissen, Johannes H. C.; van der Putten, Wim H.

2012-01-01

Invasive exotic plant species are often expected to benefit exclusively from legacy effects of their litter inputs on soil processes and nutrient availability. However, there are relatively few experimental tests determining how litter of exotic plants affects their own growth conditions compared to congeneric native plant species. Here, we test how the legacy of litter from three exotic plant species affects their own performance in comparison to their congeneric natives that co-occur in the invaded habitat. We also analyzed litter effects on soil processes. In all three comparisons, soil with litter from exotic plant species had the highest respiration rates. In two out of the three exotic-native species comparisons, soil with litter from exotic plant species had higher inorganic nitrogen concentrations than their native congener, which was likely due to higher initial litter quality of the exotics. When litter from an exotic plant species had a positive effect on itself, it also had a positive effect on its native congener. We conclude that exotic plant species develop a legacy effect in soil from the invaded range through their litter inputs. This litter legacy effect results in altered soil processes that can promote both the exotic plant species and their native congener. PMID:22359604

Abundance of litter on Condor seamount (Azores, Portugal, Northeast Atlantic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, C. K.; Gomes-Pereira, J. N.; Isidro, E. J.; Santos, R. S.; Morato, T.

2013-12-01

Marine litter is an emerging problem for the world's ocean health but little is known on its distribution and abundance on seamounts and how it affects deep-sea ecosystems. The scientific underwater laboratory set up on Condor seamount offered an ideal case study for the first documentation of litter distribution on a shallow seamount with historical fishing. A total of 48 video transects deployed on the summit (n=45) and the northern flank (n=3) covered an area of 0.031 and 0.025km2, respectively, revealing 55 litter items. Litter density on the summit was 1439 litter items km-2, whilst on the deeper northern flank, estimates indicate densities of 397 litter items km-2. Lost fishing line was the dominant litter item encountered on both areas (73% of total litter on the summit and 50% on northern flank), all being entirely or partly entangled in the locally abundant gorgonians Dentomuricea cf. meteor and Viminella flagellum. Other items included lost weights, anchors and glass bottles. The predominance of lost fishing gear identifies the source of litter on Condor seamount as exclusively ocean-based and related to fishing activities. Abundance of litter on the Condor seamount was much lower than that reported from other locations closer to populated areas.

Influence of poultry litter land application on the concentrations of estrogens in water and sediment within a watershed.

PubMed

Luo, Qi; Adams, Paige; Lu, Junhe; Cabrera, Miguel; Huang, Qingguo

2013-07-01

This research studied the occurrence of estrogens in the Upper Satilla watershed, Georgia, USA, which was impacted by poultry litter land application and discharge from a sewage treatment plant (STP) receiving poultry wastes. Over 14 months, four estrogens in stream water, sediment, suspended particles, and STP samples were quantified by LC/MS. Estrogens were consistently found in the STP influent with high concentrations while they were below the detection limits in the majority of stream water, suspended particles, and sediment. Estrone, 17β-estradiol, and estriol were found in 18% of stream water samples with concentrations up to 46.4, 67.2, and 125 ng L(-1), respectively. However, 17α-ethinylestradiol was only detected in STP samples. Estrogens were found in 14% of suspended particle samples with the median concentration being 27.5 ng g(-1) for estrone, 104.5 ng g(-1) for 17β-estradiol, and 93.9 ng g(-1) for estriol. The estrogen concentrations in sediment were <4.95 ng g(-1), indicating that sediment is not a major sink for estrogens in this watershed. The quantitative analysis of the temporal and spatial distribution of the estrogens suggests the occasional elevation of estrogens in the watershed above the predicted-no-effect-concentrations to fish likely to be associated with litter disposal and rainfall events.

A Modified Relative Spectral Mixture Analysis to Extract the Fractions of Major Land Cover Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, S.

2015-12-01

As an effective method of extracting land cover fractions based on spectral endmembers, spectral mixture analysis (SMA) has been applied using remotely sensed imagery in different spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions. A number of studies focused on arid/semiarid ecosystem have used SMA to obtain the land cover fractions of GV, NPV/litter, and bare soil (BS) using MODIS reflectance products to understand ecosystem phenology, track vegetation dynamics, and evaluate the impact of major disturbances. However, several challenges remain in the application of SMA in studying ecosystem phenology, including obtaining high quality endmembers and increasing computational efficiency when considering to long time series that cover a broad spatial extent. Okin (2007) proposes a variation of SMA, named as relative spectra mixture analysis (RSMA) to address the latter challenge by calculating the relative change of fraction of GV, NPV/litter, and BS compared with a baseline date. This approach assumes that the baseline image contains the spectral information of the bare soil that can be used as an endmember for spectral mixture analysis though it is mixed with the spectral reflectance of other non-soil land cover types. Using the baseline image, one can obtain the change of fractions of GV, NPV/litter, BS, and snow compared with the baseline image. However, RSMA results depend on the selection of baseline date and the fractional components during this date. In this study, we modified the strategy of implementing RSMA by introducing a step of obtaining a soil map as the baseline image using multiple-endmember SMA (MESMA) before applying RSMA. The fractions of land cover components from this modified RSMA are also validated using the field observations from two study area in semiarid savanna and grassland of Queensland, Australia.

Does manure management affect the latent greenhouse gas emitting potential of livestock manures?

PubMed

Pratt, Chris; Redding, Matthew; Hill, Jaye; Jensen, Paul D

2015-12-01

With livestock manures being increasingly sought as alternatives to costly synthetic fertilisers, it is imperative that we understand and manage their associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Here we provide the first dedicated assessment into how the GHG emitting potential of various manures responds to the different stages of the manure management continuum (e.g., from feed pen surface vs stockpiled). The research is important from the perspective of manure application to agricultural soils. Manures studied included: manure from beef feedpen surfaces and stockpiles; poultry broiler litter (8-week batch); fresh and composted egg layer litter; and fresh and composted piggery litter. Gases assessed were methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), the two principal agricultural GHGs. We employed proven protocols to determine the manures' ultimate CH4 producing potential. We also devised a novel incubation experiment to elucidate their N2O emitting potential; a measure for which no established methods exist. We found lower CH4 potentials in manures from later stages in their management sequence compared with earlier stages, but only by a factor of 0.65×. Moreover, for the beef manures this decrease was not significant (P<0.05). Nitrous oxide emission potential was significantly positively (P<0.05) correlated with C/N ratios yet showed no obvious relationship with manure management stage. Indeed, N2O emissions from the composted egg manure were considerably (13×) and significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the fresh egg manure. Our study demonstrates that manures from all stages of the manure management continuum potentially entail significant GHG risk when applied to arable landscapes. Efforts to harness manure resources need to account for this. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept.

PubMed

Castellano, Michael J; Mueller, Kevin E; Olk, Daniel C; Sawyer, John E; Six, Johan

2015-09-01

Labile, 'high-quality', plant litters are hypothesized to promote soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization in mineral soil fractions that are physicochemically protected from rapid mineralization. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. High-quality litters, characterized by high N concentrations, low C/N ratios, and low phenol/lignin concentrations, are not consistently stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than 'low-quality' litters characterized by low N concentrations, high C/N ratios, and high phenol/lignin concentrations. Here, we attempt to resolve these inconsistent results by developing a new conceptual model that links litter quality to the soil C saturation concept. Our model builds on the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization framework (Cotrufo et al., 2013) by suggesting the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is modulated by the extent of soil C saturation such that high-quality litters are not always stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than low-quality litters. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Distribution of beach litter along the coastline of Cádiz, Spain.

PubMed

Williams, Allan Thomas; Randerson, Peter; Di Giacomo, Carlo; Anfuso, Giorgio; Macias, Ana; Perales, José Antonio

2016-06-15

A total of 59 categories of litter items were found at 20 beaches (13 mechanically cleaned, 7 non-cleaned) in the Cádiz tourist environment, Spain. Cluster Analysis and Principal Components Analysis were used to highlight similarities and contrasts between sites and/or associations between litter categories. Multivariate analyses separated beaches according to the total numbers of litter items present. Non-cleaned sites showed a variety of litter category abundance with distinct origins and abundant, ubiquitous items (plastic and glass fragments). Of the 7 non-cleaned beaches (49 litter categories) river-mouth sites were distinct due with high numbers of litter items. The sheltered inner part of Cádiz Bay beaches had a wide range of litter type. Many sites were associated with locally deposited recreational litter categories; while industrial/commercial/fishing categories were abundant only at a few sites, indicating items transported onto the shore from the Guadalete river. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine litter in the upper São Vicente submarine canyon (SW Portugal): Abundance, distribution, composition and fauna interactions.

PubMed

Oliveira, Frederico; Monteiro, Pedro; Bentes, Luis; Henriques, Nuno Sales; Aguilar, Ricardo; Gonçalves, Jorge M S

2015-08-15

Marine litter has become a worldwide environmental problem, tainting all ocean habitats. The abundance, distribution and composition of litter and its interactions with fauna were evaluated in the upper S. Vicente canyon using video images from 3 remote operated vehicle exploratory dives. Litter was present in all dives and the abundance was as high as 3.31 items100m(-1). Mean abundance of litter over rock bottom was higher than on soft substrate. Mean litter abundance was slightly higher than reported for other canyons on the Portuguese margin, but lower in comparison to more urbanized coastal areas of the world. Lost fishing gear was the prevalent type of litter, indicating that the majority of litter originates from maritime sources, mainly fishing activity. Physical contact with sessile fauna and entanglement of specimens were the major impacts of lost fishing gear. Based on the importance of this region for the local fishermen, litter abundance is expected to increase. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Effects of Cunninghamia lanceolata-broadleaved tree species mixed leaf litters on active soil organic matter].

PubMed

Wang, Qing-kui; Wang, Si-long; Yu, Xiao-jun; Zhang, Jian; Liu, Yan-xin

2007-06-01

With incubation test, this paper studied the effects of Cunninghamia lanceolata leaf litter and its mixture with the litters of main broadleaved tree species in subtropical China, such as Alnus cremastogyne, Kalopanax septemlobus and Michelia macclurei on active soil organic matter. The results showed that adding leaf litters into soil could significantly increase soil microbial biomass C and N, respiration rate and dissolved organic C, and mixed leaf litters were more effective than C. lanceolata leaf litter in increasing soil dissolved organic C. By the end of the incubation, the increment of soil microbial biomass C and N, respiration rate, and dissolved organic C in treatments C. lanceolata leaf litter and C. lanceolata-broadleaved tree species mixed leaf litters was 49% and 63%, 35% and 75%, 65% and 100%, and 66% and 108%, respectively, compared with control. The addition of leaf litters had no significant effects on soil microbial quotient and microbial biomass C/N ratio.

Interpretation of high-resolution imagery for detecting vegetation cover composition change after fuels reduction treatments in woodlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karl, Jason W.; Gillan, Jeffrey K.; Barger, Nichole N.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Duniway, Michael C.

2014-01-01

The use of very high resolution (VHR; ground sampling distances < ∼5 cm) aerial imagery to estimate site vegetation cover and to detect changes from management has been well documented. However, as the purpose of monitoring is to document change over time, the ability to detect changes from imagery at the same or better level of accuracy and precision as those measured in situ must be assessed for image-based techniques to become reliable tools for ecosystem monitoring. Our objective with this study was to quantify the relationship between field-measured and image-interpreted changes in vegetation and ground cover measured one year apart in a Piñon and Juniper (P–J) woodland in southern Utah, USA. The study area was subject to a variety of fuel removal treatments between 2009 and 2010. We measured changes in plant community composition and ground cover along transects in a control area and three different treatments prior to and following P–J removal. We compared these measurements to vegetation composition and change based on photo-interpretation of ∼4 cm ground sampling distance imagery along similar transects. Estimates of cover were similar between field-based and image-interpreted methods in 2009 and 2010 for woody vegetation, no vegetation, herbaceous vegetation, and litter (including woody litter). Image-interpretation slightly overestimated cover for woody vegetation and no-vegetation classes (average difference between methods of 1.34% and 5.85%) and tended to underestimate cover for herbaceous vegetation and litter (average difference of −5.18% and 0.27%), but the differences were significant only for litter cover in 2009. Level of agreement between the field-measurements and image-interpretation was good for woody vegetation and no-vegetation classes (r between 0.47 and 0.89), but generally poorer for herbaceous vegetation and litter (r between 0.18 and 0.81) likely due to differences in image quality by year and the difficulty in discriminating fine vegetation and litter in imagery. Our results show that image interpretation to detect vegetation changes has utility for monitoring fuels reduction treatments in terms of woody vegetation and no-vegetation classes. The benefits of this technique are that it provides objective and repeatable measurements of site conditions that could be implemented relatively inexpensively and easily without the need for highly specialized software or technical expertise. Perhaps the biggest limitations of image interpretation to monitoring fuels treatments are challenges in estimating litter and herbaceous vegetation cover and the sensitivity of herbaceous cover estimates to image quality and shadowing.

Decomposition and nitrogen dynamics of 15N-labeled leaf, root, and twig litter in temperate coniferous forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

van Huysen, Tiff L.; Harmon, Mark E.; Perakis, Steven S.; Chen, Hua

2013-01-01

Litter nutrient dynamics contribute significantly to biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems. We examined how site environment and initial substrate quality influence decomposition and nitrogen (N) dynamics of multiple litter types. A 2.5-year decomposition study was installed in the Oregon Coast Range and West Cascades using 15N-labeled litter from Acer macrophyllum, Picea sitchensis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Mass loss for leaf litter was similar between the two sites, while root and twig litter exhibited greater mass loss in the Coast Range. Mass loss was greatest from leaves and roots, and species differences in mass loss were more prominent in the Coast Range. All litter types and species mineralized N early in the decomposition process; only A. macrophyllum leaves exhibited a net N immobilization phase. There were no site differences with respect to litter N dynamics despite differences in site N availability, and litter N mineralization patterns were species-specific. For multiple litter × species combinations, the difference between gross and net N mineralization was significant, and gross mineralization was 7–20 % greater than net mineralization. The mineralization results suggest that initial litter chemistry may be an important driver of litter N dynamics. Our study demonstrates that greater amounts of N are cycling through these systems than may be quantified by only measuring net mineralization and challenges current leaf-based biogeochemical theory regarding patterns of N immobilization and mineralization.

Decomposition characteristics of three different kinds of aquatic macrophytes and their potential application as carbon resource in constructed wetland.

PubMed

Wu, Suqing; He, Shengbing; Zhou, Weili; Gu, Jianya; Huang, Jungchen; Gao, Lei; Zhang, Xu

2017-12-01

Decomposition of aquatic macrophytes usually generates significant influence on aquatic environment. Study on the aquatic macrophytes decomposition may help reusing the aquatic macrophytes litters, as well as controlling the water pollution caused by the decomposition process. This study verified that the decomposition processes of three different kinds of aquatic macrophytes (water hyacinth, hydrilla and cattail) could exert significant influences on water quality of the receiving water, including the change extent of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, etc. The influence of decomposition on water quality and the concentrations of the released chemical materials both followed the order of water hyacinth > hydrilla > cattail. Greater influence was obtained with higher dosage of plant litter addition. The influence also varied with sediment addition. Moreover, nitrogen released from the decomposition of water hyacinth and hydrilla were mainly NH 3 -N and organic nitrogen while those from cattail litter included organic nitrogen and NO 3 - -N. After the decomposition, the average carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) in the receiving water was about 2.6 (water hyacinth), 5.3 (hydrilla) and 20.3 (cattail). Therefore, cattail litter might be a potential plant carbon source for denitrification in ecological system of a constructed wetland. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution of plant nutrient elements and carbon in particle size fractions of broiler litter ash

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An estimated 10.8 million tons of broiler litter and 3.0 million tons of turkey litter were produced in the United States in 2009. Poultry litter is a mixture of manure, bedding material (e.g., wood chips, sawdust, or straw), feathers, and spilled feed. Poultry litter contains high levels of Ca, N...

Quality of soluble organic C, N, and P produced by different types and species of litter: root litter versus leaf litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In forested ecosystems, the quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) produced by freshly senesced litter may differ by litter type and species, and these differences may influence the amount of DOM that is respired versus that which may either contribute to soil organic matter accumulation or be le...

Functionally dissimilar neighbors accelerate litter decomposition in two grass species.

PubMed

Barbe, Lou; Jung, Vincent; Prinzing, Andreas; Bittebiere, Anne-Kristel; Butenschoen, Olaf; Mony, Cendrine

2017-05-01

Plant litter decomposition is a key regulator of nutrient recycling. In a given environment, decomposition of litter from a focal species depends on its litter quality and on the efficiency of local decomposers. Both may be strongly modified by functional traits of neighboring species, but the consequences for decomposition of litter from the focal species remain unknown. We tested whether decomposition of a focal plant's litter is influenced by the functional-trait dissimilarity to the neighboring plants. We cultivated two grass species (Brachypodium pinnatum and Elytrigia repens) in experimental mesocosms with functionally similar and dissimilar neighborhoods, and reciprocally transplanted litter. For both species, litter quality increased in functionally dissimilar neighborhoods, partly as a result of changes in functional traits involved in plant-plant interactions. Furthermore, functional dissimilarity increased overall decomposer efficiency in one species, probably via complementarity effects. Our results suggest a novel mechanism of biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning in grasslands: interspecific functional diversity within plant communities can enhance intraspecific contributions to litter decomposition. Thus, plant species might better perform in diverse communities by benefiting from higher remineralization rates of their own litter. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Nonculturability Might Underestimate the Occurrence of Campylobacter in Broiler Litter.

PubMed

Kassem, Issmat I; Helmy, Yosra A; Kathayat, Dipak; Candelero-Rueda, Rosario A; Kumar, Anand; Deblais, Loic; Huang, Huang-Chi; Sahin, Orhan; Zhang, Qijing; Rajashekara, Gireesh

2017-08-01

We investigated the contribution of litter to the occurrence of Campylobacter on three broiler farms, which were known to have low (LO) and high (HI-A and HI-B) Campylobacter prevalence. For this purpose, we collected litter samples (n = 288) during and after two rearing cycles from each farm. We evaluated the occurrence of Campylobacter (using selective enrichment and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction [q-PCR] analysis) in the litter samples as well as the litter's pH and moisture content. Ceca from each flock (n = 144) were harvested at slaughter age and used to quantify Campylobacter colony-forming units (CFUs). Campylobacter was only retrieved from 7 litter samples that were collected from HI-A and HI-B during the growing period, but no Campylobacter was isolated from LO farms. The q-PCR analysis detected Campylobacter in pooled litter samples from all three farms. However, in litter collected during the same rotation, Campylobacter levels were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in HI-A and HI-B litter samples in comparison to those in LO. Cecal samples from HI-A and HI-B yielded relatively high numbers of Campylobacter CFUs, which were undetectable in LO samples. Litter's pH and moisture did not affect the overall occurrence of Campylobacter in litter and ceca on any of the farms. Our data suggest that Campylobacter was generally more abundant in litter that was collected from farms with highly colonized flocks. Therefore, better approaches for assessing the occurrence of Campylobacter in litter might be warranted in order to reduce the dissemination of these pathogens on and off poultry farms.

Effects of fire frequency on litter decomposition as mediated by changes to litter chemistry and soil environmental conditions.

PubMed

Ficken, Cari D; Wright, Justin P

2017-01-01

Litter quality and soil environmental conditions are well-studied drivers influencing decomposition rates, but the role played by disturbance legacy, such as fire history, in mediating these drivers is not well understood. Fire history may impact decomposition directly, through changes in soil conditions that impact microbial function, or indirectly, through shifts in plant community composition and litter chemistry. Here, we compared early-stage decomposition rates across longleaf pine forest blocks managed with varying fire frequencies (annual burns, triennial burns, fire-suppression). Using a reciprocal transplant design, we examined how litter chemistry and soil characteristics independently and jointly influenced litter decomposition. We found that both litter chemistry and soil environmental conditions influenced decomposition rates, but only the former was affected by historical fire frequency. Litter from annually burned sites had higher nitrogen content than litter from triennially burned and fire suppression sites, but this was correlated with only a modest increase in decomposition rates. Soil environmental conditions had a larger impact on decomposition than litter chemistry. Across the landscape, decomposition differed more along soil moisture gradients than across fire management regimes. These findings suggest that fire frequency has a limited effect on litter decomposition in this ecosystem, and encourage extending current decomposition frameworks into disturbed systems. However, litter from different species lost different masses due to fire, suggesting that fire may impact decomposition through the preferential combustion of some litter types. Overall, our findings also emphasize the important role of spatial variability in soil environmental conditions, which may be tied to fire frequency across large spatial scales, in driving decomposition rates in this system.

The use of beached bird surveys for marine plastic litter monitoring in Ireland.

PubMed

Acampora, Heidi; Lyashevska, Olga; Van Franeker, Jan Andries; O'Connor, Ian

2016-09-01

Marine plastic litter has become a major threat to wildlife. Marine animals are highly susceptible to entanglement and ingestion of debris at sea. Governments all around the world are being urged to monitor litter sources and inputs, and to mitigate the impacts of marine litter, which is primarily composed of plastics. European policies, such as Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) have adopted the monitoring of a seabird species, the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), as an environmental quality indicator through the analysis of stomach contents of beached Fulmar specimens. The aims of this research were to: firstly set a baseline investigation of multispecies of seabirds in Ireland affected by the ingestion of litter and, secondly to investigate the feasibility of using Fulmar and/or other potential species of seabird as an indicator for marine debris in Ireland through beached bird surveys. Within 30 months, 121 birds comprising 16 different species were collected and examined for the presence of litter. Of these, 27.3% (n = 33) comprising 12 different species were found to ingest litter, mainly plastics. The average mass of ingested litter was 0.141 g. Among 14 sampled Northern Fulmars, 13 (93%) had ingested plastic litter, all of them over the 0.1 g threshold used in OSPAR and MSFD policy target definitions. Results show that seabirds in Ireland are ingesting marine litter, as in many other countries in the world. Monitoring seabird litter ingestion has the potential to form part of a wider marine litter monitoring programme that can help to inform mitigation and management measures for marine litter. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding litter decomposition in semiarid ecosystems: linking leaf traits, UV exposure and rainfall variability

PubMed Central

Gaxiola, Aurora; Armesto, Juan J.

2015-01-01

Differences in litter quality, microbial activity or abiotic conditions cannot fully account for the variability in decomposition rates observed in semiarid ecosystems. Here we tested the role of variation in litter quality, water supply, and UV radiation as drivers of litter decomposition in arid lands. And show that carry-over effects of litter photodegradation during dry periods can regulate decomposition during subsequent wet periods. We present data from a two-phase experiment, where we first exposed litter from a drought-deciduous and an evergreen shrub to natural UV levels during five, rainless summer months and, subsequently, in the laboratory, we assessed the carry-over effects of photodegradation on biomass loss under different irrigation treatments representing the observed range of local rainfall variation among years (15–240 mm). Photodegradation of litter in the field produced average carbon losses of 12%, but deciduous Proustia pungens lost >25%, while evergreen Porlieria chilensis less than 5%. Natural exposure to UV significantly reduced carbon-to-nitrogen and lignin:N ratios in Proustia litter but not in Porlieria. During the subsequent wet phase, remaining litter biomass was lower in Proustia than in Porlieria. Indeed UV exposure increased litter decomposition of Proustia under low and medium rainfall treatments, whereas no carry-over effects were detected under high rainfall treatment. Consequently, for deciduous Proustia carry-over effects of UV exposure were negligible under high irrigation. Litter decomposition of the evergreen Porlieria depended solely on levels of rainfall that promote microbial decomposers. Our two-phase experiment revealed that both the carry-over effects of photodegradation and litter quality, modulated by inter-annual variability in rainfall, can explain the marked differences in decomposition rates and the frequent decoupling between rainfall and litter decomposition observed in semiarid ecosystems. PMID:25852705

[Relationship between leaf litter decomposition and colonization of benthic macroinvertebrates during early frost period in a headwater stream in the Changbai Mountains, Northeast China].

PubMed

Wang, Lu; Yang, Hai Jun; Li, Ling; Nan, Xiao Fei; Zhang, Zhen Xing; Li, Kun

2017-11-01

Annually, about 70% of the streams in the Changbai Mountains are frosted during November to April, with manifest seasonal freeze-thaw characters. By using monoculture and mixing leaf litters of Tilia amurensis, Acer mono and Quecus mongolica, this research attempted to disentangle the relationship between leaf litter decomposition and colonization of macroinvertebrates in the stream during early frost period. A 35-day investigation was carried out in a headwater stream of the Changbai Mountains. Nylon bags with two hole sizes (5 mm and 0.3 mm) were used to examine decomposition of the litters. The results showed that the mass losses were significantly different among the three kinds of leaf litters in monoculture, whose decomposition rates descended as A. mono, T. amurensis, and Q. mongolica, however, there existed no significant difference among the litter mixing. Mass losses in both mesh bags all showed little difference, except T. amurensis and the mixed litters. Litter mixing effects occurred in the coarse mesh bags with A. mono and Q. mongolica, but no mixture effects for others. Community structures of the macroinvertebrates colonizing in the litter bags differed with each other, but shredders' density had no significant difference among the three litters, and the mixing effects on shredders were poor. Our results implied that microbes play the major decomposers of leaf litters, and macroinvertebrates contribute little to the decomposition in the early frost period. Despite shredder's density is lower, they determine the mixing effects of litters. Macroinvertebrates are selective to food and habitats, however, due to the short term colonizing, and the influence of leaf litters on shredders is still unsure. Our results might contribute to understanding the cold season ecological processes and related management issues of headwater stream ecosystem.

Effects of fire frequency on litter decomposition as mediated by changes to litter chemistry and soil environmental conditions

PubMed Central

Wright, Justin P.

2017-01-01

Litter quality and soil environmental conditions are well-studied drivers influencing decomposition rates, but the role played by disturbance legacy, such as fire history, in mediating these drivers is not well understood. Fire history may impact decomposition directly, through changes in soil conditions that impact microbial function, or indirectly, through shifts in plant community composition and litter chemistry. Here, we compared early-stage decomposition rates across longleaf pine forest blocks managed with varying fire frequencies (annual burns, triennial burns, fire-suppression). Using a reciprocal transplant design, we examined how litter chemistry and soil characteristics independently and jointly influenced litter decomposition. We found that both litter chemistry and soil environmental conditions influenced decomposition rates, but only the former was affected by historical fire frequency. Litter from annually burned sites had higher nitrogen content than litter from triennially burned and fire suppression sites, but this was correlated with only a modest increase in decomposition rates. Soil environmental conditions had a larger impact on decomposition than litter chemistry. Across the landscape, decomposition differed more along soil moisture gradients than across fire management regimes. These findings suggest that fire frequency has a limited effect on litter decomposition in this ecosystem, and encourage extending current decomposition frameworks into disturbed systems. However, litter from different species lost different masses due to fire, suggesting that fire may impact decomposition through the preferential combustion of some litter types. Overall, our findings also emphasize the important role of spatial variability in soil environmental conditions, which may be tied to fire frequency across large spatial scales, in driving decomposition rates in this system. PMID:29023560

[Effects of grazing on the composition of soil animals and their decomposition function to Stipa grandis litter in Inner Mongolia typical steppe, China.

PubMed

Yang, Zhi Min; Hasitamier; Liu, Xin Min

2016-09-01

Grazing has been considered to be an important factor determining the composition of soil animals and decomposition of leaf litter in grassland ecosystem. Sampling plots were selected in ungrazed grassland, grazed grassland and sandy land. Litter bags were used to compare the changes of physicochemical properties of Stipa grandis litter and the composition of soil fauna in the process of the litter decomposition in Baiyinxile, Inner Mongolia, since 2010 to 2012. A total number of 67056 soil animals were captured, belonging to five phyla and eight classes, including 23 families of mites and 19 families of insects. After 780 days' decomposition, the loss of the organic matter of S. grandis litter was from 92.5% to 40.0% in the ungrazed grassland, and to 41.3% in the grazed grassland, with no significant difference observed. However, there was a significant difference (P<0.05) between the ratio of litter residues of the ungrazed grassland (50.0%) and that of the grazed grassland (23.0%). The abundance of soil animals in the residual litters was significantly decreased in the grazed grassland compared to the ungrazed grassland. When the litter was moved into the sandy land, the decomposition rate of organic matter in the residual litter was not significant changed but the ratio of litter residue declined significantly, and the composition of mite community in the resi-dual litter changed significantly. Our results illustrated that grazing activity could affect the composition and abundance of soil fauna in temperate grassland, but slightly influenced the decomposition of organic matter. Therefore, soil animals had relatively weak direct effects on the decomposition of litter in this semi-arid region.

Understanding litter decomposition in semiarid ecosystems: linking leaf traits, UV exposure and rainfall variability.

PubMed

Gaxiola, Aurora; Armesto, Juan J

2015-01-01

Differences in litter quality, microbial activity or abiotic conditions cannot fully account for the variability in decomposition rates observed in semiarid ecosystems. Here we tested the role of variation in litter quality, water supply, and UV radiation as drivers of litter decomposition in arid lands. And show that carry-over effects of litter photodegradation during dry periods can regulate decomposition during subsequent wet periods. We present data from a two-phase experiment, where we first exposed litter from a drought-deciduous and an evergreen shrub to natural UV levels during five, rainless summer months and, subsequently, in the laboratory, we assessed the carry-over effects of photodegradation on biomass loss under different irrigation treatments representing the observed range of local rainfall variation among years (15-240 mm). Photodegradation of litter in the field produced average carbon losses of 12%, but deciduous Proustia pungens lost >25%, while evergreen Porlieria chilensis less than 5%. Natural exposure to UV significantly reduced carbon-to-nitrogen and lignin:N ratios in Proustia litter but not in Porlieria. During the subsequent wet phase, remaining litter biomass was lower in Proustia than in Porlieria. Indeed UV exposure increased litter decomposition of Proustia under low and medium rainfall treatments, whereas no carry-over effects were detected under high rainfall treatment. Consequently, for deciduous Proustia carry-over effects of UV exposure were negligible under high irrigation. Litter decomposition of the evergreen Porlieria depended solely on levels of rainfall that promote microbial decomposers. Our two-phase experiment revealed that both the carry-over effects of photodegradation and litter quality, modulated by inter-annual variability in rainfall, can explain the marked differences in decomposition rates and the frequent decoupling between rainfall and litter decomposition observed in semiarid ecosystems.

Litter survey in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

This report summarizes the findings of the litter survey for highways, urban areas, and recreational areas as specified in the "Virginia Litter Control Act". Litter samples from 61 highway sites, 11 urban sites, and 10 recreational sites geographical...

Characterization of forest litter horizons through full-wave inversion of ground-penetrating radar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Frédéric; Jonard, Mathieu; Jonard, François; Lambot, Sébastien

2015-04-01

Decomposing litter accumulated at the soil surface in forest ecosystems play a major role in a series of ecosystem processes (soil carbon sequestration, nutrient release through decomposition, water retention, buffering of soil temperature variations, tree regeneration, population dynamics of ground vegetation and soil fauna, ...). Besides, the presence of litter is acknowledged to influence remote sensing radar data over forested areas and accurate quantification of litter radiative properties is essential for proper processing of these data. In these respects, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) presents particular interests, potentially allowing for fast and non-invasive characterization of organic layers with fine spatial and/or temporal resolutions as well as for providing detailed information on litter electrical properties which are required for modeling either active or passive microwave remote sensing data. We designed an experiment in order to analyze the backscattering from forest litter horizons and to investigate the potentialities of GPR for retrieving the physical properties of these horizons. For that purpose, we used an ultrawide band radar system connected to a transmitting and receiving horn antenna. The GPR data were processed resorting to full-wave inversion of the signal, through which antenna effects are accounted for. In a first step, GPR data were acquired over artificially reconstructed layers of three different beech litter types (i.e., (i) recently fallen litter with easily discernible plant organs (OL layer), (ii) fragmented litter in partial decomposition without entire plant organs (OF layer) and (iii) combination of OL and OF litter layers) and considering in each case a range of layer thicknesses. In a second step, so as to validate the adopted methodology in real natural conditions, GPR measurements were performed in situ along a transect crossing a wide range of litter properties in terms of thickness and composition through stands of various tree species. Results from the controlled experiment demonstrated the ability of GPR to reconstruct litter horizons, showing close correspondence between inversely estimated and measured litter layer thicknesses and providing reliable estimates of litter electromagnetic properties. This experiment also highlighted the necessity of considering scattering and dielectric losses occurring within litter for proper modeling of the GPR signal, which was accounted for through frequency dependence of an effective electrical conductivity of the litter. Similar findings emerged from the in situ experiment, though somewhat lower agreement was observed between estimated and reference layer thickness values. These results show great promise for the use of GPR for non-invasive characterization of forest litter. Index Terms: Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), forest litter, frequency dependence, scattering Reference: André F., Jonard M., Lambot S., 2015. Non-invasive forest litter characterization using full-wave inversion of microwave radar data, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 53(2), 828-840.

Increasing shrub abundance and N addition in Arctic tundra affect leaf and root litter decomposition differently

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLaren, J.; van de Weg, M. J.; Shaver, G. R.; Gough, L.

2013-12-01

Changes in global climate have resulted in a ';greening' of the Arctic as the abundance of deciduous shrub species increases. Consequently, not only the living plant community, but also the litter composition changes, which in turn can affect carbon turnover patterns in the Arctic. We examined effects of changing litter composition (both root and leaf litter) on decomposition rates with a litter bag study, and specifically focused on the impact of deciduous shrub Betula nana litter on litter decomposition from two evergreen shrubs (Ledum palustre, and Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and one graminoid (Eriophorum vaginatum) species. Additionally, we investigated how decomposition was affected by nutrient availability by placing the litterbags in an ambient and a fertilized moist acidic tundra environment. Measurements were carried out seasonally over 2 years (after snow melt, mid-growing season, end growing season). We measured litter mass loss over time, as well as the respiration rates (standardized for temperature and moisture) and temperature sensitivity of litter respiration at the time of harvesting the litter bags. For leaves, Betula litter decomposed faster than the other three species, with Eriophorum leaves decomposing the slowest. This pattern was observed for both mass loss and litter respiration rates, although the differences in respiration became smaller over time. Surprisingly, combining Betula with any other species resulted in slower overall weight loss rates than would be predicted based on monoculture weight loss rates. This contrasted with litter respiration at the time of sampling, which showed a positive mixing effect of adding Betula leaf liter to the other species. Apparently, during the first winter months (September - May) Betula litter decomposition is negatively affected by mixing the species and this legacy can still be observed in the total mass loss results later in the year. For root litter there were fewer effects of species identity on root decomposition rates; only Ledum roots decomposed slower than the other three species and the overall root litter respiration rates increased with the duration of the experiment (in contrast to leaf liter respiration). A fertilized environment had no effect on overall weight loss of the leaf or root litter within the time of our study, but leaf and root litter respiration rates were significantly larger at the end of the study in the fertilized tundra.The temperature sensitivity of leaf respiration was significantly lower for leaf litter respiration than root liter respiration after fist snow melt, but this difference disappeared throughout the first growing season and neither was influenced by species composition or fertilization with N+P. Overall, our results suggest that as arctic vegetation shifts towards shrub-dominated tundra, both species composition and seasonally dependent processes will determine effects of changing vegetation types on carbon turnover in arctic ecosystems.

Influence of different litter materials on cecal microbiota colonization in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Torok, V A; Hughes, R J; Ophel-Keller, K; Ali, M; Macalpine, R

2009-12-01

A chicken growth study was conducted to determine if litter type influenced gut microbiota and performance in broilers. Seven bedding materials were investigated and included soft and hardwood sawdust, softwood shavings, shredded paper, chopped straw, rice hulls, and reused softwood shavings. Microbial profiling was done to investigate changes in cecal bacterial communities associated with litter material and age. Cecal microbiota were investigated at 14 and 28 d of age (n = 12 birds/litter material). At both ages, the cecal microbiota of chickens raised on reused litter was significantly (P < 0.05) different from that of chickens raised on any of the other litter materials, except softwood shavings at d 28. Cecal microbiota was also significantly different between birds raised on shredded paper and rice hulls at both ages. Age had a significant influence on cecal microbiota composition regardless of litter material. Similarity in cecal microbial communities among birds raised on the same litter treatment was greater at 28 d of age (29 to 40%) than at 14 d of age (25 to 32%). Bird performance on the different litter materials was measured by feed conversion ratio, live weight, and feed intake. Significant (P < 0.05) differences were detected in live weight at 14 d of age and feed intake at 14 and 28 d of age among birds (n = 160/treatment) raised on some of the different litter materials. However, no significant (P > 0.05) differences were observed in feed conversion ratio among birds raised on any of the 7 different litter materials at either 14 or 28 d of age. The type of litter material can influence colonization and development of cecal microbiota in chickens. Litter-induced changes in the gut microbiota may be partially responsible for some of the significant differences observed in early rates of growth; therefore, litter choice may have an important role in poultry gut health particularly in the absence of in-feed antibiotics.

Land use not litter quality is a stronger driver of decomposition in hyperdiverse tropical forest.

PubMed

Both, Sabine; Elias, Dafydd M O; Kritzler, Ully H; Ostle, Nick J; Johnson, David

2017-11-01

In hyperdiverse tropical forests, the key drivers of litter decomposition are poorly understood despite its crucial role in facilitating nutrient availability for plants and microbes. Selective logging is a pressing land use with potential for considerable impacts on plant-soil interactions, litter decomposition, and nutrient cycling. Here, in Borneo's tropical rainforests, we test the hypothesis that decomposition is driven by litter quality and that there is a significant "home-field advantage," that is positive interaction between local litter quality and land use. We determined mass loss of leaf litter, collected from selectively logged and old-growth forest, in a fully factorial experimental design, using meshes that either allowed or precluded access by mesofauna. We measured leaf litter chemical composition before and after the experiment. Key soil chemical and biological properties and microclimatic conditions were measured as land-use descriptors. We found that despite substantial differences in litter quality, the main driver of decomposition was land-use type. Whilst inclusion of mesofauna accelerated decomposition, their effect was independent of land use and litter quality. Decomposition of all litters was slower in selectively logged forest than in old-growth forest. However, there was significantly greater loss of nutrients from litter, especially phosphorus, in selectively logged forest. The analyses of several covariates detected minor microclimatic differences between land-use types but no alterations in soil chemical properties or free-living microbial composition. These results demonstrate that selective logging can significantly reduce litter decomposition in tropical rainforest with no evidence of a home-field advantage. We show that loss of key limiting nutrients from litter (P & N) is greater in selectively logged forest. Overall, the findings hint at subtle differences in microclimate overriding litter quality that result in reduced decomposition rates in selectively logged forests and potentially affect biogeochemical nutrient cycling in the long term.

Dynamics of microbial communities during decomposition of litter from pioneering plants in initial soil ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esperschütz, J.; Zimmermann, C.; Dümig, A.; Welzl, G.; Buegger, F.; Elmer, M.; Munch, J. C.; Schloter, M.

2013-07-01

In initial ecosystems, concentrations of all macro- and micronutrients can be considered as extremely low. Plant litter therefore strongly influences the development of a degrader's food web and is an important source for C and N input into soil in such ecosystems. In the present study, a 13C litter decomposition field experiment was performed for 30 weeks in initial soils from a post-mining area near the city of Cottbus (Germany). Two of this region's dominant but contrasting pioneering plant species (Lotus corniculatus L. and Calamagrostis epigejos L.) were chosen to investigate the effects of litter quality on the litter decomposing microbial food web in initially nutrient-poor substrates. The results clearly indicate the importance of litter quality, as indicated by its N content, its bioavailability for the degradation process and the development of microbial communities in the detritusphere and soil. The degradation of the L. corniculatus litter, which had a low C / N ratio, was fast and showed pronounced changes in the microbial community structure 1-4 weeks after litter addition. The degradation of the C. epigejos litter material was slow and microbial community changes mainly occurred between 4 and 30 weeks after litter addition to the soil. However, for both litter materials a clear indication of the importance of fungi for the degradation process was observed both in terms of fungal abundance and activity (13C incorporation activity)

[Relationships between decomposition rate of leaf litter and initial quality across the alpine timberline ecotone in Western Sichuan, China].

PubMed

Yang, Lin; Deng, Chang-chun; Chen Ya-mei; He, Run-lian; Zhang, Jian; Liu, Yang

2015-12-01

The relationships between litter decomposition rate and their initial quality of 14 representative plants in the alpine forest ecotone of western Sichuan were investigated in this paper. The decomposition rate k of the litter ranged from 0.16 to 1.70. Woody leaf litter and moss litter decomposed much slower, and shrubby litter decomposed a little faster. Then, herbaceous litters decomposed fastest among all plant forms. There were significant linear regression relationships between the litter decomposition rate and the N content, lignin content, phenolics content, C/N, C/P and lignin/N. Lignin/N and hemicellulose content could explain 78.4% variation of the litter decomposition rate (k) by path analysis. The lignin/N could explain 69.5% variation of k alone, and the direct path coefficient of lignin/N on k was -0.913. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the contribution rate of the first sort axis to k and the decomposition time (t) reached 99.2%. Significant positive correlations existed between lignin/N, lignin content, C/N, C/P and the first sort axis, and the closest relationship existed between lignin/N and the first sort axis (r = 0.923). Lignin/N was the key quality factor affecting plant litter decomposition rate across the alpine timberline ecotone, with the higher the initial lignin/N, the lower the decomposition rate of leaf litter.

Litter fall from shrubs in the northern Majove Desert

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strojan, C.L.; Turner,F.B.; Castetter, R.

1979-10-01

Plant litter was collected in traps from 8 to 10 replicates each of Ambrosia dumosa, Ephedra nevadensis, Krameria parvifolia, Larrea tradentata, Lycium andersonii, and Lycium pallidum in Rock Valley, southern Nevada, USA. Collections were made at biweekly to monthly intervals from 1975 to 1977 and handsorted into leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. Litter fall was generally correlated with annual rainfall, which was low in 1975 (62 mm), high in 1976 (223 mm), and close to the longterm mean in 1977 (141 mm). Leaves were generally the largest litter category, followed by stems, fruits, and flowers. Large sample variations were found,more » particularly for reproductive parts. Aboveground litter fall from the six species, which comprise approx. = 82% of pernnial plant biomass and approx. = 81% of shrub cover in Rock Valley, was about 117 kg/ha in 1975 and 318 kg/ha in 1976. Total aboveground litter fall for Rock Valley (all perennial and annual plants) was estimated to be 194 kg/ha in 1975 and 530 kg/ha in 1976. Distinct litter fall patterns occurred for shrub species and litter categories. Most litter fell during the summer months, with individual species peaks reflecting particular phenologies. Significant amounts of live aboveground biomass were shed as litter. Amounts of litter from the six species ranged from 7 to 83% of their respective live aboveground biomass.« less

Lignin signatures show the effects of changes in heather and bracken cover on the composition of organic matter in a moorland soil profile.

PubMed

Hetherington, S L; Anderson, J M

1998-11-01

Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is aggressively displacing heather (Calluna vulgaris) on many moorlands in Britain. We investigated the use of lignin derivatives to identify the distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) derived from bracken in moorland soil profiles formed under heather. Phenylpropanoids extracted from recently senesced litters, roots and SOM, using alkaline CuO oxidation, showed distinct signatures for bracken and heather, with vanillyl moieties dominating bracken litter extracts and vanillyl and syringyl dominating heather litter extracts. Ratios of vanillyl and syringyl concentrations characterised the SOM derived from heather and bracken better than the concentrations of the individual moieties. The analysis showed up to a depth of 5 cm under pure bracken cover, and at the interface between heather and bracken, the SOM was largely derived from bracken litter but below that depth SOM was apparently derived from heather. The use of these methods to identify the plant origin of SOM not only enables understanding the effects of changing vegetation cover on organic matter dynamics in moorland soils but could also facilitate management techniques in moorland/heathland restoration which involve the removal of comparatively nutrient-rich SOM derived from bracken.

Correlation between the morphogenetic types of litter and their properties in bog birch forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efremova, T. T.; Efremov, S. P.; Avrova, A. F.

2010-08-01

A formalized arrangement of morphogenetic types of litter according to the physicochemical parameters provided their significant grouping in three genetic associations. The litter group (highly decomposed + moderately decomposed) is confined to the tall-grass group of bog birch forests. The rhizomatous (roughly decomposed) litter is formed in the sedge-reed grass bog birch forests. The litter group (peaty + peatified + peat) is associated with the bog-herbaceous-moss group of forest types. The genetic associations of the litters (a) reliably characterize the edaphic conditions of bog birch forests and (b)correspond to formation of the peat of certain ecological groups. We found highly informative the acid-base parameters, the exchangeable cations (Ca2+ + Mg2+) and the total potential acidity, which differentiated the genetic associations of litter practically with 100% probability. The expediency of studying litters under groups of forest types rather than under separate types of bog birch forests was demonstrated.

The fate of nitrogen mineralized from leaf litter — Initial evidence from 15N-labeled litter

Treesearch

Kathryn B. Piatek

2011-01-01

Decomposition of leaf litter includes microbial immobilization of nitrogen (N), followed by N mineralization. The fate of N mineralized from leaf litter is unknown. I hypothesized that N mineralized from leaf litter will be re-immobilized into other forms of organic matter, including downed wood. This mechanism may retain N in some forests. To test this hypothesis, oak...

Litter decomposition in southern Appalachian black locust and pine-hardwood stands: litter quality and nitrogen dynamics

Treesearch

David L. White; Bruce L. Haines

1988-01-01

The chemical quality of litter, through its interaction with macroclimate and the litter biota, largely regulates the rate of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) turnover in the forest floor (Cromack 1973; Fogel and Cromack 1977; Meentemeyer 1978; Aber and Melillo 1982; Melillo et al. 1982). Litter quality is thought to be related to the N require-ment and...

Effects of dietary coarsely ground corn and 3 bedding floor types on broiler live performance, litter characteristics, gizzard and proventriculus weight, and nutrient digestibility.

PubMed

Xu, Y; Lin, Y M; Stark, C R; Ferket, P R; Williams, C M; Brake, J

2017-07-01

The effects of zero or 50% dietary coarsely ground corn (CC) in pelleted and screened grower and finisher diets on broilers reared on 3 bedding floor types (plastic net [NET], new pine wood shavings litter [NEW], or old pine wood shavings litter [OLD]) on broiler live performance, litter characteristics, gizzard and proventriculus weight, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) were studied in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Fine corn was produced with a hammermill (271 μm) and CC with a roller mill (1145 μm). Utilization of CC reduced milling cost by 9.47 cents per MT with similar nutrient content of screened pellets. The 50% CC treatment exhibited improved (P ≤ 0.05) feed intake at 42 d (2.5%) and 49 d (3.0%), and BW (5.4%) and FCR from 28 d (1.4%). Birds on NEW litter exhibited improved (P < 0.05) BW at 28 and 35 d and 42 d FCR as compared to NET and 49 d FCR compared to NET and OLD. The 50% CC treatment exhibited increased (P < 0.05) gizzard weight but decreased proventriculus weight at 49 d. NEW litter birds exhibited increased (P ≤ 0.05) gizzard weight at 28 d and 49 d and decreased proventriculus weight as compared to NET at 49 days. The 50% CC treatment exhibited decreased (P ≤ 0.05) litter moisture at 35 and 42 d, litter N at 35 and 49 d, and litter pH at 49 days. OLD litter birds exhibited greater (P < 0.05) litter N at 14, 35, and 49 d, as well as litter moisture, pH, and ammonia concentration at 49 days. The 50% CC group also exhibited improved AID of nitrogen (P < 0.05). Broilers fed pelleted and screened diets containing 50% CC exhibited improved live performance and reduced litter moisture while use of NEW litter resulted in a somewhat similar effect, which indicated that consumption of NEW litter also facilitated gastric development and function. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

A Greener Arctic: Vascular Plant Litter Input in Subarctic Peat Bogs Changes Soil Invertebrate Diets and Decomposition Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krab, E. J.; Berg, M. P.; Aerts, R.; van Logtestijn, R. S. P.; Cornelissen, H. H. C.

2014-12-01

Climate-change-induced trends towards shrub dominance in subarctic, moss-dominated peatlands will most likely have large effects on soil carbon (C) dynamics through an input of more easily decomposable litter. The mechanisms by which this increase in vascular litter input interacts with the abundance and diet-choice of the decomposer community to alter C-processing have, however, not yet been unraveled. We used a novel 13C tracer approach to link invertebrate species composition (Collembola), abundance and species-specific feeding behavior to C-processing of vascular and peat moss litters. We incubated different litter mixtures, 100% Sphagnum moss litter, 100% Betula leaf litter, and a 50/50 mixture of both, in mesocosms for 406 days. We revealed the transfer of C from the litters to the soil invertebrate species by 13C labeling of each of the litter types and assessed 13C signatures of the invertebrates Collembola species composition differed significantly between Sphagnum and Betula litter. Within the 'single type litter' mesocosms, Collembola species showed different 13C signatures, implying species-specific differences in diet choice. Surprisingly, the species composition and Collembola abundance changed relatively little as a consequence of Betula input to a Sphagnum based system. Their diet choice, however, changed drastically; species-specific differences in diet choice disappeared and approximately 67% of the food ingested by all Collembola originated from Betula litter. Furthermore, litter decomposition patterns corresponded to these findings; mass loss of Betula increased from 16.1% to 26.2% when decomposing in combination with Sphagnum, while Sphagnum decomposed even slower in combination with Betula litter (1.9%) than alone (4.7%). This study is the first to empirically show that collective diet shifts of the peatland decomposer community from mosses towards vascular plant litter may drive altered decomposition patterns. In addition, we showed that although species-specific differences in Collembola feeding behavior appear to exist, species are very plastic in their diet. This implies that changes in C turnover rates with vegetation shifts, might well be due to diet shifts of the present decomposer community rather than by changes in species composition.

Spatial patterns of plant litter in a tidal freshwater marsh and implications for marsh persistence.

PubMed

Elmore, Andrew J; Engelhardt, Katharina A M; Cadol, Daniel; Palinkas, Cindy M

2016-04-01

The maintenance of marsh platform elevation under conditions of sea level rise is dependent on mineral sediment supply to marsh surfaces and conversion of above- and belowground plant biomass to soil organic material. These physical and biological processes interact within the tidal zone, resulting in elevation-dependent processes contributing to marsh accretion. Here, we explore spatial pattern in a variable related to aboveground biomass, plant litter, to reveal its role in the maintenance of marsh surfaces. Plant litter persisting through the dormant season represents the more recalcitrant portion of plant biomass, and as such has an extended period of influence on ecosystem processes. We conducted a field and remote sensing analysis of plant litter height, aboveground biomass, vertical cover, and stem density (collectively termed plant litter structure) at a tidal freshwater marsh located within the Potomac River estuary, USA. LiDAR and field observations show that plant litter structure becomes more prominent with increasing elevation. Spatial patterns in litter structure exhibit stability from year to year and correlate with patterns in soil organic matter content, revealed by measuring the loss on ignition of surface sediments. The amount of mineral material embedded within plant litter decreases with increasing elevation, representing an important tradeoff with litter structure. Therefore, at low elevations where litter structure is short and sparse, the role of plant litter is to capture sediment; at high elevations where litter structure is tall and dense, aboveground litter contributes organic matter to soil development. This organic matter contribution has the potential to eclipse that of belowground biomass as the root:shoot ratio of dominant species at high elevations is low compared to that of dominant species at low elevations. Because of these tradeoffs in mineral and organic matter incorporation into soil across elevation gradients, the rate of marsh surface elevation change is remarkably consistent across elevation. Because of the role of plant litter in marsh ecosystem processes, monitoring and assessment of these dynamic geomorphic marsh landscapes might be streamlined through the measurement of plant litter structure, either via LiDAR technologies or field observation.

Marine litter on deep Arctic seafloor continues to increase and spreads to the North at the HAUSGARTEN observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekman, Mine B.; Krumpen, Thomas; Bergmann, Melanie

2017-02-01

The increased global production of plastics has been mirrored by greater accumulations of plastic litter in marine environments worldwide. Global plastic litter estimates based on field observations account only for 1% of the total volumes of plastic assumed to enter the marine ecosystem from land, raising again the question 'Where is all the plastic? '. Scant information exists on temporal trends on litter transport and litter accumulation on the deep seafloor. Here, we present the results of photographic time-series surveys indicating a strong increase in marine litter over the period of 2002-2014 at two stations of the HAUSGARTEN observatory in the Arctic (2500 m depth). Plastic accounted for the highest proportion (47%) of litter recorded at HAUSGARTEN for the whole study period. When the most southern station was considered separately, the proportion of plastic items was even higher (65%). Increasing quantities of small plastics raise concerns about fragmentation and future microplastic contamination. Analysis of litter types and sizes indicate temporal and spatial differences in the transport pathways to the deep sea for different categories of litter. Litter densities were positively correlated with the counts of ship entering harbour at Longyearbyen, the number of active fishing vessels and extent of summer sea ice. Sea ice may act as a transport vehicle for entrained litter, being released during periods of melting. The receding sea ice coverage associated with global change has opened hitherto largely inaccessible environments to humans and the impacts of tourism, industrial activities including shipping and fisheries, all of which are potential sources of marine litter.

Broiler diet modification and litter storage: impacts on phosphorus in litters, soils, and runoff.

PubMed

McGrath, Joshua M; Sims, J Thomas; Maguire, Rory O; Saylor, William W; Angel, C Roselina; Turner, Benjamin L

2005-01-01

Modifying broiler diets to mitigate water quality concerns linked to excess phosphorus (P) in regions of intensive broiler production has recently increased. Our goals were to evaluate the effects of dietary modification, using phytase and reduced non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) supplementation, on P speciation in broiler litters, changes in litter P forms during long-term storage, and subsequent impacts of diets on P in runoff from litter-amended soils. Four diets containing two levels of NPP with and without phytase were fed to broilers in a three-flock floor pen study. After removal of the third flock, litters were stored for 440 d at their initial moisture content (MC; 24%) and at a MC of 40%. Litter P fractions and orthophosphate and phytate P concentrations were determined before and after storage. After storage, litters were incorporated with a sandy and silt loam and simulated rainfall was applied. Phytase and reduced dietary NPP significantly reduced litter total P. Reducing dietary NPP decreased water-extractable inorganic phosphorus (IP) and the addition of dietary phytase reduced NaOH- and HCl-extractable organic P in litter, which correlated well with orthophosphate and phytic acid measured by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), respectively. Although dry storage caused little change in P speciation, wet storage increased concentrations of water-soluble IP, which increased reactive P in runoff from litter-amended soils. Therefore, diet modification with phytase and reduced NPP could be effective in reducing P additions on a watershed scale. Moreover, efforts to minimize litter MC during storage may reduce the potential for dissolved P losses in runoff.

Long-term litter decomposition controlled by manganese redox cycling

DOE PAGES

Keiluweit, Marco; Nico, Peter S.; Harmon, Mark; ...

2015-09-08

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has been observed between the manganese (Mn) content of litter and decomposition rates across a variety of forest ecosystems. Here, we show that long-term litter decomposition in forest ecosystems is tightly coupled to Mn redox cycling. Over 7 years of litter decomposition, microbial transformation of littermore » was paralleled by variations in Mn oxidation state and concentration. A detailed chemical imaging analysis of the litter revealed that fungi recruit and redistribute unreactive Mn 2+ provided by fresh plant litter to produce oxidative Mn 3+ species at sites of active decay, with Mn eventually accumulating as insoluble Mn 3+/4+ oxides. Formation of reactive Mn 3+ species coincided with the generation of aromatic oxidation products, providing direct proof of the previously posited role of Mn 3+-based oxidizers in the breakdown of litter. Our results suggest that the litter-decomposing machinery at our coniferous forest site depends on the ability of plants and microbes to supply, accumulate, and regenerate short-lived Mn 3+ species in the litter layer. As a result, this observation indicates that biogeochemical constraints on bioavailability, mobility, and reactivity of Mn in the plant–soil system may have a profound impact on litter decomposition rates.« less

Distinct Microbial Limitations in Litter and Underlying Soil Revealed by Carbon and Nutrient Fertilization in a Tropical Rainforest

PubMed Central

Fanin, Nicolas; Barantal, Sandra; Fromin, Nathalie; Schimann, Heidy; Schevin, Patrick; Hättenschwiler, Stephan

2012-01-01

Human-caused alterations of the carbon and nutrient cycles are expected to impact tropical ecosystems in the near future. Here we evaluated how a combined change in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability affects soil and litter microbial respiration and litter decomposition in an undisturbed Amazonian rainforest in French Guiana. In a fully factorial C (as cellulose), N (as urea), and P (as phosphate) fertilization experiment we analyzed a total of 540 litterbag-soil pairs after a 158-day exposure in the field. Rates of substrate-induced respiration (SIR) measured in litter and litter mass loss were similarly affected by fertilization showing the strongest stimulation when N and P were added simultaneously. The stimulating NP effect on litter SIR increased considerably with increasing initial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in litter, suggesting that the combined availability of N, P, and a labile C source has a particularly strong effect on microbial activity. Cellulose fertilization, however, did not further stimulate the NP effect. In contrast to litter SIR and litter mass loss, soil SIR was reduced with N fertilization and showed only a positive effect in response to P fertilization that was further enhanced with additional C fertilization. Our data suggest that increased nutrient enrichment in the studied Amazonian rainforest can considerably change microbial activity and litter decomposition, and that these effects differ between the litter layer and the underlying soil. Any resulting change in relative C and nutrient fluxes between the litter layer and the soil can have important consequences for biogeochemical cycles in tropical forest ecosystems. PMID:23272052

Comparison of early socialization practices used for litters of small-scale registered dog breeders and nonregistered dog breeders.

PubMed

Korbelik, Juraj; Rand, Jacquie S; Morton, John M

2011-10-15

OBJECTIVE-To compare early socialization practices between litters of breeders registered with the Canine Control Council (CCC) and litters of nonregistered breeders advertising puppies for sale in a local newspaper. DESIGN-Retrospective cohort study. Animals-80 litters of purebred and mixed-breed dogs from registered (n = 40) and non-registered (40) breeders. PROCEDURES-Registered breeders were randomly selected from the CCC website, and nonregistered breeders were randomly selected from a weekly advertising newspaper. The litter sold most recently by each breeder was then enrolled in the study. Information pertaining to socialization practices for each litter was obtained through a questionnaire administered over the telephone. RESULTS-Registered breeders generally had more breeding bitches and had more litters than did nonregistered breeders. Litters of registered breeders were more likely to have been socialized with adult dogs, people of different appearances, and various environmental stimuli, compared with litters of nonregistered breeders. Litters from registered breeders were also much less likely to have been the result of an unplanned pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Among those breeders represented, litters of registered breeders received more socialization experience, compared with litters of nonregistered breeders. People purchasing puppies from nonregistered breeders should focus on socializing their puppies between the time of purchase and 14 weeks of age. Additional research is required to determine whether puppies from nonregistered breeders are at increased risk of behavioral problems and are therefore more likely to be relinquished to animal shelters or euthanized, relative to puppies from registered breeders.

Do soil organisms affect aboveground litter decomposition in the semiarid Patagonian steppe, Argentina?

PubMed

Araujo, Patricia I; Yahdjian, Laura; Austin, Amy T

2012-01-01

Surface litter decomposition in arid and semiarid ecosystems is often faster than predicted by climatic parameters such as annual precipitation or evapotranspiration, or based on standard indices of litter quality such as lignin or nitrogen concentrations. Abiotic photodegradation has been demonstrated to be an important factor controlling aboveground litter decomposition in aridland ecosystems, but soil fauna, particularly macrofauna such as termites and ants, have also been identified as key players affecting litter mass loss in warm deserts. Our objective was to quantify the importance of soil organisms on surface litter decomposition in the Patagonian steppe in the absence of photodegradative effects, to establish the relative importance of soil organisms on rates of mass loss and nitrogen release. We estimated the relative contribution of soil fauna and microbes to litter decomposition of a dominant grass using litterboxes with variable mesh sizes that excluded groups of soil fauna based on size class (10, 2, and 0.01 mm), which were placed beneath shrub canopies. We also employed chemical repellents (naphthalene and fungicide). The exclusion of macro- and mesofauna had no effect on litter mass loss over 3 years (P = 0.36), as litter decomposition was similar in all soil fauna exclusions and naphthalene-treated litter. In contrast, reduction of fungal activity significantly inhibited litter decomposition (P < 0.001). Although soil fauna have been mentioned as a key control of litter decomposition in warm deserts, biogeographic legacies and temperature limitation may constrain the importance of these organisms in temperate aridlands, particularly in the southern hemisphere.

Attitude towards littering as a mediator of the relationship between personality attributes and responsible environmental behavior

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ojedokun, Oluyinka, E-mail: yinkaoje2004@yahoo.com

Highlights: > Independently, altruism and locus of control contributed significantly toward attitude towards littering. > Altruism and locus of control jointly contributed significantly to attitude towards littering. > The results further show a significant joint influence of altruism and locus of control on REB. > The independent contributions reveal that altruism and locus of control contribute significantly to REB. > Attitude towards littering mediates the relationship between locus of control and REB. - Abstract: The study tested whether attitude towards littering mediates the relationship between personality attributes (altruism and locus of control) and responsible environmental behavior (REB) among some residentsmore » of Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Using multistage sampling technique, measures of each construct were administered to 1360 participants. Results reveal significant independent and joint influence of personality attributes on attitude towards littering and responsible environmental behavior, respectively. Attitude towards littering also mediates the relationship between personality characteristics and REB. These findings imply that individuals who possess certain desirable personality characteristics and who have unfavorable attitude towards littering have more tendencies to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, stakeholders who have waste management as their priority should incorporate this information when guidelines for public education and litter prevention programs are being developed. It is suggested that psychologists should be involved in designing of litter prevention strategies. This will ensure the inclusion of behavioral issues in such strategies. An integrated approach to litter prevention that combines empowerment, cognitive, social, and technical solutions is recommended as the most effective tool of tackling the litter problem among residents of Ibadan metropolis.« less

Quantifying the effect of plant growth on litter decomposition using a novel, triple-isotope label approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernakovich, J. G.; Baldock, J.; Carter, T.; Davis, R. A.; Kalbitz, K.; Sanderman, J.; Farrell, M.

2017-12-01

Microbial degradation of plant detritus is now accepted as a major stabilizing process of organic matter in soils. Most of our understanding of the dynamics of decomposition come from laboratory litter decay studies in the absence of plants, despite the fact that litter decays in the presence of plants in many native and managed systems. There is growing evidence that living plants significantly impact the degradation and stabilization of litter carbon (C) due to changes in the chemical and physical nature of soils in the rhizosphere. For example, mechanistic studies have observed stimulatory effects of root exudates on litter decomposition, and greenhouse studies have shown that living plants accelerate detrital decay. Despite this, we lack a quantitative understanding of the contribution of living plants to litter decomposition and how interactions of these two sources of C build soil organic matter (SOM). We used a novel triple-isotope approach to determine the effect of living plants on litter decomposition and C cycling. In the first stage of the experiment, we grew a temperate grass commonly used for forage, Poa labillardieri, in a continuously-labelled atmosphere of 14CO2 fertilized with K15NO3, such that the grass biomass was uniformly labelled with 14C and 15N. In the second stage, we constructed litter decomposition mescososms with and without a living plant to test for the effect of a growing plant on litter decomposition. The 14C/15N litter was decomposed in a sandy clay loam while a temperate forage grass, Lolium perenne, grew in an atmosphere of enriched 13CO2. The fate of the litter-14C/15N and plant-13C was traced into soil mineral fractions and dissolved organic matter (DOM) over the course of nine weeks using four destructive harvests of the mesocosms. Our preliminary results suggest that living plants play a major role in the degradation of plant litter, as litter decomposition was greater, both in rate and absolute amount, for soil mesocosms with a growing plant. Our observations during the decomposition experiment suggests that plant roots physically disrupted litter to increase decomposition. Isotopic analyses are currently underway, and transformations of litter-14C will be presented. Refining our understanding of in situ litter decay will add to our growing knowledge of the C cycle.

Marine litter on the beaches of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: An assessment of their abundance, composition and sources.

PubMed

Vlachogianni, Thomais; Fortibuoni, Tomaso; Ronchi, Francesca; Zeri, Christina; Mazziotti, Cristina; Tutman, Pero; Varezić, Dubravka Bojanić; Palatinus, Andreja; Trdan, Štefan; Peterlin, Monika; Mandić, Milica; Markovic, Olivera; Prvan, Mosor; Kaberi, Helen; Prevenios, Michael; Kolitari, Jerina; Kroqi, Gulielm; Fusco, Marina; Kalampokis, Evangelos; Scoullos, Michael

2018-06-01

The abundance, composition and sources of marine litter were determined on beaches located in the seven countries of the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro and Slovenia. A total of 70,581 marine litter items were classified and recorded through one-year long surveys carried out in 31 sites. The average litter density of 0.67 items/m 2 found within this study is considered to be relatively high. The beaches investigated differed in terms of human-induced pressures; their majority is classified either as semi-urban or semi-rural, while very few beaches could be characterized as urban or remote/natural. The majority of litter items were made of artificial/anthropogenic polymer materials accounting for 91.1% of all litter. Litter from shoreline sources accounted for 33.4% of all litter collected. The amount of litter from sea-based sources ranged in the different countries from 1.54% to 14.84%, with an average of 6.30% at regional level. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marine Litter Distribution and Density in European Seas, from the Shelves to Deep Basins

PubMed Central

Pham, Christopher K.; Ramirez-Llodra, Eva; Alt, Claudia H. S.; Amaro, Teresa; Bergmann, Melanie; Canals, Miquel; Company, Joan B.; Davies, Jaime; Duineveld, Gerard; Galgani, François; Howell, Kerry L.; Huvenne, Veerle A. I.; Isidro, Eduardo; Jones, Daniel O. B.; Lastras, Galderic; Morato, Telmo; Gomes-Pereira, José Nuno; Purser, Autun; Stewart, Heather; Tojeira, Inês; Tubau, Xavier; Van Rooij, David; Tyler, Paul A.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic litter is present in all marine habitats, from beaches to the most remote points in the oceans. On the seafloor, marine litter, particularly plastic, can accumulate in high densities with deleterious consequences for its inhabitants. Yet, because of the high cost involved with sampling the seafloor, no large-scale assessment of distribution patterns was available to date. Here, we present data on litter distribution and density collected during 588 video and trawl surveys across 32 sites in European waters. We found litter to be present in the deepest areas and at locations as remote from land as the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The highest litter density occurs in submarine canyons, whilst the lowest density can be found on continental shelves and on ocean ridges. Plastic was the most prevalent litter item found on the seafloor. Litter from fishing activities (derelict fishing lines and nets) was particularly common on seamounts, banks, mounds and ocean ridges. Our results highlight the extent of the problem and the need for action to prevent increasing accumulation of litter in marine environments. PMID:24788771

Monitoring multi-year macro ocean litter dynamics and backward-tracking simulation of litter origins on a remote island in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Chia-Ying; Hsin, Yi-Chia; Yu, Teng-Lang; Liu, Kuo-Lieh; Shiah, Fuh-Kwo; Jeng, Ming-Shiou

2018-04-01

Ocean litter has accumulated rapidly and is becoming a major environmental concern, yet quantitative and regular observations and exploration that track litter origins are limited. By implementing monthly sample collections over five years (2012–2016) at Dongsha Island, a remote island in the northern South China Sea (SCS), we assessed macro ocean litter dynamics, identified source countries of individual plastic bottles, and analyzed the origins of the litter by a backward-tracking model simulation considering both the effects of current velocity and windage. The results showed that large amounts of litter, which varied monthly and annually in weight and quantity, reached the island during the study years, and there were spatial differences in accumulation patterns between the north and south coasts. Styrofoam and plastic bottles were the two primary sources of macro ocean litter both annually and monthly, and most of the litter collected on the island originated from China and Vietnam, which were collectively responsible for approximately 47.5%–63.7% per month. The simulation indicated that current advection at the near-surface depths and low windage at the sea surface showed similar patterns, while medium to high windage exhibited comparable expression patterns in response to potential source regions and drifting time experiments. At either the surface with low windage or current advection at depths of 0.5 m and 1 m, macro ocean litter in the Western Philippine Sea, i.e. through the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines, was an important contributor to the litter bulk from October to March, whereas the litter was predicted to mainly originate from the southwestern SCS from April to September. With an increasing windage effect, litter in the Taiwan Strait was predicted to be an additional major potential source. Surprisingly, a small proportion of the macro ocean litter was predicted to continuously travel in the northern SCS for a long duration (> 2 years) before drifting onto Dongsha Island. The estimated drifting time of macro ocean litter also showed monthly and directional variability. This study demonstrated that a tremendous quantity of macro ocean litter, which may cause great damage to the marine ecosystem, drifts in the ocean surface layer and is finally pushed onto beaches. Therefore, we proposed an action plan for effective ocean litter management development at regional and global spatial scales, which is vital for improving and restoring the health and sustainability of the oceanic environment.

Efficacy of 65% permethrin applied as a topical spot-on against walking dandruff caused by the mite, Cheyletiella yasguri in dogs.

PubMed

Endris, R G; Reuter, V E; Nelson, J D; Nelson, J A

2000-01-01

The efficacy of a 65% permethrin topically applied spot-on formulation (Defend EXspot Topical Remedy for Dogs, Schering-Plough Animal Health, Union, NJ) was determined against the dog mite, Cheyletiella yasguri (Smiley, 1965). Female dogs and their litters comprised the experimental unit, and all dogs in an experimental unit were treated on the same day 4 to 6 weeks after whelping. Mites and mite eggs were counted weekly on an untreated control group of six litters (15 pups) and on a group of six litters (14 pups) treated with 65% permethrin. Pups in the untreated control group maintained high numbers of Cheyletiella yasguri throughout the 14- to 21-day observation period. No mites or mite eggs were detected on dogs within 7 to 21 days after application of 65% permethrin. No adverse reactions were noted during the study. Clinical signs of infestation with C. yasguri--which included skin irritation, thickening of the stratum corneum, scratching with resultant scabs, pruritus, and flaky, scaly skin-were eliminated when mites were killed by the 65% permethrin formulation.

An evaluation of the presence of pathogens on broilers raised on poultry litter treatment-treated litter.

PubMed

Pope, M J; Cherry, T E

2000-09-01

Two trials were conducted to evaluate the presence of salmonella, campylobacter, and generic Escherichia coli on broilers raised on Poultry Litter Treatment (PLT)-enhanced litter in comparison with those raised on untreated litter. Two Company A farms included three houses on each farm as the treated group and three houses per farm as controls. Two complete growouts were evaluated on each farm. The Company B study included 10 farms with two paired houses per farm, one house as the treated group and one house as the control. One growout was evaluated per farm. The pathogen sampling consisted of litter sampling and whole bird rinses on the farm and in the processing plant. Litter pH, ammonia concentration, total litter bacteria, temperatures, and humidity were also recorded. The study with Company A resulted in lower mean levels of pH, ammonia concentration, total litter bacteria, litter E. coli, and bird rinse counts for salmonella and E. coli in houses treated with PLT. The results for Company B closely resembled those for Company A, but also included campylobacter data, which showed no difference between treated and control groups. The data indicate that PLT may be a beneficial component for on-farm pathogen reduction.

Agronomic and environmental soil test phosphorus method comparisons and diet modification impacts on poultry litter phosphorus composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eugene, Branly

Phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural fields to freshwater ecosystems is of increasing concern due to elevated soil P levels brought on by long term and excessive application rates of manure and commercial fertilizers. Both Bray P1 and Mehlich-3 P (PM3) soil tests are used in Indiana to make fertilizer recommendations and to limit manure application rates. The Mehlich-3 P Saturation Ratio (PSRM3) has been proposed as an alternative to PM3 and the ammonium oxalate degree of P saturation (DPSOX) for assessing the risk of soluble P loss from soils. We assessed the correlations among agronomic soil test methods (PM3 and Bray P1), environmental soil test methods (soluble P: deionized water, DW; artificial rainwater, ARW; dilute salt extractable P, DSEP), ammonium oxalate P (POX), total P (TP), and P saturation methods from 565 Indiana surface soil samples. Significant correlations were found among the various STP methods evaluated, and Bray P1 and PM3 displayed the strongest coefficient of correlation (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001). Mehlich-3 P had stronger correlations with TP and POX compared to correlations between Bray P1 and TP and POX, and their correlations were all highly significant ( p < 0.0001). Additionally, all soluble P forms were significantly correlated with Bray P1, PM3, and POX, and the correlations between Bray P1 and all three soluble P measures were consistently greater than those between other soil test methods and the soluble measures. Significant correlations were found between PM3 and PSRM3 (r = 0.93, p < 0.0001) and between PSRM3 and DPSOX (r = 0.92, p < 0.0001), suggesting that PSRM3 can be as effective as DPSOX to identify soils with a greater potential to contribute bioavailable (not just soluble) P to surface and ground water. We conclude that both PM3 and PSRM3 can be integrated into more comprehensive P loss risk algorithms to mitigate elevated P concentration in surface and ground water. The PSRM3 can be used as an alternative to PM3 as it does account for extractable Al and Fe, the primary P sorbents in most soils. Although Bray P1 is an appropriate soil test based on the data generated in this study, it would not be the most practical soil test as it is not considered a multi-element extraction in most states. Since PM3 was strongly correlated with Bray P1 and the benefit of using PM3as a multi-element extractant from which the PSRM3 can be calculated, it is probably the most practical test to use for both agronomic and environmental soil P assessment. We also evaluated the impacts of diets containing different amounts of DDGS and dietary fumeric acid on P excretion and P transformations during litter storage. Total P and phytate P were significantly (p< 0.0001) affected by dietary inclusion of DDGS; where DDGS inclusion of 20% decreased TP by 16, 15, and 16% for day 0, 7, and 14 of storage, respectively compared to commercial diets. Phytate P, on the other hand, was reduced by 38, 37, and 47% for day 0, 7, and 14 of storage, respectively. Overall, DDGS influenced the forms of P in poultry litter with phytate P being the most impacted. The inclusion of DDGS in poultry diets seems promising as it can potentially decrease the levels of phytate P in poultry litters, which is of may be of environmental significance as phytate P can desorb inorganic P in soils.

Effect of petroleum on decomposition of shrub-grass litters in soil in Northern Shaanxi of China.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoxi; Liu, Zengwen; Yu, Qi; Luc, Nhu Trung; Bing, Yuanhao; Zhu, Bochao; Wang, Wenxuan

2015-07-01

The impacts of petroleum contamination on the litter decomposition of shrub-grass land would directly influence nutrient cycling, and the stability and function of ecosystem. Ten common shrub and grass species from Yujiaping oil deposits were studied. Litters from these species were placed into litterbags and buried in petroleum-contaminated soil with 3 levels of contamination (slight, moderate and serious pollution with petroleum concentrations of 15, 30 and 45 g/kg, respectively). A decomposition experiment was then conducted in the lab to investigate the impacts of petroleum contamination on litter decomposition rates. Slight pollution did not inhibit the decomposition of any litters and significantly promoted the litter decomposition of Hippophae rhamnoides, Caragana korshinskii, Amorpha fruticosa, Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, Periploca sepium, Medicago sativa and Bothriochloa ischaemum. Moderate pollution significantly inhibited litter decomposition of M. sativa, Coronilla varia, Artemisia vestita and Trrifolium repens and significantly promoted the litter decomposition of C. korshinskii, Z. jujuba var. spinosa and P. sepium. Serious pollution significantly inhibited the litter decomposition of H. rhamnoides, A. fruticosa, B. ischaemum and A. vestita and significantly promoted the litter decomposition of Z. jujuba var. spinosa, P. sepium and M. sativa. In addition, the impacts of petroleum contamination did not exhibit a uniform increase or decrease as petroleum concentration increased. Inhibitory effects of petroleum on litter decomposition may hinder the substance cycling and result in the degradation of plant communities in contaminated areas. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of less intensive rearing conditions on litter characteristics, growth performance, carcase injuries and meat quality of broilers.

PubMed

Meluzzi, A; Fabbri, C; Folegatti, E; Sirri, F

2008-09-01

1. The objective was to compare the effect of two litter types (wheat straw and wood shavings) and two different rearing conditions (Treated and Control) on welfare indicators, broiler performance, carcase injuries, particularly hock and foot pad dermatitis (FPD), litter characteristics and meat quality. 2. Treated conditions were characterised by a low stocking density (11 birds/m(2)), short photoperiod (16 h light: 8 h dark) and a large amount of litter (3 to 4.5 kg/m(2), respectively, for wheat straw or wood shavings). Control conditions were a high stocking density (14 birds/m(2)), long photoperiod (23 h light:1 h dark) and small amount of litter (2.3 to 3 kg/m(2), respectively, for wheat straw or wood shavings). In addition, the effects of two widely used litter materials, wheat straw and wood shavings, were investigated. 3. The combined effects of lower stocking density, greater amount of litter material and a photoperiod similar to the natural one, reduced the occurrence of FPD in Treated groups keeping the FPD score under the European threshold. 4. Improved rearing conditions led to faster growth rate associated with inferior feed efficiency, whereas litter type exerted negligible effects on broiler performance. 5. Litter moisture content, nitrogen and ammonia released by the litter were lower in Treated groups than Control groups. The use of wood shavings resulted in lower moisture and nitrogen concentrations in the litter.

Contrasting effects of plant species traits and moisture on the decomposition of multiple litter fractions.

PubMed

Riggs, Charlotte E; Hobbie, Sarah E; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Savage, Jessica A; Wei, Xiaojing

2015-10-01

Environmental variation in moisture directly influences plant litter decomposition through effects on microbial activity, and indirectly via plant species traits. Whether the effects of moisture and plant species traits are mutually reinforcing or counteracting during decomposition are unknown. To disentangle the effects of moisture from the effects of species traits that vary with moisture, we decomposed leaf litter from 12 plant species in the willow family (Salicaceae) with different native habitat moisture preferences in paired mesic and wetland plots. We fit litter mass loss data to an exponential decomposition model and estimated the decay rate of the rapidly cycling litter fraction and size of the remaining fraction that decays at a rate approaching zero. Litter traits that covaried with moisture in the species' native habitat significantly influenced the decomposition rate of the rapidly cycling litter fraction, but moisture in the decomposition environment did not. In contrast, for the slowly cycling litter fraction, litter traits that did not covary with moisture in the species' native habitat and moisture in the decomposition environment were significant. Overall, the effects of moisture and plant species traits on litter decomposition were somewhat reinforcing along a hydrologic gradient that spanned mesic upland to wetland (but not permanently surface-saturated) plots. In this system, plant trait and moisture effects may lead to greater in situ decomposition rates of wetland species compared to upland species; however, plant traits that do not covary with moisture will also influence decomposition of the slowest cycling litter fraction.

Marine litter on the floor of deep submarine canyons of the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea: The role of hydrodynamic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tubau, Xavier; Canals, Miquel; Lastras, Galderic; Rayo, Xavier; Rivera, Jesus; Amblas, David

2015-05-01

Marine litter represents a widespread type of pollution in the World's Oceans. This study is based on direct observation of the seafloor by means of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives and reports litter abundance, type and distribution in three large submarine canyons of the NW Mediterranean Sea, namely Cap de Creus, La Fonera and Blanes canyons. Our ultimate objective is establishing the links between active hydrodynamic processes and litter distribution, thus going beyond previous, essentially descriptive studies. Litter was monitored using the Liropus 2000 ROV. Litter items were identified in 24 of the 26 dives carried out in the study area, at depths ranging from 140 to 1731 m. Relative abundance of litter objects by type, size and apparent weight, and distribution of litter in relation to depth and canyon environments (i.e. floor and flanks) were analysed. Plastics are the dominant litter component (72%), followed by lost fishing gear, disregarding their composition (17%), and metal objects (8%). Most of the observed litter seems to be land-sourced. It reaches the ocean through wind transport, river discharge and after direct dumping along the coastline. While coastal towns and industrial areas represent a permanent source of litter, tourism and associated activities relevantly increase litter production during summer months ready to be transported to the deep sea by extreme events. After being lost, fishing gear such as nets and long-lines has the potential of being harmful for marine life (e.g. by ghost fishing), at least for some time, but also provides shelter and a substrate on which some species like cold-water corals are capable to settle and grow. La Fonera and Cap de Creus canyons show the highest mean concentrations of litter ever seen on the deep-sea floor, with 15,057 and 8090 items km-2, respectively, and for a single dive litter observed reached 167,540 items km-2. While most of the largest concentrations were found on the canyon floors at water depths exceeding 1000 m, relatively little litter was identified on the canyon walls. The finding of litter 'hotspots' (i.e., large accumulations of litter) formed by mixtures of land- and marine-sourced litter items and natural debris such as sea urchin carcasses evidences an efficient transport to the floor of mid and lower canyon reaches at least. High-energy, down canyon near-bottom flows are known to occur in the investigated canyons. These are associated to seasonal dense shelf water cascading and severe coastal storms, which are the most energetic hydrodynamic processes in the study area thus becoming the best candidates as main carriers of debris to the deep. The fact that the investigated canyons have their heads at short distance (<4 km) from the shoreline enhances their ability to trap littoral drift currents and also to convey the signal of the above-mentioned high-energy events to the deep, including their litter load. This study contributes to assess the origin and transport mechanisms of litter to the deep sea as well as its potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems.

Biochemical Composition Suggests Different Roles of Leaf Litter and Fine Roots in Soil Carbon Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, M.; Pregitzer, K. S.; Talhelm, A. F.

2012-12-01

Plant litter is a major source of soil organic carbon (C). This litter is not homogenous, but instead primarily composed of fine root and leaf litter that adapted to different physiological functions. These unique functions suggest that root and leaf litter likely have different biochemical traits, and thus different decomposition patterns. However, few studies have compared their substrate quality and contributions to soil C. Also, much less attention has been given to fine roots although they can represent a substantial litter production. Here we hypothesize that 1) leaf litter and fine roots have different substrate quality as they are highly different in biochemical composition; 2) the biochemical composition of leaf litter and fine roots responds differently to the simulated nitrogen (N) deposition. To test these hypotheses, we collected leaf litter and fine roots of Acer saccharum (the dominant species in the northern temperate ecosystems we studied) in both ambient and N addition treatment plots at four sites of Michigan N deposition gradient study. We quantified ten biochemical components thought to be important on decomposition. Strikingly, we found a consistently three-fold higher lignin concentration in fine roots than that in leaf litter (P< 0.01). On average, lignin concentration of fine roots was 45.4±0.3% while that of leaf litter was 13.5±0.2%. Lignin has been considered highly recalcitrant and hypothesized as the major precursor of humus substance. Condensed tannin (CT) concentration in fine roots (13.13±0.51%) was also substantially higher than that in leaf litter (P< 0.01, 4.63±0.42 %). Tissue CT can inhibit litter decay by both precipitating proteins and by having antimicrobial properties. In contrast, fine roots exhibited lower concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), soluble phenolics, and holocellulose (hemicelluloses & cellulose) than leaf litter (P< 0.01). These components are considered more easily accessible, and may stimulate the decay of lignin by providing required energy. Therefore, fine roots of Acer saccharum have a relatively recalcitrant nature based on their distinct biochemical composition, suggesting fine roots may be the major driver of soil carbon formation in the ecosystems we studied. Litter type and N addition had significant interactions on lignin, holocellulose, and NSC (P< 0.05), indicating these traits of different litter types respond differently to N addition. In leaf litter, the concentrations of lignin, NSC, and bound CT were affected by N addition (P< 0.05). By contrast, N addition only reduced the soluble protein concentration in fine roots (P< 0.05). Hence, substrate quality of leaf litter and fine roots responds differently to the simulated N deposition, and may eventually lead to different responses in decomposition pattern. This is one of few studies comparing the detailed biochemical profile of leaf litter and fine roots in a dominant tree species. Different biochemical traits of fine roots and leaf litter may reflect the different specializations for their physiological functions. This work highlights the importance of fine root in the soil carbon formation due to its recalcitrant nature, and emphasizes the necessity of differentiating the responses of leaf litter and fine root decompositions to environmental changes when modeling biogeochemical cycles.

Decomposition of blackberry and broomsedge bluestem as influenced by ozone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, J.S.; Chappelka, A.H.; Miller-Goodman, M.S.

Many researchers have reported on individual plant responses to O{sub 3}, but few have investigated the effects of this pollutant on ecosystem function. This investigation examined the influence of O{sub 3} on short-term (Phase 1) litter decomposition of blackberry (Rubus cuneifolus Pursh.) and broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus L.), two plant species native to early successional forest communities in the southern US. Mixed blackberry/broomsedge litter (1:1) collected from plants exposed to different levels of O{sub 3} for one growing season was placed in open-top chambers and exposed to different O{sub 3} levels of treatments for 24 weeks. Litter also was incubatedmore » in microcosms in the laboratory t 25 or 30 C to determine the effects of climate change on O{sub 3}-treated litter. Initial C and N concentrations of the collected foliage did not differ significantly among treatments for either species. Blackberry litter had approximately twice as much N as broomsedge, and when collected from 2X O{sub 3} chambers, had significantly greater permanganate lignin than the other treatments. Initial permanganate lignin concentration of blackberry, over all O{sub 3} treatments, correlated significantly with remaining mass of the litter mixture after 24 wk exposure. Litter decomposed more slowly in the 2X chambers than in the other treatment chambers, regardless of litter source. Elevated O{sub 3}-exposed litter (2X) decomposed the slowest regardless of treatment applied. There were significant temperature and time effects observed with litter decomposition: litter incubated at 30 C decomposed faster than at 25 C. The data suggest O{sub 3} may influence substrate quality and microbial activity, thus reducing the rate of litter decomposition in early successional forest communities.« less

Impact of an Alien Invasive Shrub on Ecology of Native and Alien Invasive Mosquito Species (Diptera: Culicidae).

PubMed

Muturi, Ephantus J; Gardner, Allison M; Bara, Jeffrey J

2015-10-01

We examined how leaf litter of alien invasive honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii Rupr.) either alone or in combination with leaf litter of one of two native tree species, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), affects the ecology of Culex restuans Theobald, Ochlerotatus triseriatus Say, and Ochlerotatus japonicus Theobald. Experimental mesocosms containing single species litter or a mixture of honeysuckle and one of two native tree species litter were established at South Farms and Trelease Woods study sites in Urbana, IL, and examined for their effect on 1) oviposition site selection by the three mosquito species, and 2) adult production and body size of Oc. triseriatus and Oc. japonicus. There were no significant effects of study site and leaf treatment on Oc. japonicus and Oc. triseriatus oviposition preference and adult production. In contrast, significantly more Cx. restuans eggs rafts were collected at South Farms relative to Trelease Woods and in honeysuckle litter relative to native tree species litter. Significantly larger adult females of Oc. japonicus and Oc. triseriatus were collected at South Farms relative to Trelease Woods and in honeysuckle litter relative to native tree species litter. Combining honeysuckle litter with native tree species litter had additive effects on Cx. restuans oviposition preference and Oc. japonicus and Oc. triseriatus body size, with the exception of honeysuckle and northern red oak litter combination, which had antagonistic effects on Oc. triseriatus body size. We conclude that input of honeysuckle litter into container aquatic habitats may alter the life history traits of vector mosquito species. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Legume presence reduces the decomposition rate of non-legume roots, role of plant traits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Deyn, Gerlinde B.; Saar, Sirgi; Barel, Janna; Semchenko, Marina

2016-04-01

Plant litter traits are known to play an important role in the rate of litter decomposition and mineralization, both for aboveground and belowground litter. However also the biotic and abiotic environment in which the litter decomposes plays a significant role in the rate of decomposition. The presence of living plants may accelerate litter decomposition rates via a priming effects. The size of this effect is expected to be related to the traits of the litter. In this study we focus on root litter, given that roots and their link to ecosystem processes have received relatively little attention in trait-based research. To test the effect of a growing legume plant on root decomposition and the role of root traits in this we used dead roots of 7 different grassland species (comprising grasses, a forb and legumes), determined their C, N, P content and quantified litter mass loss after eight weeks of incubation in soil with and without white clover. We expected faster root decomposition with white clover, especially for root litter with low N content. In contrast we found slower decomposition of grass and forb roots which were poor in N (negative priming) in presence of white clover, while decomposition rates of legume roots were not affected by the presence of white clover. Overall we found that root decomposition can be slowed down in the presence of a living plant and that this effect depends on the traits of the decomposing roots, with a pronounced reduction in root litter poor in N and P, but not in the relatively nutrient-rich legume root litters. The negative priming effect of legume plants on non-legume litter decomposition may have resulted from preferential substrate utilisation by soil microbes.

Plant diversity does not buffer drought effects on early-stage litter mass loss rates and microbial properties.

PubMed

Vogel, Anja; Eisenhauer, Nico; Weigelt, Alexandra; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael

2013-09-01

Human activities are decreasing biodiversity and changing the climate worldwide. Both global change drivers have been shown to affect ecosystem functioning, but they may also act in concert in a non-additive way. We studied early-stage litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties (basal respiration and microbial biomass) during the summer season in response to plant species richness and summer drought in a large grassland biodiversity experiment, the Jena Experiment, Germany. In line with our expectations, decreasing plant diversity and summer drought decreased litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties. In contrast to our hypotheses, however, this was only true for mass loss of standard litter (wheat straw) used in all plots, and not for plant community-specific litter mass loss. We found no interactive effects between global change drivers, that is, drought reduced litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties irrespective of plant diversity. High mass loss rates of plant community-specific litter and low responsiveness to drought relative to the standard litter indicate that soil microbial communities were adapted to decomposing community-specific plant litter material including lower susceptibility to dry conditions during summer months. Moreover, higher microbial enzymatic diversity at high plant diversity may have caused elevated mass loss of standard litter. Our results indicate that plant diversity loss and summer drought independently impede soil processes. However, soil decomposer communities may be highly adapted to decomposing plant community-specific litter material, even in situations of environmental stress. Results of standard litter mass loss moreover suggest that decomposer communities under diverse plant communities are able to cope with a greater variety of plant inputs possibly making them less responsive to biotic changes. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Soil respiration and aboveground litter dynamics of a tropical transitional forest in northwest Mato Grosso, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentini, Carla Maria Abido; Sanches, Luciana; de Paula, Sérgio Roberto; Vourlitis, George Louis; de Souza Nogueira, José; Pinto, Osvaldo Borges; de Almeida Lobo, Francisco

2008-12-01

Measurements of soil CO2 efflux, litter production, and the surface litter pool biomass were made over a 1 year period in a tropical transitional forest near Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil with the aim of quantifying the seasonal variation in soil respiration and litter decomposition and the annual contribution of litter decomposition to soil CO2 efflux. Average annual soil CO2 efflux (+/-95% confidence interval (CI)) was 7.91 +/- 1.16 g C m-2 d-1. Soil CO2 efflux was highest during the November-February wet season (9.15 +/- 0.90 g C m-2 d-1) and lowest during the May-September dry season (6.19 +/- 1.40 g C m-2 d-1), and over 60% of the variation in seasonal soil CO2 efflux was explained by seasonal variations in soil temperature and moisture. Mass balance estimates of mean (+/-95% CI) decomposition rates were statistically different between the wet and dry seasons (0.66 +/- 0.08 and 1.65 +/- 0.10 g C m-2 d-1, respectively), and overall, decomposition of leaf litter comprised 16% of the average annual soil respiration. Leaf litter production was higher during the dry season, and mean (+/-95% CI) leaf litter fall (5.6 +/- 1.7 Mg ha-1) comprised 73% of the total litter fall (7.8 +/- 2.3 Mg ha-1). Average (+/-95% CI) annual litter pool biomass was estimated to be 5.5 +/- 0.3 Mg ha-1, which was similar to the measured pool size (5.7 +/- 2.2 Mg ha-1). Overall, seasonal variations in environmental variables, specifically water availability (soil moisture and rainfall), had a profound influence on litter production, soil respiration, and surface litter decomposition.

Forest Gaps Alter the Total Phenol Dynamics in Decomposing Litter in an Alpine Fir Forest

PubMed Central

Li, Han; Xu, Liya; Wu, Fuzhong; Yang, Wanqin; Ni, Xiangyin; He, Jie; Tan, Bo; Hu, Yi

2016-01-01

The total phenol content in decomposing litter not only acts as a crucial litter quality indicator, but is also closely related to litter humification due to its tight absorption to clay particles. However, limited attention has been focused on the total phenol dynamics in foliar litter in relation to forest gaps. Here, the foliar litter of six representative tree species was incubated on the forest floor from the gap center to the closed canopy of an alpine Minjiang fir (Abies faxoniana) forest in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and eastern Tibetan Plateau. The dynamics of total phenol concentration in the incubated litter was measured from November 2012 to October 2014. Over two-year incubation, 78.22% to 94.06% of total phenols were lost from the foliar litter, but 52.08% to 86.41% of this occurred in the first year. Forest gaps accelerated the loss of total phenols in the foliar litter in the winter, although they inhibited the loss of total phenols during the growing season in the first year. In comparison with the effects of forest gaps, the variations of litter quality among different species were much stronger on the dynamics of total phenols in the second year. Overall, the loss of total phenols in the foliar litter was slightly higher in both the canopy gap and the expanded gap than in the gap center and under the closed canopy. The results suggest that the predicted decline in snow cover resulting from winter warming or vanishing gaps caused by forest regeneration will retard the loss of total phenol content in the foliar litter of alpine forest ecosystems, especially in the first decomposition year. PMID:26849120

Molecular markers indicate different dynamics of leaves and roots during litter decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altmann, Jens; Jansen, Boris; Palviainen, Marjo; Kalbitz, Karsten

2010-05-01

Up to now there is only a poor understanding of the sources contributing to organic carbon in forest soils, especially the contribution of leaves and roots. Studies of the last 2 decades have shown that methods like pyrolysis and CuO oxidation are suitable tools to trace back the main contributors of organic matter in water, sediments and soils. Lignin derived monomers, extractable lipids, cutin and suberin derived compounds have been used frequently for identification of plant material. However, for the selection of suitable biomarker the decomposition patterns and stability of these compounds are of high importance but they are only poorly understood. In this study we focused on following questions: (I) Which compounds are characteristic to identify certain plant parts and plant species? (II) How stable are these compounds during the first 3 years of litter decomposition? We studied the chemical composition of samples from a 3-year litterbag decomposition experiment with roots and leaves of spruce, pine and birch which was done in Finland. Additionally to mass loss, carbon and nitrogen contents, free lipids were extracted; by alkaline hydrolysis non extractable lipids were gained. The extracts were analyzed afterwards by GC-MS, the insoluble residues were analyzed by curie-point Pyrolysis GC-MS. In addition to the identification and quantification of a variety of different compounds and compound ratios we used statistical classification methods to get deeper insights into the patterns of leaf and root-derived biomarkers during litter decomposition. The mass loss was largely different between the litter species and we always observed larger mass loss for leaf-derived litter in comparison to root derived litter. This trend was also observed by molecular analysis. The increase of the ratio of vanillic acid to vanillin was correlated to the mass loss of the samples over time. This shows that the degree of decomposition of plant material was linked with the degree of lignin degradation. Preliminary results show, that we were able to distinguish the different species and plant parts using various approaches, e.g., abundance and patterns of different substances and different ratios of compounds. The polyesters suberin and cutin were particularly useful to differentiate between roots and leaves. We conclude that knowledge of the decomposition patterns of molecular markers will largely improve the identification power of organic matter sources in soils.

Decoupling of lignin and total litter decomposition across North American forest soils: a phenomenon to reconcile old and new paradigms of soil organic matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, S. J.; Hammel, K.

2017-12-01

An "old" paradigm of soil organic matter (SOM) posited that biochemically "recalcitrant" lignin derivatives were a dominant constituent. Over the past decade(s), evidence for a newer paradigm has emerged which suggests that recalcitrance has little long-term impact on the biochemical composition of SOM, and that lignin is relatively unimportant in comparison with dead microbial biomass. Yet, methodological biases have hampered accurate quantification of lignin dynamics in mineral soils, and may have led to systematic underestimates of lignin stocks and turnover. Here, we sought to test this aspect of the "new" SOM paradigm. Synthetic position-specific 13C-labeled lignins provide a robust quantitative method to track the mineralization and fate of lignin moieties in mineral soils. Relatively few microbial taxa are known to depolymerize macromolecular lignin, and lignin derivatives can specifically associate with iron oxide mineral phases. Consequently, we hypothesized that decomposition of lignin is poorly correlated with total litter decomposition across ecosystems, and that lignin may represent a variable but significant component of decadal-cycling SOM. We incubated 10 forest soils spanning diverse North American ecosystems over seven months under laboratory conditions at constant temperature and moisture. Soils were incubated alone, with added C4 grass litter and natural isotope abundance lignin, and with added C4 litter and 13Cß-labeled lignin. These treatments allowed us to partition respiration for each soil from SOM, litter, and the Cß moiety of lignin—which is diagnostic for cleavage of the polymer. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found much greater variability (ten-fold) in cumulative lignin mineralization relative to bulk litter (two-fold) among soils. Multiple-pool first-order decay models implied that mean turnover times for lignin ranged from one to several decades among soils, relative to several years for bulk litter. Our results suggest a potential resolution for old and new paradigms of SOM: lignin may represent a variably important component of decadal-cycling SOM, in concert with potentially predictable variation in lignin-degrading microbes and geochemical composition.

Galling by Rhopalomyia solidaginis alters Solidago altissima architecture and litter nutrient dynamics in an old-field ecosystem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crutsinger, Greg; Habenicht, Melissa N; Classen, Aimee T

2008-01-01

Plant-insect interactions can alter ecosystem processes, especially if the insects modify plant architecture, quality, or the quantity of leaf litter inputs. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the gall midge Rhopalomyia solidaginis and tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima, to quantify the degree to which the midge alters plant architecture and how the galls affect rates of litter decomposition and nutrient release in an old-field ecosystem. R. solidaginis commonly leads to the formation of a distinct apical rosette gall on S. altissima and approximately 15% of the ramets in a S. altissima patch were galled (range: 3-34%). Aboveground biomass ofmore » galled ramets was 60% higher and the leaf area density was four times greater on galled leaf tissue relative to the portions of the plant that were not affected by the gall. Overall decomposition rate constants did not differ between galled and ungalled leaf litter. However, leaf-litter mass loss was lower in galled litter relative to ungalled litter, which was likely driven by modest differences in initial litter chemistry; this effect diminished after 12 weeks of decomposition in the field. The proportion of N remaining was always higher in galled litter than in ungalled litter at each collection date indicating differential release of nitrogen in galled leaf litter. Several studies have shown that plant-insect interactions on woody species can alter ecosystem processes by affecting the quality or quantity of litter inputs. Our results illustrate how plant-insect interactions in an herbaceous species can affect ecosystem processes by altering the quality and quantity of litter inputs. Given that S. altissima dominates fields and roadsides and that R. solidaginis galls are highly abundant throughout eastern North America, these interactions are likely to be important for both the structure and function of old-field ecosystems.« less

Laying hen movement in a commercial aviary: Enclosure to floor and back again.

PubMed

Campbell, D L M; Makagon, M M; Swanson, J C; Siegford, J M

2016-01-01

Many producers in the laying hen industry, including in North America, are phasing out conventional cages in response to consumer demands and sometimes subsequent legislation. Alternative housing systems such as aviaries are being implemented in an attempt to improve hen welfare. Aviaries provide additional space and resources to groups of hens, including a litter area on the floor. However, little is known about hen movement between tiered enclosures and floor litter areas in aviary systems. Diurnal rhythms and social attraction may result in peak times of movement that could lead to overcrowding of areas, or alternatively hen preferences may lead to some areas not being fully utilized. We monitored hen movement between tiered enclosures and litter areas, including movement on and off the outer perch, across the day at peak, mid and end of lay in a commercial aviary. Hens moved onto and off of the open litter area across the day, transitioning between tiered enclosures, outer perches, open litter areas, and litter areas under tiered enclosures. At certain times of day, there were periods of greater hen movement down to the open litter area and between litter areas. For example, more hens were typically observed exiting enclosures, jumping from perches to open litter, and traveling between open litter and litter under tiered enclosures in the morning (all P ≤ 0.001). In all but one instance, more hens were observed on open litter areas in the afternoon than at other times of day (all P ≤ 0.029). However, hen re-entry to tiered enclosures showed less circadian patterning. Hen movement was observed between areas of interest at all sampled time periods, indicating hens use all areas of the system. Further research should examine whether all individual hens do move between areas equally, including within levels of the tiered enclosure, or if crowding occurs on the outer perches or in the litter during times of peak movement. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

High dietary biotin levels affect the footpad and hock health of broiler chickens reared at different stocking densities and litter conditions.

PubMed

Sun, Z W; Fan, Q H; Wang, X X; Guo, Y M; Wang, H J; Dong, X

2017-06-01

Responses to stocking density (SD), dietary biotin concentration and litter condition were evaluated on 2016 Ross 308 male broilers in the fattening period (day 22-day 42). The birds were placed in 48 pens with either dry or wet litter to simulate the final stocking density of 30 kg (12 broilers/m 2 ; normal stocking density, NSD) and 40 kg (16 broilers/m 2 ; high stocking density, HSD) of body weight (BW)/m 2 floor space. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was supplemented with biotin to provide a normal (NB; 155 μg/kg) or high (HB, 1521 μg/kg) level of dietary biotin. There were six repetitions per treatment. The inappropriate moisture content of litter associated with HSD was avoided (p < 0.05) by good management (SD difference: dry litter, 6.65% vs. wet litter, 13.23%; 42 days), which made it advantageous (p < 0.01) for footpad (SD difference: dry litter, 0.118 vs. wet litter, 0.312; weekly average value) and hock health (SD difference: dry litter, 0.090 vs. wet litter, 0.303; weekly average value) of HSD birds, but not (p > 0.05) for growth and processing yield. In HSD, the biotin effect (gains, FCR) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in NSD. The similar response of HSD birds to supplemental biotin was observed (p < 0.05) for lesion scores of footpad and hock in particularly finishing chickens, and a significant interaction (p < 0.01) among stocking density, biotin supplementation and litter condition existed from 35 to 42 days of age. Taken together, increasing dietary biotin improves the performance and well-being of broiler chickens stocked at high densities in litter-independent and litter-dependent manners respectively. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Leaf litter decomposition rates increase with rising mean annual temperature in Hawaiian tropical montane wet forests

PubMed Central

Bothwell, Lori D.; Giardina, Christian P.; Litton, Creighton M.

2014-01-01

Decomposing litter in forest ecosystems supplies nutrients to plants, carbon to heterotrophic soil microorganisms and is a large source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Despite its essential role in carbon and nutrient cycling, the temperature sensitivity of leaf litter decay in tropical forest ecosystems remains poorly resolved, especially in tropical montane wet forests where the warming trend may be amplified compared to tropical wet forests at lower elevations. We quantified leaf litter decomposition rates along a highly constrained 5.2 °C mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient in tropical montane wet forests on the Island of Hawaii. Dominant vegetation, substrate type and age, soil moisture, and disturbance history are all nearly constant across this gradient, allowing us to isolate the effect of rising MAT on leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release. Leaf litter decomposition rates were a positive linear function of MAT, causing the residence time of leaf litter on the forest floor to decline by ∼31 days for each 1 °C increase in MAT. Our estimate of the Q10 temperature coefficient for leaf litter decomposition was 2.17, within the commonly reported range for heterotrophic organic matter decomposition (1.5–2.5) across a broad range of ecosystems. The percentage of leaf litter nitrogen (N) remaining after six months declined linearly with increasing MAT from ∼88% of initial N at the coolest site to ∼74% at the warmest site. The lack of net N immobilization during all three litter collection periods at all MAT plots indicates that N was not limiting to leaf litter decomposition, regardless of temperature. These results suggest that leaf litter decay in tropical montane wet forests may be more sensitive to rising MAT than in tropical lowland wet forests, and that increased rates of N release from decomposing litter could delay or prevent progressive N limitation to net primary productivity with climate warming. PMID:25493213

Composition of riparian litter input regulates organic matter decomposition: Implications for headwater stream functioning in a managed forest landscape.

PubMed

Lidman, Johan; Jonsson, Micael; Burrows, Ryan M; Bundschuh, Mirco; Sponseller, Ryan A

2017-02-01

Although the importance of stream condition for leaf litter decomposition has been extensively studied, little is known about how processing rates change in response to altered riparian vegetation community composition. We investigated patterns of plant litter input and decomposition across 20 boreal headwater streams that varied in proportions of riparian deciduous and coniferous trees. We measured a suite of in-stream physical and chemical characteristics, as well as the amount and type of litter inputs from riparian vegetation, and related these to decomposition rates of native (alder, birch, and spruce) and introduced (lodgepole pine) litter species incubated in coarse- and fine-mesh bags. Total litter inputs ranged more than fivefold among sites and increased with the proportion of deciduous vegetation in the riparian zone. In line with differences in initial litter quality, mean decomposition rate was highest for alder, followed by birch, spruce, and lodgepole pine (12, 55, and 68% lower rates, respectively). Further, these rates were greater in coarse-mesh bags that allow colonization by macroinvertebrates. Variance in decomposition rate among sites for different species was best explained by different sets of environmental conditions, but litter-input composition (i.e., quality) was overall highly important. On average, native litter decomposed faster in sites with higher-quality litter input and (with the exception of spruce) higher concentrations of dissolved nutrients and open canopies. By contrast, lodgepole pine decomposed more rapidly in sites receiving lower-quality litter inputs. Birch litter decomposition rate in coarse-mesh bags was best predicted by the same environmental variables as in fine-mesh bags, with additional positive influences of macroinvertebrate species richness. Hence, to facilitate energy turnover in boreal headwaters, forest management with focus on conifer production should aim at increasing the presence of native deciduous trees along streams, as they promote conditions that favor higher decomposition rates of terrestrial plant litter.

ESTIMATING THE BREAKDOWN AND ACCUMULATION OF EMERGENT MACROPHYTE LITTER: A MASS-BALANCE APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

Litter accumulation within emergent macrophyte marshes may significantly influence abiotic conditions and biota but litter is rarely considered in emergent macrophyte studies. Litter is defined here as the standing and fallen dead plant material that can be collected using harv...

Low densities of drifting litter in the African sector of the Southern Ocean.

PubMed

Ryan, Peter G; Musker, Seth; Rink, Ariella

2014-12-15

Only 52 litter items (>1cm diameter) were observed in 10,467 km of at-sea transects in the African sector of the Southern Ocean. Litter density north of the Subtropical Front (0.58 items km(-2)) was less than in the adjacent South Atlantic Ocean (1-6 items km(-2)), but has increased compared to the mid-1980s. Litter density south of the Subtropical Front was an order of magnitude less than in temperate waters (0.032 items km(-2)). There was no difference in litter density between sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters either side of the Antarctic Polar Front. Most litter was made of plastic (96%). Fishery-related debris comprised a greater proportion of litter south of the Subtropical Front (33%) than in temperate waters (13%), where packaging dominated litter items (68%). The results confirm that the Southern Ocean is the least polluted ocean in terms of drifting debris and suggest that most debris comes from local sources. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earthworms and litter management contributions to ecosystem services in a tropical agroforestry system.

PubMed

Fonte, Steven J; Six, Johan

2010-06-01

The development of sustainable agricultural systems depends in part upon improved management of non-crop species to enhance the overall functioning and provision of services by agroecosystems. To address this need, our research examined the role of earthworms and litter management on nutrient dynamics, soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization, and crop growth in the Quesungual agroforestry system of western Honduras. Field mesocosms were established with two earthworm treatments (0 vs. 8 Pontoscolex corethrurus individuals per mesocosm) and four litter quality treatments: (1) low-quality Zea mays, (2) high-quality Diphysa robinioides, (3) a mixture of low- and high-quality litters, and (4) a control with no organic residues applied. Mesocosms included a single Z. mays plant and additions of 15N-labeled inorganic nitrogen. At maize harvest, surface soils (0-15 cm) in the mesocosms were sampled to determine total and available P as well as the distribution of C, N, and 15N among different aggregate-associated SOM pools. Maize plants were divided into grain and non-grain components and analyzed for total P, N, and 15N. Earthworm additions improved soil structure as demonstrated by a 10% increase in mean weight diameter and higher C and N storage within large macro-aggregates (>2000 microm). A corresponding 17% increase in C contained in micro-aggregates within the macro-aggregates indicates that earthworms enhance the stabilization of SOM in these soils; however, this effect only occurred when organic residues were applied. Earthworms also decreased available P and total soil P, indicating that earthworms may facilitate the loss of labile P added to this system. Earthworms decreased the recovery of fertilizer-derived N in the soil but increased the uptake of 15N by maize by 7%. Litter treatments yielded minimal effects on soil properties and plant growth. Our results indicate that the application of litter inputs and proper management of earthworm populations can have important implications for the provision of ecosystem services (e.g., C sequestration, soil fertility, and plant production) by tropical agroforestry systems.

Metal release from contaminated leaf litter and leachate toxicity for the freshwater crustacean Gammarus fossarum.

PubMed

Maunoury-Danger, Florence; Felten, Vincent; Bojic, Clément; Fraysse, Fabrice; Cosin Ponce, Mar; Dedourge-Geffard, Odile; Geffard, Alain; Guérold, François; Danger, Michael

2018-04-01

Industrialization has left large surfaces of contaminated soils, which may act as a source of pollution for contiguous ecosystems, either terrestrial or aquatic. When polluted sites are recolonized by plants, dispersion of leaf litter might represent a non-negligible source of contaminants, especially metals. To evaluate the risks associated to contaminated leaf litter dispersion in aquatic ecosystems, we first measured the dynamics of metal loss from leaf litter during a 48-h experimental leaching. We used aspen (Populus tremula L.), a common tree species on these polluted sites, and collected leaf litter on three polluted sites (settling pond of a former steel mill) and three control sites situated in the same geographic area. Then, toxicity tests were carried out on individuals of a key detritivore species widely used in ecotoxicology tests, Gammarus fossarum (Crustacea, Amphipoda), with uncontaminated and contaminated leaf litter leachates, using a battery of biomarkers selected for their sensitivity to metallic stress. Leaf litters collected on polluted sites exhibited not only significantly higher cadmium and zinc concentrations but also lower lignin contents. All leaf litters released high amounts of chemical elements during the leaching process, especially potassium and magnesium, and, in a lesser extent, phosphorus, calcium, and trace metals (copper, cadmium, and zinc but not lead). Toxicity tests revealed that the most important toxic effects measured on G. fossarum were due to leaf litter leachates by themselves, whatever the origin of litter (from polluted or control sites), confirming the toxicity of such substances, probably due to their high content in phenolic compounds. Small additional toxic effects of leachates from contaminated leaf litters were only evidenced on gammarid lipid peroxidation, indicating that contaminated leaf litter leachates might be slightly more toxic than uncontaminated ones, but in a very reduced manner. Further studies will be required to verify if these patterns are generalizable to other species and to investigate the effects of contaminated leaf litter ingestion by consumers on aquatic food webs. Nevertheless, our results do not permit to exclude potential chronic effects of an exposure to contaminated leaf litter leachates in aquatic ecosystems.

The partitioning of litter carbon during litter decomposition under different rainfall patterns: a laboratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, X.; Szlavecz, K. A.; Langley, J. A.; Pitz, S.; Chang, C. H.

2017-12-01

Quantifying litter C into different C fluxes during litter decomposition is necessary to understand carbon cycling under changing climatic conditions. Rainfall patterns are predicted to change in the future, and their effects on the fate of litter carbon are poorly understood. Soils from deciduous forests in Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Maryland, USA were collected to reconstruct soil columns in the lab. 13C labeled tulip poplar leaf litter was used to trace carbon during litter decomposition. Top 1% and the mean of 15-minute historical precipitation data from nearby weather stations were considered as extreme and control rainfall intensity, respectively. Both intensity and frequency of rainfall were manipulated, while the total amount was kept constant. A pulse of CO2 efflux was detected right after each rainfall event in the soil columns with leaf litter. After the first event, CO2 efflux of the control rainfall treatment soils increased to threefold of the CO2 efflux before rain event and that of the extreme treatment soils increased to fivefold. However, in soils without leaf litter, CO2 efflux was suppressed right after rainfall events. After each rainfall event, the leaf litter contribution to CO2 efflux first showed an increase, decreased sharply in the following two days, and then stayed relatively constant. In soil columns with leaf litter, the order of cumulative CO2 efflux was control > extreme > intermediate. The order of cumulative CO2 efflux in the bare soil treatment was extreme > intermediate > control. The order of volume of leachate from different treatments was extreme > intermediate > control. Our initial results suggest that more intense rainfall events result in larger pulses of CO2, which is rarely measured in the field. Additionally, soils with and without leaf litter respond differently to precipitation events. This is important to consider in temperate regions where leaf litter cover changes throughout the year. Including the rainfall pattern as a parameter to the partitioning of litter carbon could help better project soil carbon cycling in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Soil respiration as affected by long-term broiler litter application to a udult in the ozark highlands.

PubMed

McMullen, Richard L; Brye, Kristofor R; Gbur, Edward E

2015-01-01

The United States produced 8.4 billion broiler chickens () and an estimated 10.1 to 14.3 million Mg of broiler litter (BL) in 2012. Arkansas' production of 1 billion broilers in 2012 produced an estimated 1.2 to 1.7 million Mg of BL, most of which was concentrated in the Ozark Highlands region of northwest Arkansas. Increased CO release from soils associated with agricultural practices has generated concerns regarding the contribution of certain agricultural management practices to global warming. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of long-term (>6 yr) BL application to a Udult on soil respiration and annual C emissions and to determine the predictability of soil respiration based on soil temperature and moisture in the Ozark Highlands region of northwest Arkansas. Soil respiration was measured routinely between May 2009 and May 2012 in response to annual BL application rates of 0, 5.6, and 11.2 Mg dry litter ha that began in 2003. Soil respiration varied ( < 0.01) with BL rate, measurement date, and year. Additions of BL stimulated respiration after application, and rainfall events after dry-soil conditions stimulated respiration in all years. Soil temperature at the 10-cm depth, 0- to 6-cm soil volumetric water content (VWC), and annual CO-C emissions were unaffected ( > 0.05) by BL application rate but differed ( < 0.01) among study years. Multiple regression indicated that soil respiration could be reasonably predicted using 2-cm-depth soil temperature (T) and the product of T and VWC as predictors ( = 0.52; < 0.01). Results indicate that organic amendments, such as BL, can stimulate release of CO from the soil to the atmosphere, potentially negatively affecting atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations; thus, there may be application rates above which the benefits of organic amendments may be diminished by adverse environmental effects. Improved BL management strategies are needed to lessen the loss of CO from BL-amended soils. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Decomposition rate of Rhizopora stylosa litter in Tanjung Rejo Village, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatera Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rambey, R.; Delvian; Sianturi, S. D.

2018-02-01

Research on the decomposition rate of Rhizopora stylosa litter in Tanjung Rejo village, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatera Province was conducted from September 2016 to May 2017. The objectives of this research were (1) to measure the decomposition rate of Rhizophora stylosa litter and (2) to determine the type of functional fungi in decomposition of litter. R. stylosa litter decomposition is characterized by a reduction in litter weight per observation period. Decomposition rate tended to increase every week, which was from 0.238 in the seventh day and reached 0.302 on the fiftysixthth day. The decomposition rate of R. stylosa litter of leaf was high with the value of k per day > 0,01 caused by macrobentos and fungi, and also the decomposition of R. stylosa litter conducted in the pond area which is classified far from the coast. Therefore, to enable the high population of fungi which affect the decomposition rate of the litter. The types of fungi decomposers were: Aspergillus sp.-1, Aspergillus sp.-2, Aspergillus sp.-3, Rhizophus sp.-1., Rhizophus sp.-2, Penicillium sp., Syncephalastrum sp. and Fusarium sp.

Investigation and comprehensive evaluation of the litter pollution on the Heishijiao beach in Dalian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Mengdi; Zhao, Kaiyuan; Zhang, Yan; Sui, Chuanguo

2018-02-01

From November 2015 to August 2016, this paper conducted an investigation into the classification of the litter on the Heishijiao beach in Dalian, and made a comprehensive evaluation of the litter pollution on the beach in different seasons. According to the results, the litter on the Heishijiao beach in Dalian mainly come from human’s offshore activities and other wastes, and spring is the season which witnesses the largest quantity of litter resulting from the activities. Most of the fragmental wastes are glass, plastic and paper, while there is a little metal, rubber and wooden products. On the Heishijiao beach, most of the fragmental litter are small, followed by medium and large ones; outsized wastes are rare. The quantitative density of litter is highest in winter (9.0items/m2), with the average quantitative density of 4.6 items/m2; the qualitative density of litter is highest in spring (8 g/m2), with the average qualitative density of 6.0 g/m2. The results of the comprehensive evaluation show that the litter pollution on the Heishijiao beach stays between “Average” and “Unsatisfactory”.

Effects of Chicken Litter Storage Time and Ammonia Content on Thermal Resistance of Desiccation-Adapted Salmonella spp.

PubMed

Chen, Zhao; Wang, Hongye; Ionita, Claudia; Luo, Feng; Jiang, Xiuping

2015-10-01

Broiler chicken litter was kept as a stacked heap on a poultry farm, and samples were collected up to 9 months of storage. Chicken litter inoculated with desiccation-adapted Salmonella cells was heat-treated at 75, 80, 85, and 150°C. Salmonella populations decreased in all these samples during heat treatment, and the inactivation rates became lower in chicken litter when storage time was extended from 0 to 6 months. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in thermal resistance of Salmonella in 6- and 9-month litter samples, indicating that a threshold for thermal resistance was reached after 6 months. Overall, the thermal resistance of Salmonella in chicken litter was affected by the storage time of the litter. The changes in some chemical, physical, and microbiological properties during storage could possibly contribute to this difference. Moisture and ammonia could be two of the most significant factors influencing the thermal resistance of Salmonella cells in chicken litter. Our results emphasize the importance of adjusting time and temperature conditions for heat processing chicken litter when it is removed from the chicken house at different time intervals. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Effects of Chicken Litter Storage Time and Ammonia Content on Thermal Resistance of Desiccation-Adapted Salmonella spp.

PubMed Central

Chen, Zhao; Wang, Hongye; Ionita, Claudia; Luo, Feng

2015-01-01

Broiler chicken litter was kept as a stacked heap on a poultry farm, and samples were collected up to 9 months of storage. Chicken litter inoculated with desiccation-adapted Salmonella cells was heat-treated at 75, 80, 85, and 150°C. Salmonella populations decreased in all these samples during heat treatment, and the inactivation rates became lower in chicken litter when storage time was extended from 0 to 6 months. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in thermal resistance of Salmonella in 6- and 9-month litter samples, indicating that a threshold for thermal resistance was reached after 6 months. Overall, the thermal resistance of Salmonella in chicken litter was affected by the storage time of the litter. The changes in some chemical, physical, and microbiological properties during storage could possibly contribute to this difference. Moisture and ammonia could be two of the most significant factors influencing the thermal resistance of Salmonella cells in chicken litter. Our results emphasize the importance of adjusting time and temperature conditions for heat processing chicken litter when it is removed from the chicken house at different time intervals. PMID:26209673

Biotic and abiotic variables influencing plant litter breakdown in streams: a global study.

PubMed

Boyero, Luz; Pearson, Richard G; Hui, Cang; Gessner, Mark O; Pérez, Javier; Alexandrou, Markos A; Graça, Manuel A S; Cardinale, Bradley J; Albariño, Ricardo J; Arunachalam, Muthukumarasamy; Barmuta, Leon A; Boulton, Andrew J; Bruder, Andreas; Callisto, Marcos; Chauvet, Eric; Death, Russell G; Dudgeon, David; Encalada, Andrea C; Ferreira, Verónica; Figueroa, Ricardo; Flecker, Alexander S; Gonçalves, José F; Helson, Julie; Iwata, Tomoya; Jinggut, Tajang; Mathooko, Jude; Mathuriau, Catherine; M'Erimba, Charles; Moretti, Marcelo S; Pringle, Catherine M; Ramírez, Alonso; Ratnarajah, Lavenia; Rincon, José; Yule, Catherine M

2016-04-27

Plant litter breakdown is a key ecological process in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Streams and rivers, in particular, contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes. However, there is little information available on the relative roles of different drivers of plant litter breakdown in fresh waters, particularly at large scales. We present a global-scale study of litter breakdown in streams to compare the roles of biotic, climatic and other environmental factors on breakdown rates. We conducted an experiment in 24 streams encompassing latitudes from 47.8° N to 42.8° S, using litter mixtures of local species differing in quality and phylogenetic diversity (PD), and alder (Alnus glutinosa) to control for variation in litter traits. Our models revealed that breakdown of alder was driven by climate, with some influence of pH, whereas variation in breakdown of litter mixtures was explained mainly by litter quality and PD. Effects of litter quality and PD and stream pH were more positive at higher temperatures, indicating that different mechanisms may operate at different latitudes. These results reflect global variability caused by multiple factors, but unexplained variance points to the need for expanded global-scale comparisons. © 2016 The Author(s).

Litter in submarine canyons off the west coast of Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mordecai, Gideon; Tyler, Paul A.; Masson, Douglas G.; Huvenne, Veerle A. I.

2011-12-01

Marine litter is of global concern and is present in all the world's oceans, including deep benthic habitats where the extent of the problem is still largely unknown. Litter abundance and composition were investigated using video footage and still images from 16 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives in Lisbon, Setúbal, Cascais and Nazaré Canyons located west of Portugal. Litter was most abundant at sites closest to the coastline and population centres, suggesting the majority of the litter was land sourced. Plastic was the dominant type of debris, followed by fishing gear. Standardised mean abundance was 1100 litter items km -2, but was as high as 6600 litter items km -2 in canyons close to Lisbon. Although all anthropogenic material may be harmful to biota, debris was also used as a habitat by some macro-invertebrates. Litter composition and abundance observed in the canyons of the Portuguese margin were comparable to those seen in other deep sea areas around the world. Accumulation of litter in the deep sea is a consequence of human activities both on land and at sea. This needs to be taken into account in future policy decisions regarding marine pollution.

Biotic and abiotic variables influencing plant litter breakdown in streams: a global study

PubMed Central

Pearson, Richard G.; Hui, Cang; Gessner, Mark O.; Pérez, Javier; Alexandrou, Markos A.; Graça, Manuel A. S.; Cardinale, Bradley J.; Albariño, Ricardo J.; Arunachalam, Muthukumarasamy; Barmuta, Leon A.; Boulton, Andrew J.; Bruder, Andreas; Callisto, Marcos; Chauvet, Eric; Death, Russell G.; Dudgeon, David; Encalada, Andrea C.; Ferreira, Verónica; Figueroa, Ricardo; Flecker, Alexander S.; Gonçalves, José F.; Helson, Julie; Iwata, Tomoya; Jinggut, Tajang; Mathooko, Jude; Mathuriau, Catherine; M'Erimba, Charles; Moretti, Marcelo S.; Pringle, Catherine M.; Ramírez, Alonso; Ratnarajah, Lavenia; Rincon, José; Yule, Catherine M.

2016-01-01

Plant litter breakdown is a key ecological process in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Streams and rivers, in particular, contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes. However, there is little information available on the relative roles of different drivers of plant litter breakdown in fresh waters, particularly at large scales. We present a global-scale study of litter breakdown in streams to compare the roles of biotic, climatic and other environmental factors on breakdown rates. We conducted an experiment in 24 streams encompassing latitudes from 47.8° N to 42.8° S, using litter mixtures of local species differing in quality and phylogenetic diversity (PD), and alder (Alnus glutinosa) to control for variation in litter traits. Our models revealed that breakdown of alder was driven by climate, with some influence of pH, whereas variation in breakdown of litter mixtures was explained mainly by litter quality and PD. Effects of litter quality and PD and stream pH were more positive at higher temperatures, indicating that different mechanisms may operate at different latitudes. These results reflect global variability caused by multiple factors, but unexplained variance points to the need for expanded global-scale comparisons. PMID:27122551

Stronger influence of litter quality on decomposition rates than microbial home field advantage in novel subtropical dry forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin-Spiotta, E.; Atkinson, E. E.

2015-12-01

Litter decomposition is one of the most studied ecosystem processes, given its role in carbon cycling and nutrient availability, yet our knowledge of how decomposition is influenced by novel species assemblages in tropical forests emerging on post-agricultural landscapes is limited. This is especially true in tropical dry forests, which are some of the most fragmented forests worldwide due to human pressures and sensitive to changes in rainfall and fire regimes. Here we tested for the effects of litter quality, site conditions, and microbial "home-field advantage" on decomposition rates in subtropical dry forests in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. We conducted a 22-month in situ and reciprocal transplant field decomposition experiment of aboveground litter and fine roots in 10-year old sites dominated by an early successional N-fixing tree and 40-year old mixed-species secondary forests. Total annual litterfall mass did not differ between the two forest types, but monthly amounts did, with more litter accumulating in the 40-year old secondary forests during the dry season and in the 10-year old secondary forests during the wet season. Litter chemistry differed between the two forest types and showed divergent patterns over the two-year field incubation. To test for the effects of litter quality on decomposition rates, we compared mass loss rates for aboveground and root litter from each forest decomposed in situ and transplanted to the other forest type. Litter in the 10-year old forests decomposed faster in situ (k= 1.07 ± 0.04) than when it was transplanted (k=0.86 ± 0.04). Litter from the 40-year old forests showed the opposite pattern. In situ root decomposition in both forests occurred at the same rate compared to roots that were transplanted there from the other forest type, suggesting that site conditions were equally important as litter quality. Our results were not consistent with a microbial home-field advantage for litter and root decomposition, that is, microbes were not more efficient at decomposing their own native litter, regardless of chemistry. Rather, decomposition patterns may be largely controlled by litter quality (and the combined effects of litter quality and site conditions specifically for roots) in contrast to the decomposer community in these subtropical dry forests.

Changes in Trace Gas Nitrogen Emissions as a Response to Ecosystem Type Conversion in a Semi-Arid Climate.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, H.; Eberwein, J. R.; Jenerette, D.

2016-12-01

As humans continue to introduce exotic plants and to alter climate and fire regimes in semi-arid ecosystems, many plant communities have begun to shift from perennial forbs and shrubs to annual grasses with different functional traits. Shifts in plant types are also associated with shifts in microclimate, microbial activity, and litter inputs, all of which contribute to the efficiency of nitrogen processing and the magnitude of trace gas emissions (NOx and N2O), which are increasingly important fluxes in water-limited systems. Here, we explored how changes in plant litter impact trace gas emissions, asking the question: How does conversion from a native shrubland to exotic grassland ecosystem alter NOx and N2O fluxes in a semi-arid climate? We posed two hypotheses to explain the impacts of different types of litter on soils disturbed by exotic grasses and those that were still considered shrublands: 1.) Soils that have undergone conversion by exotic grasses release higher amounts of NOx and N2O than do those of unconverted shrublands, due to disruptions of native plant and soil processes by exotic grasses, and 2.) Because litter of exotic grasses has lower C:N than that of shrubs, litter inputs from exotic grasses will increase NOx and N2O emissions from soils more than will litter inputs from shrubs. As a preliminary study, we experimentally wetted mesocosms in a laboratory incubation containing converted and unconverted soils that had been mixed with no litter or either exotic grass or coastal sage scrub (CSS) litter. We measured N2O fluxes from mesocosms over a 48-hour period. 24 hours after wetting, samples with grass litter produced higher amounts of N2O than those with CSS litter; similarly, converted soils produced higher amounts of N2O than unconverted soils. These two effects combined resulted in exotic grassland conditions (converted soils with exotic grass litter) producing 10 times the amount of N2O as those containing native shrubland conditions (unconverted soils with CSS litter). Additionally, soils with no litter peaked in N2O emissions earlier than those with litter (12 hours after wetting compared to 24 hours after wetting). Following preliminary results, we suggest that differences in plant traits, such as litter, play a significant role in the magnitude and timing of trace gas nitrogen emissions.

Litter quality impacts short- but not long-term soil carbon dynamics in soil aggregate fractions.

PubMed

Gentile, Roberta; Vanlauwe, Bernard; Six, Johan

2011-04-01

Complex molecules are presumed to be preferentially stabilized as soil organic carbon (SOC) based on the generally accepted concept that the chemical composition of litter is a major factor in its rate of decomposition. Hence, a direct link between litter quality and SOC quantity has been assumed, accepted, and ultimately incorporated in SOC models. Here, however, we present data from an incubation and field experiment that refutes the influence of litter quality on the quantity of stabilized SOC. Three different qualities of litter (Tithonia diversifolia, Calliandra calothyrsus, and Zea mays stover; 4 Mg C x ha(-1) yr(-1)) with and without the addition of mineral N fertilizer (0 or 120 kg N x ha(-1)season(-1) were added to a red clay Humic Nitisol in a 3-yr field trial and a 1.5-yr incubation experiment. The litters differed in their concentrations of N, lignin, and polyphenols with the ratio of (lignin + polyphenols): N ranging from 3.5 to 9.8 for the field trial and from 2.3 to 4.0 for the incubation experiment in the order of T. diversifolia < C. calothyrsus < or = Z. mays. Litter quality did not affect the amount of SOC stabilized after three annual additions in the field trial. Even within the most sensitive soil aggregate fractions, SOC contents and C:N ratios did not differ with litter quality, indicating that litter quality did not influence the mechanisms by which SOC was stabilized. While increasing litter quality displayed faster decomposition and incorporation of C into soil aggregates after 0.25 yr in the incubation study, all litters resulted in equivalent amounts of C stabilized in the soil after 1.5 yr, further corroborating the results of the field trial. The addition of N fertilizer did not affect SOC stabilization in either the field or the incubation trial. Thus, we conclude that, while litter quality controls shorter-term dynamics of C decomposition and accumulation in the soil, longer-term SOC patterns cannot be predicted based on initial litter quality effects. Hence, the formation and stabilization of SOC is more controlled by the quantity of litter input and its interaction with the soil matrix than by litter quality.

WETLAND INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITY RESPONSES TO VARYING EMERGENT LITTER IN A PRAIRIE POTHOLE EMERGENT MARSH

EPA Science Inventory

Plant litter produced in the interior of dense emergent stands may directly or indirectly influence invertebrate communities. Low litter may provide structure and refuge to invertebrates while high litter may shade out vegetation and algae and decrease oxygen concentrations. With...

Larch Litter Removal Has No Significant Effect On Runoff

Treesearch

Richard S. Startz; David N. Tolsted

1974-01-01

Runoff was measured on paired litter-removed, litter-left plots in an 11-year-old European larch plantation. On five of the six pairs of plots, the plot with the litter left intact yielded more runoff. however, the differences were neither statistically nor hydrologically significant.

The Prenatal Development Effects of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Exposure in Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-12

Group Mean Litter Basis: #Non- Viable Fetuses+ Resorptions (early or late) Postimplantation Loss/Litter= d # Gravi Females 2. Proportional Litter...late)/ Litter · Postimplantation -. -(%) = d xlOO Lztter # Gravi Females 3.12.2. Fetal Morphological Examination Fetal examinations were conducted

Reducing Weekend Litter (and Improving RA-Resident Interactions) in a College Residence Hall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luyben, Paul D.; And Others

1984-01-01

Investigated the effectiveness of a litter reduction program, consisting of group assignment of responsibility and a token reward system, on weekend litter rates in college residence halls. Results indicated procedure was completely effective, with litter reduced to zero in all settings. (BL)

Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Recent research suggests labile plant litters promote the stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) in physico-chemically protected fractions with relatively slow turnover. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. Labile, ‘high quality’ litters characterized by hi...

Factors influencing litter size and puppy losses in the Entlebucher Mountain dog.

PubMed

Schrack, J; Dolf, G; Reichler, I M; Schelling, C

2017-06-01

A good reproductive performance is a central element of animal breeding. The breeders of Entlebucher Mountain dogs observed a decrease of the mean litter size and an increase of the number of unsuccessful matings in the past years. The aim of the present study was to identify factors with an influence on fertility in this breed. In total, 915 litters from 202 sires and 348 dams from 1986 to 2013 entered the analyses. The total puppy losses (7.4%) reduced the mean litter size at birth of 5.49 ± 2.13 to a mean litter size at registration of 5.08 ± 2.05. There was no deviation from the expected equal sex distribution for puppies at birth and at registration, as well as for puppy losses consisting of stillborn puppies and puppies which died or had to be euthanized before registration. The mean annual litter inbreeding coefficient increased from 0.37 in 1986 to 0.40 in 2013 and was correlated with the year of birth of the litter (Kendall's tau b = 0.46). The age of the dam and parental inbreeding were identified as significant predictors with a negative effect on litter size at birth. For the litter size at registration the age and inbreeding of the dam had a significant negative effect and a 1% increase of dam inbreeding is expected to decrease the litter size at birth and registration by 0.1 and 0.09 puppies, respectively. The occurrence of total puppy losses decreased during the years and was more frequent in larger litters. In addition, in litters of older parents the occurrence of puppy losses was more frequent than in litters from younger parents. The final generalized linear mixed-effects models for litter size at birth, litter size at registration and for total puppy losses explained 36%, 33% and 22% of the total variance, respectively. The impact of inbreeding and parental age on fertility of the Entlebucher Mountain dog was small and the influence of the dam was much bigger than the one of the sire. Other factors must be responsible for the variability of litter sizes not explained by the models. Without changes of breeding circumstances, a further increase of inbreeding must be expected. Therefore, a close monitoring and minimizing of inbreeding must be followed up by the breeding community. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

PubMed

Yue, Kai; Yang, Wanqin; Peng, Changhui; Peng, Yan; Zhang, Chuan; Huang, Chunping; Tan, Yu; Wu, Fuzhong

2016-10-01

Litter decomposition is a biological process fundamental to element cycling and a main nutrient source within forest meta-ecosystems, but few studies have looked into this process simultaneously in individual ecosystems, where environmental factors can vary substantially. A two-year field study conducted in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem with four litter species (i.e., willow: Salix paraplesia, azalea: Rhododendron lapponicum, cypress: Sabina saltuaria, and larch: Larix mastersiana) that varied widely in chemical traits showed that both litter species and ecosystem type (i.e., forest floor, stream and riparian zone) are important factors affecting litter decomposition, and their effects can be moderated by local-scale environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient availability. Litter decomposed fastest in the streams followed by the riparian zone and forest floor regardless of species. For a given litter species, both the k value and limit value varied significantly among ecosystems, indicating that the litter decomposition rate and extent (i.e., reaching a limit value) can be substantially affected by ecosystem type and the local-scale environmental factors. Apart from litter initial acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) concentration and its ratio to nitrogen concentration (i.e., AUR/N ratio), the initial nutrient concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were also important litter traits that affected decomposition depending on the ecosystem type. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inhibitory and toxic effects of extracellular self-DNA in litter: a mechanism for negative plant-soil feedbacks?

PubMed

Mazzoleni, Stefano; Bonanomi, Giuliano; Incerti, Guido; Chiusano, Maria Luisa; Termolino, Pasquale; Mingo, Antonio; Senatore, Mauro; Giannino, Francesco; Cartenì, Fabrizio; Rietkerk, Max; Lanzotti, Virginia

2015-02-01

Plant-soil negative feedback (NF) is recognized as an important factor affecting plant communities. The objectives of this work were to assess the effects of litter phytotoxicity and autotoxicity on root proliferation, and to test the hypothesis that DNA is a driver of litter autotoxicity and plant-soil NF. The inhibitory effect of decomposed litter was studied in different bioassays. Litter biochemical changes were evaluated with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. DNA accumulation in litter and soil was measured and DNA toxicity was assessed in laboratory experiments. Undecomposed litter caused nonspecific inhibition of root growth, while autotoxicity was produced by aged litter. The addition of activated carbon (AC) removed phytotoxicity, but was ineffective against autotoxicity. Phytotoxicity was related to known labile allelopathic compounds. Restricted (13) C NMR signals related to nucleic acids were the only ones negatively correlated with root growth on conspecific substrates. DNA accumulation was observed in both litter decomposition and soil history experiments. Extracted total DNA showed evident species-specific toxicity. Results indicate a general occurrence of litter autotoxicity related to the exposure to fragmented self-DNA. The evidence also suggests the involvement of accumulated extracellular DNA in plant-soil NF. Further studies are needed to further investigate this unexpected function of extracellular DNA at the ecosystem level and related cellular and molecular mechanisms. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

High variation in foliage and leaf litter chemistry among 45 tree species of a neotropical rainforest community.

PubMed

Hättenschwiler, Stephan; Aeschlimann, Beat; Coûteaux, Marie-Madeleine; Roy, Jacques; Bonal, Damien

2008-01-01

Distinct ecosystem level carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus (C : N : P) stoichiometries in forest foliage have been suggested to reflect ecosystem-scale selection for physiological strategies in plant nutrient use. Here, this hypothesis was explored in a nutrient-poor lowland rainforest in French Guiana. Variation in C, N and P concentrations was evaluated in leaf litter and foliage from neighbour trees of 45 different species, and the litter concentrations of major C fractions were also measured. Litter C ranged from 45.3 to 52.4%, litter N varied threefold (0.68-2.01%), and litter P varied seven-fold (0.009-0.062%) among species. Compared with foliage, mean litter N and P concentrations decreased by 30% and 65%, respectively. Accordingly, the range in mass-based N : P shifted from 14 to 55 in foliage to 26 to 105 in litter. Resorption proficiencies indicated maximum P withdrawal in most species, but with a substantial increase in variation in litter P compared with foliage. These data suggest that constrained ecosystem-level C : N : P ratios do not preclude the evolution of highly diversified strategies of nutrient use and conservation among tropical rainforest tree species. The resulting large variation in litter quality will influence stoichiometric constraints within the decomposer food web, with potentially far-ranging consequences on nutrient dynamics and plant-soil feedbacks.

An evaluation of three litter control procedures--trash receptacles, paid workers, and the marked item technique.

PubMed Central

Bacon-Prue, A; Blount, R; Pickering, D; Drabman, R

1980-01-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of three litter control procedures on the grounds of a residential retardation facility. Fifty-seven areas were divided into five groups according to the amount of litter they contained. Daily litter counts were made in one randomly chosen area for four of the groups and weekly litter counts were made from one randomly chosen area from the fifth group. After the baseline period, trash receptacles were placed a high traffic areas on the grounds of the facility. This was followed by the payment of two resident workers for picking up trash. In the next phase, marked pieces of litter were placed on the grounds, and residents voluntarily collected litter and turned it in at a central location. When a marked piece was turned in, that resident received $1.00 and had his or her picture taken and posted. This phase was followed by a return to the trash receptacles phase and then a return to the marked item phase. The results indicated that the marked item procedure was effective in reducing the amount of litter on the campus grounds, but the use of trash receptacles and the payment of resident workers for picking up litter did not noticeably reduce the amount of litter. The results are discussed in terms of the cost effectiveness of the procedures. PMID:6767679

Emissions of volatile organic compounds during the decomposition of plant litter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gray, Christopher M.; Monson, Russell K.; Fierer, Noah

2010-09-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted during plant litter decomposition, and such VOCs can have wide-ranging impacts on atmospheric chemistry, terrestrial biogeochemistry, and soil ecology. However, we currently have a limited understanding of the relative importance of biotic versus abiotic sources of these VOCs and whether distinct types of litter emit different types and quantities of VOCs during decomposition. We analyzed VOCs emitted by microbes or by abiotic mechanisms during the decomposition of litter from 12 plant species in a laboratory experiment using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Net emissions from litter with active microbial populations (non-sterile litters) were between 0 and 11 times higher than emissions from sterile controls over a 20-d incubation period, suggesting that abiotic sources of VOCs are generally less important than biotic sources. In all cases, the sterile and non-sterile litter treatments emitted different types of VOCs, with methanol being the dominant VOC emitted from litters during microbial decomposition, accounting for 78 to 99% of the net emissions. We also found that the types of VOCs released during biotic decomposition differed in a predictable manner among litter types with VOC profiles also changing as decomposition progressed over time. These results show the importance of incorporating both the biotic decomposition of litter and the species-dependent differences in terrestrial vegetation into global VOC emission models.

REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO CONAZOLE FUNGICIDES IN THE MALE RAT

EPA Science Inventory

Conazoles are a class of fungicides used in pharmaceutical and agricultural applications. Three agricultural conazoles were selected, representing a range of reported cancer and reproductive effects, for a study exposing litters (16-20 per dose group) from gestation day 6to postn...

Sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams.

PubMed

Kako, Shin'ichiro; Isobe, Atsuhiko; Magome, Shinya

2010-05-01

This study attempts to establish a system for the sequential monitoring of beach litter using webcams placed at the Ookushi beach, Goto Islands, Japan, to establish the temporal variability in the quantities of beach litter every 90 min over a one and a half year period. The time series of the quantities of beach litter, computed by counting pixels with a greater lightness than a threshold value in photographs, shows that litter does not increase monotonically on the beach, but fluctuates mainly on a monthly time scale or less. To investigate what factors influence this variability, the time derivative of the quantity of beach litter is compared with satellite-derived wind speeds. It is found that the beach litter quantities vary largely with winds, but there may be other influencing factors. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of anthropogenic heavy metal contamination on litter decomposition in streams - A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ferreira, Verónica; Koricheva, Julia; Duarte, Sofia; Niyogi, Dev K; Guérold, François

2016-03-01

Many streams worldwide are affected by heavy metal contamination, mostly due to past and present mining activities. Here we present a meta-analysis of 38 studies (reporting 133 cases) published between 1978 and 2014 that reported the effects of heavy metal contamination on the decomposition of terrestrial litter in running waters. Overall, heavy metal contamination significantly inhibited litter decomposition. The effect was stronger for laboratory than for field studies, likely due to better control of confounding variables in the former, antagonistic interactions between metals and other environmental variables in the latter or differences in metal identity and concentration between studies. For laboratory studies, only copper + zinc mixtures significantly inhibited litter decomposition, while no significant effects were found for silver, aluminum, cadmium or zinc considered individually. For field studies, coal and metal mine drainage strongly inhibited litter decomposition, while drainage from motorways had no significant effects. The effect of coal mine drainage did not depend on drainage pH. Coal mine drainage negatively affected leaf litter decomposition independently of leaf litter identity; no significant effect was found for wood decomposition, but sample size was low. Considering metal mine drainage, arsenic mines had a stronger negative effect on leaf litter decomposition than gold or pyrite mines. Metal mine drainage significantly inhibited leaf litter decomposition driven by both microbes and invertebrates, independently of leaf litter identity; no significant effect was found for microbially driven decomposition, but sample size was low. Overall, mine drainage negatively affects leaf litter decomposition, likely through negative effects on invertebrates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenylurea herbicide sorption to biochars and agricultural soil

PubMed Central

WANG, DAOYUAN; MUKOME, FUNGAI N. D.; YAN, DENGHUA; WANG, HAO; SCOW, KATE M.; PARIKH, SANJAI J.

2016-01-01

Biochar is increasingly been used as a soil amendment to improve water holding capacity, reduce nutrient leaching, increase soil pH and also as a means to reduce contamination through sorption of heavy metals or organic pollutants. The sorption behavior of three phenylurea herbicides (monuron, diuron, linuron) on five biochars (Enhanced Biochar, Hog Waste, Turkey Litter, Walnut Shell and Wood Feedstock) and an agricultural soil (Yolo silt loam) was investigated using a batch equilibration method. Sorption isotherms of herbicides to biochars were well described by the Freundlich model (R2 = 0.93 -- 0.97). The adsorption KF values ranged from 6.94 to 1306.95 mg kg−1 and indicated the sorption of herbicides in the biochars and Yolo soil was in the sequence of linuron > diuron > monuron and walnut shell biochar > wood feedstock biochar > turkey litter biochar > enhanced biochar > hog waste biochar > Yolo soil. These data show that sorption of herbicides to biochar can have both positive (reduced off-site transport) and negative (reduced herbicide efficacy) implications and specific biochar properties, such as H/C ratio and surface area, should be considered together with soil type, agriculture chemical and climate condition in biochar application to agricultural soil to optimize the system for both agricultural and environmental benefits. PMID:26065514

Composting and gypsum amendment of broiler litter to reduce nutrient leaching loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Relative to fresh broiler litter, little is known about the dynamics of composted litter derived-nutrient in the ecosystem. In this study, the potential leaching losses of nutrients from compost relative to fresh broiler litter along with flue gas desulfurization (FGD gypsum), as a nutrient immobil...

Systematic evaluation of in-house broiler litter windrowing effects on production benefits and environmental impact

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In-house windrowing of broiler litter between flocks has been adopted by producers to reduce pathogens and improve litter quality before chick placement. In this study, 5 consecutive windrow trials were conducted in commercial broiler houses for their effect on litter bacterial populations, organic ...

Litter decay rates are determined by lignin chemistry

Treesearch

Jennifer M. Talbot; Daniel J. Yelle; James Nowick; Kathleen K. Treseder

2011-01-01

Litter decay rates are often correlated with the initial lignin:N or lignin:cellulose content of litter, suggesting that interactions between lignin and more labile compounds are important controls over litter decomposition. The chemical composition of lignin may influence these interactions, if lignin physically or chemically protects labile components from microbial...

Compositional aspects of herbaceous litter decomposition in the freshwater marshes of the Florida Everglades

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Litter decomposition in wetlands is an important component of ecosystem function in these detrital systems. In oligotrophic wetlands, such as the Florida Everglades, litter decomposition processes are dependent on nutrient availability and litter quality. However, not much is known about how the che...

Can the biomass-ratio hypothesis predict mixed-species litter decomposition along a climatic gradient?

PubMed Central

Tardif, Antoine; Shipley, Bill; Bloor, Juliette M. G.; Soussana, Jean-François

2014-01-01

Background and Aims The biomass-ratio hypothesis states that ecosystem properties are driven by the characteristics of dominant species in the community. In this study, the hypothesis was operationalized as community-weighted means (CWMs) of monoculture values and tested for predicting the decomposition of multispecies litter mixtures along an abiotic gradient in the field. Methods Decomposition rates (mg g−1 d−1) of litter from four herb species were measured using litter-bed experiments with the same soil at three sites in central France along a correlated climatic gradient of temperature and precipitation. All possible combinations from one to four species mixtures were tested over 28 weeks of incubation. Observed mixture decomposition rates were compared with those predicted by the biomass-ratio hypothesis. Variability of the prediction errors was compared with the species richness of the mixtures, across sites, and within sites over time. Key Results Both positive and negative prediction errors occurred. Despite this, the biomass-ratio hypothesis was true as an average claim for all sites (r = 0·91) and for each site separately, except for the climatically intermediate site, which showed mainly synergistic deviations. Variability decreased with increasing species richness and in less favourable climatic conditions for decomposition. Conclusions Community-weighted mean values provided good predictions of mixed-species litter decomposition, converging to the predicted values with increasing species richness and in climates less favourable to decomposition. Under a context of climate change, abiotic variability would be important to take into account when predicting ecosystem processes. PMID:24482152

Effect of temperature and moisture on the mineralization and humification of leaf litter in a model incubation experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larionova, A. A.; Maltseva, A. N.; Lopes de Gerenyu, V. O.; Kvitkina, A. K.; Bykhovets, S. S.; Zolotareva, B. N.; Kudeyarov, V. N.

2017-04-01

The mineralization and humification of leaf litter collected in a mixed forest of the Prioksko-Terrasny Reserve depending on temperature (2, 12, and 22°C) and moisture (15, 30, 70, 100, and 150% of water holding capacity ( WHC)) has been studied in long-term incubation experiments. Mineralization is the most sensitive to temperature changes at the early stage of decomposition; the Q 10 value at the beginning of the experiment (1.5-2.7) is higher than at the later decomposition stages (0.3-1.3). Carbon losses usually exceed nitrogen losses during decomposition. Intensive nitrogen losses are observed only at the high temperature and moisture of litter (22°C and 100% WHC). Humification determined from the accumulation of humic substances in the end of incubation decreases from 34 to 9% with increasing moisture and temperature. The degree of humification CHA/CFA is maximum (1.14) at 12°C and 15% WHC; therefore, these temperature and moisture conditions are considered optimal for humification. Humification calculated from the limit value of litter mineralization is almost independent of temperature, but it significantly decreases from 70 to 3% with increasing moisture. A possible reason for the difference between the humification values measured by two methods is the conservation of a significant part of hemicelluloses, cellulose, and lignin during the transformation of litter and the formation of a complex of humic substances with plant residues, where HSs fulfill a protectoral role and decrease the decomposition rate of plant biopolymers.

Number of flocks on the same litter and carcase condemnations due to cellulitis, arthritis and contact foot-pad dermatitis in broilers.

PubMed

Xavier, D B; Broom, D M; McManus, C M P; Torres, C; Bernal, F E M

2010-10-01

1. This study was conducted to verify the impact of different kinds of material and the number of times of litter reuse on the incidence of chicken pathologies. Approximately 4·5 million broilers from conventional Brazilian farms were evaluated in the abattoir for cellulitis, arthritis and contact foot-pad dermatitis. 2. Four different kinds of litter material, Brachiaria grass, corncob, sawdust and rice shell, were used. Brachiaria grass litter showed the highest incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis. Corncob litter also showed some negative effects on foot quality. Broilers raised on rice shell litter showed good results in terms of the incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis. The best results were obtained with sawdust litter, because the incidence of cellulitis and arthritis were the lowest and the incidence of contact foot-pad dermatitis was also very low.

Effects of two litter amendments on air NH3 levels in broiler closed-houses

PubMed Central

Atapattu, N. S. B. M; Lakmal, L. G. E.; Perera, P. W. A.

2017-01-01

Objective High NH3 emissions from poultry houses are reported to have negative impacts on health, welfare and safety of birds and humans, and on the environment. Objective of the present study was to determine the effects of two litter amendments on the NH3 levels in broiler closed houses under hot-humid conditions. Methods Giving a completely randomize design, nine closed houses, each housed 32,500 birds on paddy husk litter, were randomly allocated into two treatment (Mizuho; a bacterial culture mix and Rydall OE; an enzymatic biocatalyst) and control groups. NH3 levels were determined thrice a day (0600, 1200, and 1800 h), at three heights from the litter surface (30, 90, and 150 cm), at 20 predetermined locations of a house, from day 1 to 41. Results Rydall significantly reduced the NH3 level compared to control and Mizuho. NH3 levels at 30 cm were significantly higher than that of 90 and 150 cm. The NH3 levels at 30 cm height were higher than 25 ppm level from day 9, 11, and 13 in Mizuho, control, and Rydall groups, respectively to day 41. NH3 levels at 150 cm height were higher than maximum threshold limit of 50 ppm for human exposure from day 12, 14, and 15 in Mizuho, control, and Rydall groups, respectively to day 33. Being significantly different among each other, the NH3 level was highest and lowest at 0600 and 1800 h. Litter amendments had no significant effects on growth performance. Rydall significantly increased the litter N content on day 24. Conclusion It was concluded that the NH3 levels of closed house broiler production facilities under tropical condition are so high that both birds and workers are exposed to above recommended levels during many days of the growing period. Compared to microbial culture, the enzymatic biocatalyst was found to be more effective in reducing NH3 level. PMID:28423888

The Roles of Microbial Communities in n-Alkane Distribution of The Nanjenshan Lowland Subtropical Rainforest in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. W.; Huang, T. Y.; Fan, C. W.; Chao, W. C.; Yang, T. N.; Huang, C. P.; Hsu, B. M.

2016-12-01

Analysis of total organic carbon in Nanjenshan, a lowland subtropical rainforest in southern Taiwan, revealed that the carbon storage of litter-layer was about 35% lower in ravine area than in windward and leeward areas, while the soil storage in these areas were similar. In this one year follow-up study, we aimed to investigate the kinetic changes of n-alkane (C14-C35) concentration from litter fall, litter-layer, surface soil, soil in -10 cm depth, and soil in -30 cm depth by a GC-FID method. The n-alkane distribution and n-alkane flux of these areas were also analyzed. Next generation sequencing was carried out to examine the metagenomics of uncultured microbial community in litter-layer of these areas. Our results showed that the net weight of one year-litter fall in ravine area was 30% higher than the others. The average concentration of n-alkane in leaves in ravine was 90% and 50% higher than in windward area and leeward area, respectively. Although the n-alkane flux in ravine area was twice higher than the other areas, the n-alkane concentrations in litter-layer and soils of different layers were similar among all areas, suggesting a rapid degradation of n-alkane in liter layer in ravine area. Interestingly, the character of odd over even predominance of n-alkane was gradually lost in soil layer in ravine area. Metagenomic data have showed that the structure of microbial abundance in ravine area was different from windward and leeward areas. In ravine area, the numbers in phyla of Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, were higher than the other areas, while in phyla of Acidobacteria and Planctomycetes were lower. Our data provided evidence that microbial communities may not only play a role on n-alkane degradation but also change the profile in abundance of high-chain length n-alkanes.

Effects of neonatal litter size and age on ovarian gene expression and follicular development in gilts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Gilts raised in small litters have greater ovulation rate, stay in the herd longer and produce more pigs. The objective was to understand how neonatal litter size affects gilt development. The hypothesis is that gilts reared in smaller litters have greater ovarian follicular development. Within 24 h...

9 CFR 72.19 - Interstate shipments and use of pine straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until disinfected. 72.19 Section 72.19 Animals... Interstate shipments and use of pine straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until disinfected. Pine straw, grass, or similar litter collected from tick-infested pastures, ranges, or premises may...

9 CFR 72.19 - Interstate shipments and use of pine straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until disinfected. 72.19 Section 72.19 Animals... Interstate shipments and use of pine straw, grass, litter from quarantined area; prohibited until disinfected. Pine straw, grass, or similar litter collected from tick-infested pastures, ranges, or premises may...

Season mediates herbivore effects on litter and soil microbial abundance and activity in a semi-arid woodland

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Classen, Aimee T; Overby, Stephen; Hart, Stephen C

2007-01-01

Herbivores can directly impact ecosystem function by altering litter quality entering an ecosystem or indirectly by affecting a shift in the microbial community that mediate nutrient processes. We examine herbivore susceptibility and resistance effects on litter microarthropod and soil microbial communities to test the general hypothesis that herbivore driven changes in litter inputs will feedback to the microbial community. Our study population consisted of individual trees that are susceptible or resistant to the stem-boring moth (Dioryctria albovittella) and trees that herbivores have been manually removed since 1982. Moth herbivory increased pi on litter nitrogen concentrations (16%) and canopy precipitation infiltrationmore » (28%), both significant factors influencing litter and soil microbial populations. Our research resulted in three major conclusions: 1) In spite of an increase in litter quality, herbivory does not change litter microarthropod abundance or species richness. 2) Herbivore susceptibility alters bulk soil microbial communities, but not soil properties. 3) Season has a strong influence on microbial communities, and their response to herbivore inputs, in this semi-arid ecosystem.« less

C, N and P fertilization in an Amazonian rainforest supports stoichiometric dissimilarity as a driver of litter diversity effects on decomposition

PubMed Central

Barantal, Sandra; Schimann, Heidy; Fromin, Nathalie; Hättenschwiler, Stephan

2014-01-01

Plant leaf litter generally decomposes faster as a group of different species than when individual species decompose alone, but underlying mechanisms of these diversity effects remain poorly understood. Because resource C : N : P stoichiometry (i.e. the ratios of these key elements) exhibits strong control on consumers, we supposed that stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures (i.e. the divergence in C : N : P ratios among species) improves resource complementarity to decomposers leading to faster mixture decomposition. We tested this hypothesis with: (i) a wide range of leaf litter mixtures of neotropical tree species varying in C : N : P dissimilarity, and (ii) a nutrient addition experiment (C, N and P) to create stoichiometric similarity. Litter mixtures decomposed in the field using two different types of litterbags allowing or preventing access to soil fauna. Litter mixture mass loss was higher than expected from species decomposing singly, especially in presence of soil fauna. With fauna, synergistic litter mixture effects increased with increasing stoichiometric dissimilarity of litter mixtures and this positive relationship disappeared with fertilizer addition. Our results indicate that litter stoichiometric dissimilarity drives mixture effects via the nutritional requirements of soil fauna. Incorporating ecological stoichiometry in biodiversity research allows refinement of the underlying mechanisms of how changing biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning. PMID:25320173

Targeted gene knockin in porcine somatic cells using CRISPR/Cas ribonucleoproteins

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The domestic pig is an ideal large animal model for genetic engineering applications. A relatively short gestation interval and large litter size makes the pig a conducive model for generating and propagating genetic modifications. The domestic pig also shares close similarity in anatomy, physiolo...

Litter mixture dominated by leaf litter of the invasive species, Flaveria bidentis, accelerates decomposition and favors nitrogen release.

PubMed

Li, Huiyan; Wei, Zishang; Huangfu, Chaohe; Chen, Xinwei; Yang, Dianlin

2017-01-01

In natural ecosystems, invasive plant litter is often mixed with that of native species, yet few studies have examined the decomposition dynamics of such mixtures, especially across different degrees of invasion. We conducted a 1-year litterbag experiment using leaf litters from the invasive species Flaveria bidentis (L.) and the dominant co-occurring native species, Setaria viridis (L.). Litters were allowed to decompose either separately or together at different ratios in a mothproof screen house. The mass loss of all litter mixtures was non-additive, and the direction and strength of effects varied with species ratio and decomposition stage. During the initial stages of decomposition, all mixtures had a neutral effect on the mass loss; however, at later stages of decomposition, mixtures containing more invasive litter had synergistic effects on mass loss. Importantly, an increase in F. bidentis litter with a lower C:N ratio in mixtures led to greater net release of N over time. These results highlight the importance of trait dissimilarity in determining the decomposition rates of litter mixtures and suggest that F. bidentis could further synchronize N release from litter as an invasion proceeds, potentially creating a positive feedback linked through invasion as the invader outcompetes the natives for nutrients. Our findings also demonstrate the importance of species composition as well as the identity of dominant species when considering how changes in plant community structure influence plant invasion.

N2-fixing red alder indirectly accelerates ecosystem nitrogen cycling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perakis, Steven S.; Matkins, Joselin J.; Hibbs, David E.

2012-01-01

Symbiotic N2-fixing tree species can accelerate ecosystem N dynamics through decomposition via direct pathways by producing readily decomposed leaf litter and increasing N supply to decomposers, as well as via indirect pathways by increasing tissue and detrital N in non-fixing vegetation. To evaluate the relative importance of these pathways, we compared three-year decomposition and N dynamics of N2-fixing red alder leaf litter (2.34 %N) to both low-N (0.68 %N) and high-N (1.21 %N) litter of non-fixing Douglas-fir, and decomposed each litter source in four forests dominated by either red alder or Douglas-fir. We also used experimental N fertilization of decomposition plots to assess elevated N availability as a potential mechanism of N2-fixer effects on litter mass loss and N dynamics. Direct effects of N2-fixing red alder on decomposition occurred primarily as faster N release from red alder than Douglas-fir litter, but direct increases in N supply to decomposers via fertilization did not stimulate decomposition of any litter. Fixed N indirectly influenced detrital dynamics by increasing Douglas-fir tissue and litter N concentrations, which accelerated litter N release without accelerating mass loss. By increasing soil N, tissue N, and the rate of N release from litter of non-fixers, we conclude that N2-fixing vegetation can indirectly foster plant-soil feedbacks that contribute to the persistence of elevated N availability in terrestrial ecosystems.

A test of bone mobilization relative to reproductive demand: skeletal quality is improved in cannibalistic females with large litters.

PubMed

Hood, Wendy R

2012-01-01

In species with repeated bouts of reproduction, a female's ability to retain sufficient tissue for self-maintenance is essential to her survival and capacity for future reproduction. Loss of bone mineral content results in bone fragility and the possibility of reduced survival, so females should guard against the overuse of their bone mineral during reproduction. Given these constraints, I predicted that bone mobilization would increase with litter size in mice but plateau before maximum litter size was reached. To test this idea, I manipulated the litter sizes of house mice on the day of parturition to 3, 8, 13, and 18 offspring. At weaning, I euthanized the females and calculated whole-body and bone mineral composition. The total mineral content of females' femurs dropped as litter size increased to the average litter size for this strain of mouse (13) but surprisingly, femoral mineral content was higher for females assigned the largest litter sizes (18). Seven of the nine females assigned 18 young cannibalized some of their offspring. For females assigned to these larger litters, femoral ash content was not correlated with number of young consumed, suggesting that mineral recycling had little effect on final bone mineral content. However, nursing effort (accounting for young lost to cannibalism) was correlated with maternal femoral ash at weaning. These finding suggest that the high bone mineral content of females assigned the largest litters was associated with a reduction in endogenous mineral allocated to the litter.

Decomposition of oak leaf litter and millipede faecal pellets in soil under temperate mixed oak forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tajovský, Karel; Šimek, Miloslav; Háněl, Ladislav; Šantrůčková, Hana; Frouz, Jan

2015-04-01

The millipedes Glomeris hexasticha (Diplopoda, Glomerida) were maintained under laboratory conditions and fed on oak leaf litter collected from a mixed oak forest (Abieto-Quercetum) in South Bohemia, Czech Republic. Every fourth day litter was changed and produced faecal pellets were separated and afterwards analysed. Content of organic carbon and C:N ratio lowered in faecal pellets as compared with consumed litter. Changes in content of chemical elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, Na) were recognised as those characteristic for the first stage of degradation of plant material. Samples of faecal pellets and oak leaf litter were then exposed in mesh bags between the F and H layers of forest soil for up to one year, subsequently harvested and analysed. A higher rate of decomposition of exposed litter than that of faecal pellets was found during the first two weeks. After 1-year exposure, the weight of litter was reduced to 51%, while that of pellets to 58% only, although the observed activity of present biotic components (algae, protozoans, nematodes; CO2 production, nitrogenase activity) in faecal pellets was higher as compared with litter. Different micro-morphological changes were observed in exposed litter and in pellets although these materials originated from the same initial sources. Comparing to intact leaf litter, another structural and functional processes occurred in pellets due to the fragmentation of plant material by millipedes. Both laboratory and field experiments showed that the millipede faecal pellets are not only a focal point of biodegradation activity in upper soil layers, but also confirmed that millipede feces undergo a slower decomposition than original leaf litter.

The use of poultry litter as co-substrate and source of inorganic nutrients and microorganisms for the ex situ biodegradation of petroleum compounds.

PubMed

Williams, C M; Grimes, J L; Mikkelsen, R L

1999-07-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of utilizing poultry litter as a source of microorganisms, C co-substrate, N, and P to enhance the biodegradation of petroleum compounds in contaminated soil. An initial laboratory-scale study utilized soil contaminated with approximately 3,000 mg/kg (ppm) total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHC) as diesel fuel. Biotreatment units, each containing 10 L of contaminated soil, were supplemented (0, 1, 10, and 20%, total weight basis) with broiler litter containing 3.65% N and 1.89% P. Petroleum-degrading microorganisms previously enriched from broiler and turkey litter were also inoculated into the litter-treated units. A significant first order rate of TPHC biodegradation was measured for all treatment units containing broiler litter (P < 0.05). Based on these results, a subsequent study was conducted at the site of a commercial facility permitted to treat soil (ex situ) contaminated with hazardous compounds. Soil treatment plots, each containing approximately 1 ton of soil contaminated with approximately 1,200 to 1,600 mg/kg diesel fuel were established. Each plot was replicated four times and the experiment was conducted for 35 d. Treatments were as follows: control, soil only; soil + commercial blend of bioremediation nutrients; soil + commercial fertilizer; soil + poultry litter (1% by volume); soil + poultry litter (10% by volume); soil + pelleted poultry litter (10% by volume). The results showed that the remediation of soil contaminated with petroleum compounds is significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced when supplemented with poultry litter (pelleted or nonpelleted) in concentrations of 10% soil volume. These results demonstrate the potential for a specialized market for the use of poultry litter.

Does Short-term Litter Input Manipulation Affect Soil Respiration and the Carbon-isotopic Signature of Soil Respired CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, X.; Wu, J.

2016-12-01

Global change greatly alters the quality and quantity of plant litter inputs to soils, and further impacts soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics and soil respiration. However, the process-based understanding of how soil respiration may change with future shift in litter input is not fully understood. The Detritus Input and Removal Treatment (DIRT) experiment was conducted in coniferous forest (Platycladus orientalis (Linn.) Franco) ecosystem of central China to investigate the impact of above- and belowground litter input on soil respiration and the carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2. Short-term (1-2 years) litter input manipulation significantly affected soil respiration, based on annual flux values, soil respiration was 31.9%, 20.5% and 37.2% lower in no litter (NL), no root (NR) and no input (NRNL), respectively, compared to control (CK). Whereas double litter (DL) treatment increased soil respiration by 9.1% compared to CK. The recalcitrance index of carbon (RIC) and the relative abundance of fungi increased under litter removal or root exclusion treatment (NL, NR and NRNL) compared to CK. Basal soil respiration was positively related to liable C and microbial biomass and negatively related to RIC and fungi to bacteria (F: B) ratio. The carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2 enriched under litter removal and no input treatment, and slightly depleted under litter addition treatment compared to CK. Our results suggest that short-term litter input manipulation can affect the soil respiration by altering substrate availability and microbial community structure, and also impact the carbon-isotopic signature of soil respired CO2 possibly duo to change in the component of soil respiration and soil microclimate.

Photochemically induced carbon dioxide production as a mechanism for carbon loss from plant litter in arid ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandt, L. A.; Bohnet, C.; King, J. Y.

2009-06-01

We investigated the potential for abiotic mineralization to carbon dioxide (CO2) via photodegradation to account for carbon (C) loss from plant litter under conditions typical of arid ecosystems. We exposed five species of grass and oak litter collected from arid and mesic sites to a factorial design of ultraviolet (UV) radiation (UV pass, UV block), and sterilization under dry conditions in the laboratory. UV pass treatments produced 10 times the amount of CO2 produced in UV block treatments. CO2 production rates were unaffected by litter chemistry or sterilization. We also exposed litter to natural solar radiation outdoors on clear, sunny days close to the summer solstice at midlatitudes and found that UV radiation (280-400 nm) accounted for 55% of photochemically induced CO2 production, while shortwave visible radiation (400-500 nm) accounted for 45% of CO2 production. Rates of photochemically induced CO2 production on a per-unit-mass basis decreased with litter density, indicating that rates depend on litter surface area. We found no evidence for leaching, methane production, or facilitation of microbial decomposition as alternative mechanisms for significant photochemically induced C loss from litter. We conclude that abiotic mineralization to CO2 is the primary mechanism by which C is lost from litter during photodegradation. We estimate that CO2 production via photodegradation could be between 1 and 4 g C m-2 a-1 in arid ecosystems in the southwestern United States. Taken together with low levels of litter production in arid systems, photochemical mineralization to CO2 could account for a significant proportion of annual carbon loss from litter in arid ecosystems.

Limits to sustained energy intake. XVII. Lactation performance in MF1 mice is not programmed by fetal number during pregnancy.

PubMed

Duah, Osei A; Monney, Kweku A; Hambly, Catherine; Król, Elzbieta; Speakman, John R

2013-06-15

Several studies have suggested that lactation performance may be programmed by the number of fetuses during pregnancy, whereas other studies indicate that processes during lactation are more important. As gestation litter size and litter size in lactation are usually strongly correlated, separating the roles of pregnancy and lactation in lactation performance is difficult. To break this link, we experimentally manipulated litter size of MF1 mice to five or 16 pups per litter by cross-fostering. Litter size and mass at birth were recorded on day 1 of lactation prior to litter size manipulation. Maternal body mass and food intake, litter size and litter mass were measured daily throughout. After weaning, the potential differential utilisation of body tissues of the mothers was investigated. Relationships between maternal mass and food intake, including asymptotic daily food intake at peak lactation, offspring traits and other maternal parameters suggested that the number of fetuses the females had carried during pregnancy had no effect on lactation performance. Litter mass increases depended only on maternal food intake, which was highly variable between individuals, but was independent of fetal litter size. The sizes of key organs and tissues like the liver and alimentary tract were not related to maximal food intake at peak lactation or to fetal litter size, but the masses of the pelage, mammary glands and retroperitoneal fat pad were. These data suggest that while growth of the mammary glands and associated structures may be initiated in gestation, and vary in relation to the number of placentas, the ultimate sizes and activities of the tissues depends primarily on factors during lactation.

Soil Fauna Affects Dissolved Carbon and Nitrogen in Foliar Litter in Alpine Forest and Alpine Meadow

PubMed Central

Liao, Shu; Yang, Wanqin; Tan, Yu; Peng, Yan; Li, Jun; Tan, Bo; Wu, Fuzhong

2015-01-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) are generally considered important active biogeochemical pools of total carbon and nitrogen. Many studies have documented the contributions of soil fauna to litter decomposition, but the effects of the soil fauna on labile substances (i.e., DOC and TDN) in litter during early decomposition are not completely clear. Therefore, a field litterbag experiment was carried out from 13th November 2013 to 23rd October 2014 in an alpine forest and an alpine meadow located on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Litterbags with different mesh sizes were used to provide access to or prohibit the access of the soil fauna, and the concentrations of DOC and TDN in the foliar litter were measured during the winter (the onset of freezing, deep freezing and thawing stage) and the growing season (early and late). After one year of field incubation, the concentration of DOC in the litter significantly decreased, whereas the TDN concentration in the litter increased. Similar dynamic patterns were detected under the effects of the soil fauna on both DOC and TDN in the litter between the alpine forest and the alpine meadow. The soil fauna showed greater positive effects on decreasing DOC concentration in the litter in the winter than in the growing season. In contrast, the dynamics of TND in the litter were related to seasonal changes in environmental factors, rather than the soil fauna. In addition, the soil fauna promoted a decrease in litter DOC/TDN ratio in both the alpine forest and the alpine meadow throughout the first year of decomposition, except for in the late growing season. These results suggest that the soil fauna can promote decreases in DOC and TDN concentrations in litter, contributing to early litter decomposition in these cold biomes. PMID:26406249

Changes in soil carbon and nutrients following 6 years of litter removal and addition in a tropical semi-evergreen rain forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Edmund Vincent John; Sheldrake, Merlin W. A.; Turner, Benjamin L.

2016-11-01

Increasing atmospheric CO2 and temperature may increase forest productivity, including litterfall, but the consequences for soil organic matter remain poorly understood. To address this, we measured soil carbon and nutrient concentrations at nine depths to 2 m after 6 years of continuous litter removal and litter addition in a semi-evergreen rain forest in Panama. Soils in litter addition plots, compared to litter removal plots, had higher pH and contained greater concentrations of KCl-extractable nitrate (both to 30 cm); Mehlich-III extractable phosphorus and total carbon (both to 20 cm); total nitrogen (to 15 cm); Mehlich-III calcium (to 10 cm); and Mehlich-III magnesium and lower bulk density (both to 5 cm). In contrast, litter manipulation did not affect ammonium, manganese, potassium or zinc, and soils deeper than 30 cm did not differ for any nutrient. Comparison with previous analyses in the experiment indicates that the effect of litter manipulation on nutrient concentrations and the depth to which the effects are significant are increasing with time. To allow for changes in bulk density in calculation of changes in carbon stocks, we standardized total carbon and nitrogen on the basis of a constant mineral mass. For 200 kg m-2 of mineral soil (approximately the upper 20 cm of the profile) about 0.5 kg C m-2 was "missing" from the litter removal plots, with a similar amount accumulated in the litter addition plots. There was an additional 0.4 kg C m-2 extra in the litter standing crop of the litter addition plots compared to the control. This increase in carbon in surface soil and the litter standing crop can be interpreted as a potential partial mitigation of the effects of increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

Plant, fungal, bacterial, and nitrogen interactions in the litter layer of a native Patagonian forest.

PubMed

Vivanco, Lucía; Rascovan, Nicolás; Austin, Amy T

2018-01-01

Plant-microbial interactions in the litter layer represent one of the most relevant interactions for biogeochemical cycling as litter decomposition is a key first step in carbon and nitrogen turnover. However, our understanding of these interactions in the litter layer remains elusive. In an old-growth mixed Nothofagus forest in Patagonia, we studied the effects of single tree species identity and the mixture of three tree species on the fungal and bacterial composition in the litter layer. We also evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) addition on these plant-microbial interactions. In addition, we compared the magnitude of stimulation of litter decomposition due to home field advantage (HFA, decomposition occurs more rapidly when litter is placed beneath the plant species from which it had been derived than beneath a different plant species) and N addition that we previously demonstrated in this same forest, and used microbial information to interpret these results. Tree species identity had a strong and significant effect on the composition of fungal communities but not on the bacterial community of the litter layer. The microbial composition of the litter layer under the tree species mixture show an averaged contribution of each single tree species. N addition did not erase the plant species footprint on the fungal community, and neither altered the bacterial community. N addition stimulated litter decomposition as much as HFA for certain tree species, but the mechanisms behind N and HFA stimulation may have differed. Our results suggest that stimulation of decomposition from N addition might have occurred due to increased microbial activity without large changes in microbial community composition, while HFA may have resulted principally from plant species' effects on the litter fungal community. Together, our results suggest that plant-microbial interactions can be an unconsidered driver of litter decomposition in temperate forests.

Dynamics of the Leaf-Litter Arthropod Fauna Following Fire in a Neotropical Woodland Savanna

PubMed Central

Vasconcelos, Heraldo L.; Pacheco, Renata; Silva, Raphael C.; Vasconcelos, Pedro B.; Lopes, Cauê T.; Costa, Alan N.; Bruna, Emilio M.

2009-01-01

Fire is an important agent of disturbance in tropical savannas, but relatively few studies have analyzed how soil-and-litter dwelling arthropods respond to fire disturbance despite the critical role these organisms play in nutrient cycling and other biogeochemical processes. Following the incursion of a fire into a woodland savanna ecological reserve in Central Brazil, we monitored the dynamics of litter-arthropod populations for nearly two years in one burned and one unburned area of the reserve. We also performed a reciprocal transplant experiment to determine the effects of fire and litter type on the dynamics of litter colonization by arthropods. Overall arthropod abundance, the abundance of individual taxa, the richness of taxonomic groups, and the species richness of individual taxa (Formiciade) were lower in the burned site. However, both the ordinal-level composition of the litter arthropod fauna and the species-level composition of the litter ant fauna were not dramatically different in the burned and unburned sites. There is evidence that seasonality of rainfall interacts with fire, as differences in arthropod abundance and diversity were more pronounced in the dry than in the wet season. For many taxa the differences in abundance between burned and unburned sites were maintained even when controlling for litter availability and quality. In contrast, differences in abundance for Collembola, Formicidae, and Thysanoptera were only detected in the unmanipulated samples, which had a lower amount of litter in the burned than in the unburned site throughout most of our study period. Together these results suggest that arthropod density declines in fire-disturbed areas as a result of direct mortality, diminished resources (i.e., reduced litter cover) and less favorable microclimate (i.e., increased litter desiccation due to reduction in tree cover). Although these effects were transitory, there is evidence that the increasingly prevalent fire return interval of only 1–2 years may jeopardize the long-term conservation of litter arthropod communities. PMID:19898619

Soil Fauna Affects Dissolved Carbon and Nitrogen in Foliar Litter in Alpine Forest and Alpine Meadow.

PubMed

Liao, Shu; Yang, Wanqin; Tan, Yu; Peng, Yan; Li, Jun; Tan, Bo; Wu, Fuzhong

2015-01-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) are generally considered important active biogeochemical pools of total carbon and nitrogen. Many studies have documented the contributions of soil fauna to litter decomposition, but the effects of the soil fauna on labile substances (i.e., DOC and TDN) in litter during early decomposition are not completely clear. Therefore, a field litterbag experiment was carried out from 13th November 2013 to 23rd October 2014 in an alpine forest and an alpine meadow located on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Litterbags with different mesh sizes were used to provide access to or prohibit the access of the soil fauna, and the concentrations of DOC and TDN in the foliar litter were measured during the winter (the onset of freezing, deep freezing and thawing stage) and the growing season (early and late). After one year of field incubation, the concentration of DOC in the litter significantly decreased, whereas the TDN concentration in the litter increased. Similar dynamic patterns were detected under the effects of the soil fauna on both DOC and TDN in the litter between the alpine forest and the alpine meadow. The soil fauna showed greater positive effects on decreasing DOC concentration in the litter in the winter than in the growing season. In contrast, the dynamics of TND in the litter were related to seasonal changes in environmental factors, rather than the soil fauna. In addition, the soil fauna promoted a decrease in litter DOC/TDN ratio in both the alpine forest and the alpine meadow throughout the first year of decomposition, except for in the late growing season. These results suggest that the soil fauna can promote decreases in DOC and TDN concentrations in litter, contributing to early litter decomposition in these cold biomes.

Soil respiration and aboveground litter dynamics of a tropical transitional forest in northwest Mato Grosso, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentini, Carla Maria Abido; Sanches, Luciana; de Paula, SéRgio Roberto; Vourlitis, George Louis; de Souza Nogueira, José; Pinto, Osvaldo Borges; de Almeida Lobo, Francisco

2008-03-01

Measurements of soil CO2 efflux, litter production, and the surface litter pool biomass were made over a 1 year period in a tropical transitional forest near Sinop, Mato Grosso, Brazil with the aim of quantifying the seasonal variation in soil respiration and litter decomposition and the annual contribution of litter decomposition to soil CO2 efflux. Average annual soil CO2 efflux (±95% confidence interval (CI)) was 7.91 ± 1.16 g C m-2 d-1. Soil CO2 efflux was highest during the November-February wet season (9.15 ± 0.90 g C m-2 d-1) and lowest during the May-September dry season (6.19 ± 1.40 g C m-2 d-1), and over 60% of the variation in seasonal soil CO2 efflux was explained by seasonal variations in soil temperature and moisture. Mass balance estimates of mean (±95% CI) decomposition rates were statistically different between the wet and dry seasons (0.66 ± 0.08 and 1.65 ± 0.10 g C m-2 d-1, respectively), and overall, decomposition of leaf litter comprised 16% of the average annual soil respiration. Leaf litter production was higher during the dry season, and mean (±95% CI) leaf litter fall (5.6 ± 1.7 Mg ha-1) comprised 73% of the total litter fall (7.8 ± 2.3 Mg ha-1). Average (±95% CI) annual litter pool biomass was estimated to be 5.5 ± 0.3 Mg ha-1, which was similar to the measured pool size (5.7 ± 2.2 Mg ha-1). Overall, seasonal variations in environmental variables, specifically water availability (soil moisture and rainfall), had a profound influence on litter production, soil respiration, and surface litter decomposition.

Chemical Properties, Decomposition, and Methane Production of Tertiary Relict Plant Litters: Implications for Atmospheric Trace Gas Production in the Early Tertiary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavitt, J. B.; Bartella, T. M.; Williams, C. J.

2006-12-01

Throughout the early Tertiary (ca. 65-38 Ma) Taxodiaceae-dominated (redwood) wetland forests occupied the high latitudes and were circumpolar in their distribution. Many of these forests had high standing biomass with moderate primary productivity. The geographic extent and amount of Tertiary coals and fossil forests throughout Arctic Canada suggests large areas of wetland forests that may have cycled substantial quantities of carbon, particularly methane until they were replaced by cold tolerant Pinus, Picea, and Larix following climatic cooling associated with the Terminal Eocene Event. To test this hypothesis we compared physiochemical properties, decomposition, and trace gas production of litter from extant Metasequoia, Pinus, Picea, and Larix. Initial results from plantation-grown trees indicate Metasequoia litter is a better source of labile organic substrate than pinaceous litter. Metasequoia litter contained the least lignin and highest amounts of water-soluble compounds of the four litter types studied. Analysis of the lignin structure using cupric oxide oxidation indicates that Metasequoia lignin is enriched in 4'-hydroxyacetophenone and 4'- Hydroxy-3'-methoxyacetophenone relative to the pinaceous litter. In a 12-month decomposition study using litterbags, average litter mass loss was greater for Metasequoia litter (62%) compared to the pinaceous species (50%). Moreover, Metasequoia litter incubated under anoxic conditions produced nearly twice as much CO2 (ca. 4.2 umol/g.day) and CH4 (2.1 umol/g.day) as the pinaceous litter (2.4 umol/g.day for CO2; 1.2 umol/g.day for CH4). Our results support the idea of greater decomposability and palatability of Metasequoia litter as compared to Larix, Picea, or Pinus. Provided that the biochemical properties of Metasequoia have remained relatively stable through geologic time, it appears that early Tertiary Metasequoia-dominated wetland forests may have had higher microbial driven trace gas production than the Pinaceae-dominated forests that replaced them in the late Tertiary.

Shrub encroachment in Arctic tundra: Betula nana effects on above- and belowground litter decomposition.

PubMed

McLaren, Jennie R; Buckeridge, Kate M; van de Weg, Martine J; Shaver, Gaius R; Schimel, Joshua P; Gough, Laura

2017-05-01

Rapid arctic vegetation change as a result of global warming includes an increase in the cover and biomass of deciduous shrubs. Increases in shrub abundance will result in a proportional increase of shrub litter in the litter community, potentially affecting carbon turnover rates in arctic ecosystems. We investigated the effects of leaf and root litter of a deciduous shrub, Betula nana, on decomposition, by examining species-specific decomposition patterns, as well as effects of Betula litter on the decomposition of other species. We conducted a 2-yr decomposition experiment in moist acidic tundra in northern Alaska, where we decomposed three tundra species (Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Rhododendron palustre, and Eriophorum vaginatum) alone and in combination with Betula litter. Decomposition patterns for leaf and root litter were determined using three different measures of decomposition (mass loss, respiration, extracellular enzyme activity). We report faster decomposition of Betula leaf litter compared to other species, with support for species differences coming from all three measures of decomposition. Mixing effects were less consistent among the measures, with negative mixing effects shown only for mass loss. In contrast, there were few species differences or mixing effects for root decomposition. Overall, we attribute longer-term litter mass loss patterns to patterns created by early decomposition processes in the first winter. We note numerous differences for species patterns between leaf and root decomposition, indicating that conclusions from leaf litter experiments should not be extrapolated to below-ground decomposition. The high decomposition rates of Betula leaf litter aboveground, and relatively similar decomposition rates of multiple species below, suggest a potential for increases in turnover in the fast-decomposing carbon pool of leaves and fine roots as the dominance of deciduous shrubs in the Arctic increases, but this outcome may be tempered by negative litter mixing effects during the early stages of encroachment. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Short-term Dynamics of Photopriming Increase Carbon Loss During Litter Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; King, J. Y.; Karlen, S. D.; Ralph, J.

2017-12-01

Solar radiation plays a key role in carbon (C) cycling by increasing the decomposition rates of plant litter through photodegradation. This process is particularly important in drylands where solar radiation is high and microbial activity may be limited by water availability. One mechanism of photodegradation may be the facilitation of microbial decomposition of litter by altering litter chemistry and consequently degradability, termed photopriming. However, it remains unclear to what extent photopriming contributes to litter decomposition. We evaluated photopriming by ultraviolet (UV) radiation through two laboratory experiments. In one experiment, we found that four months of UV exposure increased mass loss by 3-4% compared to dark treatment in two of three litter species commonly found in California oak savanna; however, UV exposure did not alter litter degradability as measured by microbial respiration in an incubation study. UV exposure had limited effects on lignin and other cell wall structures, but one month of microbial decomposition in the dark significantly reduced lignin β-aryl ether inter-unit linkages and acetylated xylans, which interestingly was the same pattern seen in litter exposed to UV radiation under field conditions and may account for the significant effects of UV exposure on litter mass loss observed in situ. These results indicate that microbial decomposition, not abiotic photodegradation, was ultimately responsible for changes in litter chemistry observed in the field. In a separate experiment, litter of a common grass was incubated for 128 days under either alternating UV radiation and dark conditions at two-day intervals or continuous darkness. During the second half of the experiment, alternating UV exposure increased CO2 production by 35% compared to continuous darkness, suggesting that UV exposure induces subtle but important changes in litter chemistry that facilitate microbial decomposition on a temporal scale of days. Together the results point to microbial facilitation as the primary mechanism of photodegradation and suggest that photopriming is governed by short-term dynamics at the litter-microbe interface. The C cycling associated with these short-term dynamics may be especially sensitive to anticipated increases in drought conditions in drylands.

[Dynamics of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen during foliar litter decomposition under artificial forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantation.

PubMed

Zhang, Ming Jin; Chen, Liang Hua; Zhang, Jian; Yang, Wan Qin; Liu, Hua; Li, Xun; Zhang, Yan

2016-03-01

Nowadays large areas of plantations have caused serious ecological problems such as soil degradation and biodiversity decline. Artificial tending thinning and construction of mixed forest are frequently used ways when we manage plantations. To understand the effect of this operation mode on nutrient cycle of plantation ecosystem, we detected the dynamics of microbial bio-mass carbon and nitrogen during foliar litter decomposition of Pinus massoniana and Toona ciliate in seven types of gap in different sizes (G 1 : 100 m 2 , G 2 : 225 m 2 , G 3 : 400 m 2 , G 4 : 625 m 2 , G 5 : 900 m 2 , G 6 : 1225 m 2 , G 7 : 1600 m 2 ) of 42-year-old P. massoniana plantations in a hilly area of the upper Yang-tze River. The results showed that small and medium-sized forest gaps(G 1 -G 5 ) were more advantageous for the increment of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in the process of foliar litter decomposition. Along with the foliar litter decomposition during the experiment (360 d), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) in P. massoniana foliar litter and MBN in T. ciliata foliar litter first increased and then decreased, and respectively reached the maxima 9.87, 0.22 and 0.80 g·kg -1 on the 180 th d. But the peak (44.40 g·kg -1 ) of MBC in T. ciliata foliar litter appeared on the 90 th d. Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in T. ciliate was significantly higher than that of P. massoniana during foliar litter decomposition. Microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in foliar litter was not only significantly associated with average daily temperature and the water content of foliar litter, but also closely related to the change of the quality of litter. Therefore, in the thinning, forest gap size could be controlled in the range of from 100 to 900 m 2 to facilitate the increase of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen in the process of foliar litter decomposition, accelerate the decomposition of foliar litter and improve soil fertility of plantations.

Is it worth hyperaccumulating Ni on non-serpentine soils? Decomposition dynamics of mixed-species litters containing hyperaccumulated Ni across serpentine and non-serpentine environments.

PubMed

Adamidis, George C; Kazakou, Elena; Aloupi, Maria; Dimitrakopoulos, Panayiotis G

2016-06-01

Nickel (Ni)-hyperaccumulating species produce high-Ni litters and may potentially influence important ecosystem processes such as decomposition. Although litters resembling the natural community conditions are essential in order to predict decomposition dynamics, decomposition of mixed-species litters containing hyperaccumulated Ni has never been studied. This study aims to test the effect of different litter mixtures containing hyperaccumulated Ni on decomposition and Ni release across serpentine and non-serpentine soils. Three different litter mixtures were prepared based on the relative abundance of the dominant species in three serpentine soils in the island of Lesbos, Greece where the Ni-hyperaccumulator Alyssum lesbiacum is present. Each litter mixture decomposed on its original serpentine habitat and on an adjacent non-serpentine habitat, in order to investigate whether the decomposition rates differ across the contrasted soils. In order to make comparisons across litter mixtures and to investigate whether additive or non-additive patterns of mass loss occur, a control non-serpentine site was used. Mass loss and Ni release were measured after 90, 180 and 270 d of field exposure. The decomposition rates and Ni release had higher values on serpentine soils after all periods of field exposure. The recorded rapid release of hyperaccumulated Ni is positively related to the initial litter Ni concentration. No differences were found in the decomposition of the three different litter mixtures at the control non-serpentine site, while their patterns of mass loss were additive. Our results: (1) demonstrate the rapid decomposition of litters containing hyperaccumulated Ni on serpentine soils, indicating the presence of metal-tolerant decomposers; and (2) imply the selective decomposition of low-Ni parts of litters by the decomposers on non-serpentine soils. This study provides support for the elemental allelopathy hypothesis of hyperaccumulation, presenting the potential selective advantages acquired by metal-hyperaccumulating plants through litter decomposition on serpentine soils. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Microbial plant litter decomposition in aquatic and terrestrial boreal systems along a natural fertility gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soares, A. Margarida P. M.; Kritzberg, Emma S.; Rousk, Johannes

2017-04-01

Plant litter decomposition is a global ecosystem process, with a crucial role in carbon and nutrient cycling. The majority of litter processing occurs in terrestrial systems, but an important fraction also takes place in inland waters. Among environmental factors, pH impacts the litter decomposition through its selective influence on microbial decomposers. Fungal communities are less affected by pH than bacteria, possibly owing to a wider pH tolerance by this group. On the other hand, bacterial pH optima are constrained to a narrower range of pH values. The microbial decomposition of litter is universally nutrient limited; but few comparisons exist between terrestrial and aquatic systems. We investigated the microbial colonisation and decomposition of plant litter along a fertility gradient, which varied in both pH and N availability in both soil and adjacent water. To do this we installed litterbags with birch (Betula pendula) in streams and corresponding soils in adjacent riparian areas in a boreal system, in Krycklan, Sweden. During the four months covering the ice-free growth season we monitored the successional dynamics of fungal (acetate incorporation into ergosterol) and bacterial growth (thymidine incorporation), microbial respiration in leaf litter, and quantitative and qualitative changes in litter over time. We observed that bacterial growth rates were initially higher in litter decomposing in streams than those in soils, but differences between terrestrial and aquatic bacterial production converged towards the end of the experiment. In litter bags installed in soils, bacterial growth was lower at sites with more acidic pH and lower N availability, while aquatic bacteria were relatively unaffected by the fertility level. Fungal growth rates were two-fold higher for litter decomposing in streams than in soils. In aquatic systems, fungal growth was initially lower in low fertility sites, but differences gradually disappeared over the time course. Fungal growth rates measured on litter-bags in soils were relatively stable over time, with unclear links to fertility. Microbial respiration rates were highest in litterbags buried in soils, and only initially negatively affected by pH. There was a large decrease in litter mass loss initially in aquatic systems. Subsequently the rates of loss stabilized to similar values to those in terrestrial systems, to finally be exceeded by the rates of loss in terrestrial systems. In conclusion, initial decomposition of litter appeared to be N-limited in aquatic systems, which was associated with a fungal dominance. In contrast, litter decomposition in terrestrial systems appeared to be lower in acidic sites, which coincided with lower growth rates of bacteria. Litter degradation was initially faster in aquatic systems, but overall mass-loss over the full time course was higher in terrestrial systems.

Soil and Litter Animals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lippert, George

1991-01-01

A lesson plan for soil study utilizes the Tullgren extraction method to illustrate biological concepts. It includes background information, equipment, collection techniques, activities, and references for identification guides about soil fauna. (MCO)

The application of lambda-cyhalothrin in tick control.

PubMed

Jurisic, Aleksandar D; Petrovic, Aleksandra P; Rajkovic, Dragana V; Nicin, Slobodan Dj

2010-09-01

In recent years, in urban areas of Novi Sad, unique ecological conditions, specific floristic and faunistic composition and poor habits of citizens in sense of public health, facilitate the development and maintenance of ticks. Regarding the importance of ticks as vectors of severe human and animal diseases, complex and detailed studies are conducted with an aim to find the most efficient methods for tick control. Two tick species, Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor marginatus, were identified during a 3-year period on the territory of Municipality of Novi Sad. During 2006, the efficacy of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin in tick control varied from 60.7 to 100%. The highest efficacy recorded in 2007 was 92.3%. The efficacy of lambda-cyhalothrin in 2008 varied from 39.1 to 100%. Lambda-cyhalothrin showed high efficacy in tick control at localities which were improved before the application (mowed, litter removed, abundance control and euthanasia of abandoned cats and dogs). The results of this research indicate that lambda-cyhalothrin has a toxic effect on ticks and could be used as efficient acaricide for tick control, although its efficacy depends on formulation, terrain features and methods of application.

Estimating litter carbon stocks on forest land in the United States

Treesearch

Grant M. Domke; Charles H. (Hobie) Perry; Brian F. Walters; Christopher W. Woodall; Matthew B. Russell; James E. Smith

2016-01-01

Forest ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon sink on earth, withmore than half of their net primary productionmoving to the soil via the decomposition of litter biomass. Therefore, changes in the litter carbon (C) pool have important implications for global carbon budgets and carbon emissions reduction targets and negotiations. Litter accounts for an estimated...

Effect of in-house chicken litter composting on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions and pathogen reduction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Inhouse composting is a management practice to reduce pathogen in poultry litter. In between flocks, growers windrow the litter inside the broiler houses. This results in high temperatures that can reduce some pathogens in the litter. However, this practice is likely to increase emissions of NH3 and...

Temperatures below leaf litter during winter prescribed burns: implications for litter-roosting bats

Treesearch

Roger W. Perry; Virginia L. McDaniel

2015-01-01

Some bat species, including eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis), roost for short periods beneath leaf litter on the forest floor during winter in the south-eastern USA, a region subjected to frequent fire. The variability in fuel consumption, the heterogeneous nature of burns, and the effects of litter and duff moisture on forest-floor...

Effects of broiler litter ash, layer manure ash and calcium phosphate on corn, wheat and soybean growth, phosphorus and arsenic uptake

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Poultry litter is being incinerated in order to reduce excess litter and to increase the percentage of renewable fuel used to generate electricity. Ash from incinerated litter has been effective in increasing crop growth. However, there is no current literature comparing phosphorus availability fr...

9 CFR 82.7 - Interstate movement of manure and litter from a quarantined area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... manure and litter at the destination listed on the permit. (b) Compost derived from manure generated by... composting site at the same time; (5) Following the composting process, the composted manure or litter... composted manure or litter from the infected site is removed at the same time; (7) The resulting compost...

9 CFR 82.7 - Interstate movement of manure and litter from a quarantined area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... manure and litter at the destination listed on the permit. (b) Compost derived from manure generated by... composting site at the same time; (5) Following the composting process, the composted manure or litter... composted manure or litter from the infected site is removed at the same time; (7) The resulting compost...