Shumei Wang;Junwei Luan;Siyu Li;Jinhao Ma;Lin Chen;Yi Wang;Shirong Li

Institute of Resources and Environment, Key Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan Science and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, 100102, China;Experimental Center of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Pingxiang, 532600, China; Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China; Corresponding author. Sanya Research Base, International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Sanya, 572022, China.;Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, Chin;Institute of Resources and Environment, Key Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan Science and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, 100102, China; Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610041, China;Sanya Research Base, International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Sanya, 572022, China

Arthropod;Drought;Decomposer community;Nutrient cycling;Nematod

Litter decomposition is key to ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, but this process is anticipated to weaken due to projected more extensive and prolonged drought. Yet how litter quality and decomposer community complexity regulate decomposition in response to drought is less understood. Here, in a five-year manipulative drought experiment in a Masson pine forest, leaf litter from four subtropical tree species (Quercus griffithii Hook.f. & Thomson ex Miq., Acacia mangium Willd., Pinus massoniana Lamb., Castanopsis hystrix Miq.) representing different qualities were decomposed for 350 d in litterbags of three mesh sizes (i.e., 0.05, 1, and 5 mm), respectively, under natural conditions and 50% throughfall rain exclusion treatment. Litterbags of increasing mesh sizes discriminate decomposers communities (i.e. microorganisms, microorganisms and mesofauna, microorganisms and meso- and macrofauna) that access the litter and represent an increasing complexity. The amount of litter C and nitrogen (N) loss, and changes in their ratio (C/Nloss), as well as small and medium-sized decomposers including microorganisms, nematodes, and arthropods, were investigated. We found that drought did not affect C and N loss but decreased C/Nloss (i.e., decomposer N use efficiency) of leaf litter irrespective of litter quality and decomposer complexity. However, changes in the C/Nloss and the drought effect on C loss were both dependent on litter quality, while drought and decomposer complexity interactively affected litter C and N loss. Increasing decomposer community complexity enhanced litter decomposition and allowing additional access of meso- and macro-fauna to litterbags mitigated the negative drought effect on the microbial-driven decomposition. Furthermore, both the increased diversity and altered trophic structure of nematode due to drought contributed to the mitigation effects via cascading interactions. Our results show that litter quality and soil decomposer community complexity co-drive the effect of drought on litter decomposition. This experimental finding provides a new insight into the mechanisms controlling forest floor C and nutrient cycling under future global change scenarios.