Litter decomposition and arthropod composition under different ultraviolet levels following prescribed burn in a subtropical pastureland (original) (raw)

Abstract

Reduction in faunal diversity is suggested to reduce litter decomposition, whereas increases in ultraviolet (UV) radiation may directly enhance or indirectly retard litter decomposition. Here we examined the effect of soil arthropods and UV radiation on litter decomposition in burned and unburned plots during a 469-day field experiment in a subtropical pastureland of Puerto Rico. Prescribed burn reduced soil arthropod diversity and increased UV radiation during the initial period of 240 days following the burn, and consequently reduced plant litter decomposition. The density of predators was lower in the burned than in control treatment. UV radiation reduced total arthropod density and diversity by retarding the recolonization of soil arthropods in the burned plots with reduced abundance of predators after 344 days post-burn incubation. Prescribed burn slowed down plant litter decomposition through direct reduction in arthropod diversity immediately after fire and through increase in UV radiation that retards the recolonization of arthropods in later stages after the prescribed burn in the subtropical pastureland.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge María M. Rivera, Humberto Robles, Carlos Estrada Ruiz, Carlos Torrens, Samuel Moya, Carlos Rodríguez, Zhiying Ren, and Xiucheng Zeng for help with field and laboratory work. The USDA IITF Chemistry Laboratory Staff in Río Piedras performed the chemistry analyses. We thank Ariel E. Lugo for commenting on an earlier version of the manuscript. All research at the IITF is done in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico.

Funding

This study was financially supported by a cooperative agreement between the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF), USDA-Forest Service, and the University of Puerto Rico [14-JV-11120101-018, 2015]. Grizelle González was supported by the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory [EAR-1331841] and the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research Site [DEB-1239764]. Additional support for Wei Huang was the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFD0600204).

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Authors and Affiliations

1. College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037, Jiangsu, China
   Wei Huang & Xiaoming Zou
2. Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, P.O. Box 70377, San Juan, PR, 00936-8377, USA
   Wei Huang & Xiaoming Zou
3. Key Laboratory of Coastal Basin Environment, Fujian Polytechnic Normal University, Fuqing, 350300, Fujian, China
   Wei Huang
4. International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service, Jardín Botánico Sur, 1201 Calle Ceiba, Rio Piedras, PR, 00926-1119, USA
   Grizelle González
5. School of Sciences and Technology, Universidad Ana G. Méndez–Recinto de Gurabo, Gurabo, PR, 00778, USA
   María Fernanda Barberena-Arias

Authors

1. Wei Huang
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2. Grizelle González
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3. María Fernanda Barberena-Arias
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4. Xiaoming Zou
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Contributions

Zou X and González G designed the experiment. Huang W and Zou X conducted the field and lab work. Barberena-Arias helped identify arthropods. Huang W analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence toXiaoming Zou.

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Huang, W., González, G., Barberena-Arias, M.F. et al. Litter decomposition and arthropod composition under different ultraviolet levels following prescribed burn in a subtropical pastureland.Biol Fertil Soils 57, 153–161 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-020-01506-4

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• Received: 08 May 2020
• Revised: 24 August 2020
• Accepted: 04 September 2020
• Published: 17 September 2020
• Issue Date: January 2021
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-020-01506-4

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