Abstract
Litter decomposition is a crucial biochemical process regulated by microbial activities in the forest ecosystem. However, the dynamic response of the fungal community during litter decomposition to vegetation changes is not well understood. Here, we investigated the litter decomposition rate, extracellular enzyme activities, fungal community, and nutrient cycling-related genes in leaf and twig litters over a three-year decomposition period in a pure Liquidamabar formosana forest and a mixed L. formosana/Pinus thunbergii forest. The result showed that during the three-year decomposition, twig litter in the mixed forest decomposed faster than that in the pure forest. In both leaf litter and twig litter, β-cellobiosidase and N-acetyl-glucosamidase exhibited higher activities in the mixed forest, whereas phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and β-xylosidase were higher in the pure forest. The fungal α-diversity were higher in both litters in the pure forest compared to the mixed forest, with leaf litter showing higher α-diversity than twig litter. Fungal species richness and α-diversity within leaf litter increased as decomposition progressed. Within leaf litter, Basidiomycota dominated in the mixed forest, while Ascomycota dominated in the pure forest. Funguild analysis revealed that Symbiotroph and ectomycorrhizal fungi were more abundant in the mixed forest compared to the pure forest. In the third-year decomposition, genes related to phosphorus cycling were most abundant in both forests, with the pure forest having a higher abundance of cex and gcd genes. Fungal community structure, predicted functional structure, and gene composition differed between the two forest types and between the two litter types. Notably, the fungal functional community structure during the first-year decomposition was distinct from that in the subsequent two years. These findings suggest that dominant tree species, litter quality, and decomposition time all significantly influence litter decomposition by attracting different fungal communities, thereby affecting the entire decomposition process.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Twig litter in the mixed forest decomposed faster than in the pure forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“twig litter in the mixed forest decomposed faster than that in the pure forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Beta-cellobiosidase and N-acetyl-glucosamidase had higher activities in the mixed forest in both leaf and twig litter.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“In both leaf litter and twig litter, β-cellobiosidase and N-acetyl-glucosamidase exhibited higher activities in the mixed forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Phosphatase, beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase activities were higher in the pure forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“In both leaf litter and twig litter, β-cellobiosidase and N-acetyl-glucosamidase exhibited higher activities in the mixed forest”
e2“whereas phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and β-xylosidase were higher in the pure forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal alpha-diversity was higher in both litters in the pure forest than in the mixed forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“The fungal α-diversity were higher in both litters in the pure forest compared to the mixed forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Alpha-diversity was higher in leaf litter than in twig litter.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“with leaf litter showing higher α-diversity than twig litter”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal species richness and alpha-diversity in leaf litter increased as decomposition progressed.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“Fungal species richness and α-diversity within leaf litter increased as decomposition progressed”
Claim · model-written summary
Basidiomycota dominated leaf litter in the mixed forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“Within leaf litter, Basidiomycota dominated in the mixed forest, while Ascomycota dominated in the pure forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Ascomycota dominated leaf litter in the pure forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“Within leaf litter, Basidiomycota dominated in the mixed forest, while Ascomycota dominated in the pure forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Symbiotroph and ectomycorrhizal fungi were more abundant in the mixed forest than in the pure forest.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“Funguild analysis revealed that Symbiotroph and ectomycorrhizal fungi were more abundant in the mixed forest compared to the pure forest”
Claim · model-written summary
Genes related to phosphorus cycling were the most abundant gene group in both forests in the third year.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“In the third-year decomposition, genes related to phosphorus cycling were most abundant in both forests”
Claim · model-written summary
The pure forest had a higher abundance of cex and gcd genes.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“with the pure forest having a higher abundance of cex and gcd genes”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal community structure differed between the two forest types and between the two litter types.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“Fungal community structure, predicted functional structure, and gene composition differed between the two forest types and between the two litter types”
Claim · model-written summary
The fungal functional community structure in the first year of decomposition differed from that in the next two years.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“the fungal functional community structure during the first-year decomposition was distinct from that in the subsequent two years”
Claim · model-written summary
Tree species, litter quality and decomposition time influence litter decomposition by attracting different fungal communities.
Verbatim
e0“pure Liquidamabar formosana forest”
e1“dominant tree species, litter quality, and decomposition time all significantly influence litter decomposition by attracting different fungal communities”