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Effects of exotic and native tree leaf litter on soil properties of two contrasting sites in the Iberian Peninsula

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Abstract

Aims

We assessed the effects of native and exotic tree leaf litter on soil properties in two contrasting scenarios. The native Quercus robur and Pinus pinaster tree species coexist with the aliens Eucalyptus globulus and Acacia dealbata in acid soils of NW Spain. The native trees Fraxinus angustifolia and Ulmus minor coexist with the aliens Ailanthus altissima, Robinia pseudoacacia and Ulmus pumila in eutrophic basic riparian soils in Central Spain.

Methods

Four plastic trays per species were filled with homogenized top-soil of the site and covered with leaf litter. Before and after 9 months of incubation, litter mass, soil pH, organic matter, mineral and total N were measured. Available mineral N (NO −3 -N and NH +4 -N) was assessed every 2 months.

Results

Soil biological activity was higher in the basic than in the acid soil. Litter of the exotic trees tended to decompose less than litter of native species, probably due to the presence of secondary metabolites in the former. Soil pH, mineral and total N responded differently to different litter types, irrespective of their exotic or native origin (acid soil), or was similar across litter treatments (basic riparian soil). The similar response of the basic soil to the addition of different litter types may be due to the low contrast of litter quality between the species. E. globulus litter inhibitied soil microbial activity much more than the rest of the studied litter types, leading to a drastic impoverishment of N in soils.

Conclusion

Litter of exotic N-fixing trees (A. dealbata and R. pseudoacacia) did not increase soil N pools because of the inhibition of microbial activity by secondary compounds. Therefore, secondary metabolites of the litter played a major role explaining exotic litter impact on soil properties.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Dr. Esther Pérez-Corona for her revision of this manuscript. This study was supported by the grants CGL2007-61873/BOS, CGL2010-16388/BOS of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, POII10-0179-4700 of Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha and the REMEDINAL network S2009/AMB-1783 (Comunidad de Madrid). NGM was supported by a grant of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (FPI fellowship. BES-2008-002457).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, University of Alcalá, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km. 33.6, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Pilar Castro-Díez, Natalia Fierro-Brunnenmeister & Noelia González-Muñoz

  2. Departament of Physical, Chemical and Natural Systems, University of Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. Utrera km 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain

    Antonio Gallardo

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  1. Pilar Castro-Díez
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Correspondence to Pilar Castro-Díez.

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Castro-Díez, P., Fierro-Brunnenmeister, N., González-Muñoz, N. et al. Effects of exotic and native tree leaf litter on soil properties of two contrasting sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Plant Soil 350, 179–191 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0893-9

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