2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/25/2021 | 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM | PROCESSING OF LEAF LITTER IN HEADWATERS OVER A YEAR: CHANGES IN LITTER QUALITY, DECOMPOSITION RATES AND SHREDDER COMMUNITY STRUCTURE | Virtual Platform
PROCESSING OF LEAF LITTER IN HEADWATERS OVER A YEAR: CHANGES IN LITTER QUALITY, DECOMPOSITION RATES AND SHREDDER COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
The strong seasonality of leaf fall in temperate climates causes many decomposition studies to take place in autumn, when allochthonous leaf input peaks. Yet, leaves are found in streams throughout the year and microorganisms alongside macroinvertebrates process available material outside of these key months. By limiting the timescale of our observations, we ignore the role of the phenology of animal communities, the seasonality of abiotic variables, and the decay-related change in leaf quality. Here, we considered these elements by combining two year-long experiments with the knowledge of population dynamics of amphipods. One laboratory experiment measured microbial decomposition and change in nutrient ratio of decomposing leaves. One field experiment measures decomposition rates of leaf bags, amphipod abundance and plant material inputs at two headwaters at six weeks intervals. Thanks to the extent of the individual experiments and the use of different methods, we could assess the change through time of a) decomposition rates, b) contribution of shredders, and c) decomposing leaves’ quality. With our holistic approach and long-term empirical studies, we show how the decomposition process consists of individual aspects with unique seasonal dynamics, yet all ultimately linked to each other.
- Meta-ecosystems
- Stream
- Ecosystem Dynamics
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Presenters/Authors
Eva Cereghetti
(), Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, eva.cereghetti@eawag.ch;
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Roman Alther
(), Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, roman.alther@eawag.ch;
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Andrin Krähenbühl
(), Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, andrin.kraehenbuehl@eawag.ch;
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Florian Altermatt
(), Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, florian.altermatt@eawag.ch;
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