2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/21/2018 | 10:15 AM - 10:30 AM | EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ALGAE NEGATIVELY PRIME PLANT LITTER DECOMPOSITION IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS | 321
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS ALGAE NEGATIVELY PRIME PLANT LITTER DECOMPOSITION IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS
During plant litter decomposition, periphytic algae provide fresh, labile carbon that may stimulate decomposer microbes and enhance decomposition of underlying recalcitrant litter through positive priming effects (PEs). Despite their potential importance, the direction and magnitude of algal PEs in aquatic settings remain poorly tested. We synthesize two experimental tests of algal PE during decomposition of cattail litter (lentic system) and water oak and tulip poplar litter (lotic system) using extended light versus dark manipulations. In both experiments, light permitted algal growth, which in turn stimulated fungal production rates (P<0.001) but, compared to dark-incubated litter, reduced fungal biomass (P<0.001) and litter mass loss rates (P<0.001). While effects of light on bacteria were comparatively weaker, light also reduced phenol oxidase and beta glucosidase activities in the lentic system, suggesting algae inhibited degradative enzyme activity on litter. These findings are indicative of negative PE, in which labile algal-derived carbon stimulates decomposers, but perhaps due to preferential substrate use, decomposers do not increase degradation of recalcitrant litter as expected under positive PE. Drawn from separate systems, our similar findings suggest increased light availability could suppress microbial decomposition of organic matter in many freshwater settings.
- Carbon
- Detritus
- Organic Matter
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Presenters/Authors
Halvor Halvorson
(), University of Southern Mississippi, Halvor.Halvorson@usm.edu;
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Jacob Barry
(), University of Southern Mississippi, jacobbarry88@gmail.com;
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Matthew Lodato
(), University of Southern Mississippi, matthew.lodato@usm.edu;
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Robert Findlay
(), University of Alabama, rfindlay@ua.edu;
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Steven Francoeur
(), Eastern Michigan University, sfrancoeu@emich.edu;
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Kevin Kuehn
(), The University of Southern Mississippi, kevin.kuehn@usm.edu;
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