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- Title
Tea Bag Index to Assess Carbon Decomposition Rate in Cranberry Agroecosystems.
- Authors
Dossou-Yovo, Wilfried; Parent, Serge-Étienne; Ziadi, Noura; Parent, Élizabeth; Parent, Léon-Étienne
- Abstract
In cranberry production systems, stands are covered by 1-5 cm of sand every 2-5 years to stimulate plant growth, resulting in alternate layers of sand and litter in soil upper layers. However, almost intact twigs and leaves remain in subsurface layers, indicating a slow decomposition rate. The Tea Bag Index (TBI) provides an internationally standardized methodology to compare litter decomposition rates (k) and stabilization (S) among terrestrial ecosystems. However, TBI parameters may be altered by time-dependent changes in the contact between litter and their immediate environment. The aims of this study were to determine the TBI of cranberry agroecosystems and compare it to the TBI of other terrestrial ecosystems. Litters were standardized green tea, standardized rooibos tea, and cranberry residues collected on the plantation floor. Litter decomposition was monitored during two consecutive years. Added N did not affect TBI parameters (k and S) due to possible N leaching and strong acidic soil condition. Decomposition rates (k) averaged (mean ± SD) 9.7 x 10-3 day-1 ± 1.6 x 10-3 for green tea, 3.3 x 10-3 day-1 ± 0.8 x 10-5 for rooibos tea, and 0.4 x 10-3 day-1 ± 0.86 x 10-3 for cranberry residues due to large differences in biochemical composition and tissue structure. The TBI decomposition rate (k) was 0.006 day-1 ± 0.002 in the low range among terrestrial ecosystems, and the stabilization factor (S) was 0.28 ± 0.08, indicating high potential for carbon accumulation in cranberry agroecosystems. Decomposition rates of tea litters were reduced by fractal coefficients of 0.6 for green tea and 0.4 for rooibos tea, indicating protection mechanisms building up with time in the tea bags. While the computation of the TBI stabilization factor may be biased because the green tea was not fully decomposed, fractal kinetics could be used as additional index to compare agroecosystems.
- Subjects
CRANBERRIES; AGRICULTURAL ecology; PLANT growth; BIODEGRADATION of plant litter; ACID soils
- Publication
Soil Systems, 2021, Vol 5, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
2571-8789
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/soilsystems5030044