Riparian plant litter quality increases with latitude

• Autores: Boyero, Luz; Graça, Manuel A. S.; Tonin, Alan M.; Pérez, Javier; Swafford, Andrew J.; Ferreira, Verónica; Landeira Dabarca, Andrea; Alexandrou, Markos A.; Gessner, Mark O.; McKie, Brendan G.; Albariño, Ricardo Javier; Barmuta, Leon A.; Callisto, Marcos; Chará, Julián; Chauvet, Eric; Colón Gaud, Checo; Dudgeon, David; Encalada, Andrea C.; Figueroa, Ricardo; Flecker, Alexander S.; Fleituch, Tadeusz; Frainer, André; Gonçalves Jr., José F.; Helson, Julie E.; Iwata, Tomoya; Mathooko, Jude; M' Erimba, Charles; Pringle, Catherine M.; Ramírez, Alonso; Swan, Christopher M.; Yule, Catherine M.; Pearson, Richard G.
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: leaf litter nutrients and toughness; organic matter cycling; stream ecology; tropical vs. temperate global assesment
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Plant litter represents a major basal resource in streams, where its decomposition is partly regulated by litter traits. Litter-trait variation may determine the latitudinal gradient in decomposition in streams, which is mainly microbial in the tropics and detritivore-mediated at high latitudes. However, this hypothesis remains untested, as we lack information on large-scale trait variation for riparian litter. Variation cannot easily be inferred from existing leaf-trait databases, since nutrient resorption can cause traits of litter and green leaves to diverge. Here we present the first global-scale assessment of riparian litter quality by determining latitudinal variation (spanning 107°) in litter traits (nutrient concentrations; physical and chemical defences) of 151 species from 24 regions and their relationships with environmental factors and phylogeny. We hypothesized that litter quality would increase with latitude (despite variation within regions) and traits would be correlated to produce ?syndromes? resulting from phylogeny and environmental variation. We found lower litter quality and higher nitrogen:phosphorus ratios in the tropics. Traits were linked but showed no phylogenetic signal, suggesting that syndromes were environmentally determined. Poorer litter quality and greater phosphorus limitation towards the equator may restrict detritivore-mediated decomposition,contributing to the predominance of microbial decomposers in tropical streams.
Fil: Boyero, Luz. Basque Foundation for Science; España. James Cook University; Australia. Universidad del País Vasco; España
Fil: Graça, Manuel A. S.. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal
Fil: Tonin, Alan M.. Universidade do Brasilia; Brasil
Fil: Pérez, Javier. Universidad del País Vasco; España
Fil: Swafford, Andrew J.. University of California; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ferreira, Verónica. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal
Fil: Landeira Dabarca, Andrea. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal. Universidad de Vigo; España
Fil: Alexandrou, Markos A.. Wildlands Conservation Science; Estados Unidos
Fil: Gessner, Mark O.. Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries; Alemania. Berlin Institute of Technology; Alemania
Fil: McKie, Brendan G.. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Suiza
Fil: Albariño, Ricardo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina
Fil: Barmuta, Leon A.. University of Tasmania; Australia
Fil: Callisto, Marcos. Universidade Federal do Minas Gerais; Brasil
Fil: Chará, Julián. Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción Agropecuaria (CIPAV); Colombia
Fil: Chauvet, Eric. Université de Toulouse; Francia
Fil: Colón Gaud, Checo. Georgia Southern University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Dudgeon, David. The University of Hong Kong; China
Fil: Encalada, Andrea C.. Universidad de Coimbra; Portugal. Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Ecuador
Fil: Figueroa, Ricardo. Universidad de Concepción; Chile
Fil: Flecker, Alexander S.. Cornell University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Fleituch, Tadeusz. Polish Academy of Sciences; Polonia
Fil: Frainer, André. UiT The Arctic University of Norway; Noruega
Fil: Gonçalves Jr., José F.. Universidade do Brasilia; Brasil
Fil: Helson, Julie E.. University of Toronto; Canadá
Fil: Iwata, Tomoya. University of Yamanashi; Japón
Fil: Mathooko, Jude. Egerton University; Kenia
Fil: M' Erimba, Charles. Egerton University; Kenia
Fil: Pringle, Catherine M.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ramírez, Alonso. Universidad de Puerto Rico; Puerto Rico
Fil: Swan, Christopher M.. University of Maryland; Estados Unidos
Fil: Yule, Catherine M.. Monash University; Australia
Fil: Pearson, Richard G.. James Cook University; Australia