Variations in Oak Litter Quality Along an Urban-Rural Gradient and Effect on Leaf Litter Decomposition

虽然空气污染和土壤重金属含量较高， 在纽约的乡村站点中，凋落物分解速率在橡树 令人惊讶的是，位于沿着城乡梯度的森林 在城市中更快。 为了确定叶片中的差异 城市垃圾的质量导致了更快的腐烂速度，博士说。 卡里罗将对新倒下的尸体进行分解实验 橡树叶收集沿着梯度和培养在 实验室 由于温度、湿度和微生物接种物 将被标准化，实验将直接测定是否 城市里活橡树叶的质量已经改变了很多 导致落叶后腐烂得更快 干重损失 实验室孵育的窝仔将在一段时间内间隔测量 4-月期间。 真菌的生长和呼吸活性， 在垃圾中定植的细菌也将被测量为腐烂 在确定对叶片可能差异的反应方面取得了进展 质量. 理解不同的 城市和农村森林的垃圾腐烂率很重要， 分解速率调节着这些生态系统中的养分流动 并影响植物的养分利用率。 设施 进行这项研究是一流的。 ***

Although air pollution and soil heavy metals are higher in New York than in rural sites, litter decomposition rates in oak forests located along an urban-rural gradient were surprisingly faster in urban sites. To determine whether differences in leaf quality contribute to faster decay rates of urban litter, Dr. Carriero will conduct a decomposition experiment on newly fallen oak leaves collected along the gradient and incubated in the laboratory. Since temperature, moisture, and microbial inoculum will be standardized, the experiment will directly assay whether the quality of living oak leaves has been changed enough in cities to result in more rapid decay after leaf fall. Dry weight loss of laboratory-incubated litter will be measured at intervals over a 4-month period. Growth and respiratory activity of fungi and bacteria colonizing litter will also be measured as decay progresses to determine responses to possible differences in leaf quality. An understanding of mechanisms behind the different litter decay rates in urban and rural forests is important since decomposition rates regulate nutrient flows within these ecosystems and influences nutrient availability to plants. The facilities available for conducting this research are first-rate. ***