Articles | Volume 20, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1925-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1925-2023
Research article
 | 
24 May 2023
Research article |  | 24 May 2023

Warming accelerates belowground litter turnover in salt marshes – insights from a Tea Bag Index study

Hao Tang, Stefanie Nolte, Kai Jensen, Roy Rich, Julian Mittmann-Goetsch, and Peter Mueller

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Cited articles

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Benner, R., Maccubbin, A. E., and Hodson, R. E.: Anaerobic biodegradation of the lignin and polysaccharide components of lignocellulose and synthetic lignin by sediment microflora, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 47, 998–1004, https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.47.5.998-1004.1984, 1984. 
Canarini, A., Kaiser, C., Merchant, A., Richter, A., and Wanek, W.: Root exudation of primary metabolites: Mechanisms and their roles in plant responses to environmental stimuli, Front. Plant Sci., 10, 157, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00157, 2019. 
Charles, H. and Dukes, J. S.: Effects of warming and altered precipitation on plant and nutrient dynamics of a New England salt marsh, Ecol. Appl., 19, 1758–1773, https://doi.org/10.1890/08-0172.1, 2009. 
Chmura, G. L.: What do we need to assess the sustainability of the tidal salt marsh carbon sink?, Ocean Coast. Manag., 83, 25–31, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2011.09.006, 2013. 
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In order to gain the first mechanistic insight into warming effects and litter breakdown dynamics across whole-soil profiles, we used a unique field warming experiment and standardized plant litter to investigate the degree to which rising soil temperatures can accelerate belowground litter breakdown in coastal wetland ecosystems. We found warming strongly increases the initial rate of labile litter decomposition but has less consistent effects on the stabilization of this material.
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