Wood decay rates of 13 temperate tree species in relation to wood properties, enzyme activities and organismic diversities

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Tiemo Kahl - , University of Freiburg, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Thuringian Forest (Author)
  • Tobias Arnstadt - , Chair of Environmental Biotechnology (Author)
  • Kristin Baber - , University of Freiburg, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Claus Bässler - , Bavarian Forest National Park (Author)
  • Jürgen Bauhus - , University of Freiburg (Author)
  • Werner Borken - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • François Buscot - , Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig (Author)
  • Andreas Floren - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Christoph Heibl - , Bavarian Forest National Park (Author)
  • Dominik Hessenmöller - , Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Author)
  • Martin Hofrichter - , Chair of Environmental Biotechnology (Author)
  • Björn Hoppe - , Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Julius Kühn Institute - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (Author)
  • Harald Kellner - , Chair of Environmental Biotechnology (Author)
  • Dirk Krüger - , Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)
  • Karl Eduard Linsenmair - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Egbert Matzner - , University of Bayreuth (Author)
  • Peter Otto - , Leipzig University (Author)
  • Witoon Purahong - , Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Author)
  • Claudia Seilwinder - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Ernst Detlef Schulze - , Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Author)
  • Beate Wende - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Wolfgang W. Weisser - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Martin M. Gossner - , Technical University of Munich, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (Author)

Abstract

Deadwood decay is an important ecosystem process in forest ecosystems, but the relative contribution of specific wood properties of tree species, activities of wood-degrading enzymes, and decomposer communities such as fungi and insects is unclear. We ask whether wood properties, in particular differences between angiosperms and gymnosperms, and organismic diversity of colonizers contribute to wood decomposition. To test this, we exposed deadwood logs of 13 tree species, covering four gymnosperms and nine angiosperm species, in 30 plots under different forest management in three regions in Germany. After a decomposition time of 6.5 years Carpinus betulus and Fagus sylvatica showed the highest decay rates. We found a positive correlation of decay rate with enzyme activities, chemical wood properties (S, K concentration) and organismic diversity, while, heartwood character, lignin content, extractive concentration and phenol content were negatively correlated with decay rate across all 13 tree species. By applying a multi-model inference approach we found that the activity of the wood-degrading enzymes laccase and endocellulase, beetle diversity, heartwood presence, wood ray height and fungal diversity were the most important predictor variables for wood decay. Although we were not able to identify direct cause and effect relations by our approach, we conclude that enzyme activity and organismic diversity are the main drivers of wood decay rate, which greatly differed among tree species. Maintaining high tree species diversity will therefore result in high structural deadwood diversity in terms of decay rate and decay stage.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)86-95
Number of pages10
JournalForest Ecology and Management
Volume391
Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85013192673

Keywords

Keywords

  • Biodegradation, Biology, Ecosystems, Enzymes, Wood, Carpinus betulus, Fungi, Gymnospermae, Hexapoda, Magnoliophyta, Biodiversity, Enzyme activity, Forestry, Plants (botany), Wood products, Decay, Coleoptera, Fagus sylvatica