Steinberger Y, Whitford W G
Department of Biology, Bar-Ilan University, 52100, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Box 3AF, 88003, Las Cruces, NM, USA.
Oecologia. 1988 Feb;75(1):61-66. doi: 10.1007/BF00378814.
The effects of supplemental water and natural rainfall on decomposition were studied in the Negev Highland desert, Israel. There was a mass loss of approximately 40% in Hammada scoparia leaves and Salsola inermis litter placed on the soil surface and buried in fine mesh bags. There was an annual mass loss of 80% in S. inermis litter buried in large fiberglass mesh bags. Supplemental water provided during the wet season (January to March) did not result in more rapid decomposition of litter of the annual grass Stipa capensis but irrigation during the dry season (August to September) produced a marked increase in the decomposition rate of S. capensis. These data suggest that rain events, not water quantity, are the most important regulators of decomposition in the Negev. Annual rates of decomposition were higher than predicted by models utilizing actual evapotranspiration and lignin content as regulating variables. Rates of decomposition were equal to those reported for tropical wet forests.
在以色列内盖夫高地沙漠，研究了补充水分和自然降雨对分解作用的影响。放置在土壤表面并装在细网袋中的滨藜叶和无叶假木贼凋落物质量损失约40%。装在大型玻璃纤维网袋中的无叶假木贼凋落物年质量损失为80%。湿季（1月至3月）提供的补充水分并未使一年生草本植物针茅的凋落物分解加快，但旱季（8月至9月）进行灌溉使针茅的分解速率显著提高。这些数据表明，降雨事件而非水量是内盖夫分解作用的最重要调节因素。年分解速率高于利用实际蒸散量和木质素含量作为调节变量的模型预测值。分解速率与热带湿润森林报道的速率相当。
