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The effects of nitrogen deposition and invasion on litter fuel quality and decomposition in a Stipa pulchra grassland

Elizabeth C. Hernández,Erin J. Questad,W. M. Meyer,K. Suding

Published 2019 in Journal of Arid Environments

ABSTRACT

Abstract Fuel loads from invasive annual grasses different from natives can alter the fire regime to one that positively feedbacks to their establishment, known as the grass-fire cycle. Nitrogen (N) deposition can exacerbate the grass-fire cycle by favoring non-native annual grasses and increase their biomass production, generating greater fuel loads. Less studied is how N enrichment can affect the chemical quality of litter as it pertains to the decomposition or accumulation of fuel. Here, we primarily tested how N addition affected the quality and mass loss of litter produced by the native perennial grass, Stipa pulchra, and the non-native annual grass, Bromus hordeaceus. We found that B. hordeaceus litter was significantly lower in quality and decomposed to a lesser extent than S. pulchra litter, even with N addition, which increased litter quality and mass loss overall. In addition, we show that B. hordeaceus sustained dead biomass with lower moisture content for a greater portion of the experimental year. Therefore, we conclude that B. hordeaceus invasion promotes fire by generating litter that decomposes more slowly, leaving a greater source of dry fuel for a longer period of time.

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