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Article Abstract – Dipman and Meyer (2019)

Title:

Type conversion from native California sage scrub to non-native grassland accelerates decomposition processes

Authors and affiliations:

Madison M. Dipman¹ and Wallace M. Meyer III^1,2

¹Department of Biology, Pomona College

²Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station

Citation:

Applied Soil Ecology 144: 68–171. (2019)

Abstract:

Predicting how plant invasions influence decomposition processes is difficult, as multiple factors change withplant community alteration. Here, we examined the importance of various abiotic and biotic factors (litterquality (C:N), UV radiation, and macroinvertebrate access) in driving early decomposition processes in nativeCalifornia sage scrub (CSS) and in adjacent non-native grassland habitats. Many findings from our experimentwere consistent with studies from semi-arid regions (e.g., UV radiation drove decomposition processes and highquality litter decayed more rapidly). However, the acceleration of litter decomposition in the non-nativegrassland relative to native California sage scrub (CSS) was unexpected and contrasts with studies of partiallyinvaded CSS systems. Our results highlight that studies of invaded systems that still retain native species diversityshould not be extrapolated to type-converted systems. We hypothesize that high grass cover in the typeconvertedgrassland created conditions that enhanced soil moisture, bacterial abundance, and macroinvertebrateinfluence relative to the CSS, accelerating decomposition and reducing regional C storage.

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