Ecological significance of standing dead phytomass: Marcescence as a puzzle piece to the nutrient cycle in temperate ecosystems

• Published in: The Journal of ecology Vol. 111; no. 10; pp. 2245 - 2256
• Main Authors: Mudrák, Ondřej, Angst, Šárka, Angst, Gerrit, Veselá, Hana, Schnablová, Renáta, Herben, Tomáš, Frouz, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Arid zones; carbon; Decomposers; Decomposition; ecology; Ecosystems; Flora; Habitats; Leaf area; Leaves; Nutrient cycles; Photodegradation; photolysis; Phylogeny; phytomass; soil; Soils; Species; Temperate zones

The plant economics spectrum (PES) drives nutrient cycling through effects on soil decomposers. However, dead phytomass may remain standing or unshed (marcescent), hardly accessible to decomposers and be photodegraded. In arid zones, the significant part of marcescent phytomass can be decomposed wit...