Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


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41703 
Book/Book Chapter 
Ozone stress and mite damage to cottonwood plants alter subsequent litter decomposition: the afterlife effect 
Findlay, S; Carreiro, M; Jones, CG 
1991 
San Antonio, TX 
Living plants are exposed to a variety of abiotic and biotic stresses or damage agents. The question of whether such perturbations could influence quality of senesced leaf litter was examined under experimental conditions. Cottonwood plants were exposed to ozone (200 ppb, 4-5 hrs) and/or damage by red spider mites. Litter collected from non-damaged control plants decomposed significantly faster in aquatic microcosms than litter from either ozone-, or mite-exposed plants, or plants exposed to both ozone and mites. Differences in rates of decomposition resulted in twice as much litter from ozone and mite treatments remaining after 6 weeks of decomposition. These results suggest that perturbations to living plants may proliferate in ecosystems, altering detritus dynamics and standing stocks. This afterlife effect may be an important, previously unrecognized factor influencing decomposition rates. 
76th Annual ESA Meeting 
San Antonio, TX