Abstract

POCA, María; PEREZ-HARGUINDEGUY, Natalia; VAIERETTI, María V.  and  CINGOLANI, Ana M. Descomposición y calidad físico-química foliar de 24 especies dominantes de los pastizales de altura de las sierras de Córdoba, Argentina. Ecol. austral [online]. 2014, vol.24, n.2, pp.249-257. ISSN 1667-782X.

Decomposition and physico-chemical foliar traits of 24 dominant species of highland grasslands in the Córdoba Mountains, Argentina: Litters' chemical and green leaves' physical quality have been indicated as determinants of litter decomposition. The objective of this work was to analyze the relationship between litter decomposition and chemical quality and green leaves physical quality of 24 dominant species of mesic and humid highland grasslands, Córdoba, Argentina. In addition, we compared the pattern of association between these variables with that described for the lowland mountains of the same region. We measured litter decomposition through a common garden experiment with two retrieval dates (70 and 196 days). We measured labile compounds (nitrogen) and recalcitrant compounds (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) as litter chemical quality indicators. Besides, we calculated from these indicators the fiber content (sum of recalcitrant compounds), the holocellulose/fiber proportion and the lignin:nitrogen, holocellulose:nitrogen and fber:nitrogen ratios. We measured the specific leaf area as a physical quality indicator of the green leaves. The decomposition increased mainly while the fiber:nitrogen ratio decreased for both retrieval dates. Contrary to other works, the lignin content and the specific leaf area were not significantly associated to the decomposition. The relationships that we found in this work between decomposition and quality parameters are similar to the ones described by Vaieretti et al. (2005) for the species of the lowland mountains of Córdoba. This similitude, in spite of the differences in species composition, functional types and environmental variables, indicate a consistent chemical control over decomposition.

Keywords : Foliar decomposition; Foliar quality; Litter quality; Ecosystem processes.

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