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Effects of nutrient enrichment on the decomposition of wood and associated microbial activity in streams

Informally Refereed

Abstract

We determined the effects of nutrient enrichment on wood decomposition rates and microbial activity during a 3-year study in two headwater streams at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, NC, U.S.A. After a 1-year pretreatment period, one of the streams was continuously enriched with inorganic nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) for 2 years while the other stream served as a reference. We determined the effects of enrichment on both wood veneers and sticks, which have similar carbon quality but differ in physical characteristics (e.g. surface area to volume ratios, presence of bark) that potentially affect microbial colonisation and activity.

Citation

Gulis, Vladislav; Rosemond, Amy D.; Suberkropp, Keller; Weyers, Holly S.; Benstead, Jonathan P. 2004. Effects of nutrient enrichment on the decomposition of wood and associated microbial activity in streams. Freshwater Biology, Vol. 49: 1437-1447
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/29000