Leaf litter breakdown along an elevational gradient in Australian alpine streams

These data were generated to investigate the rate of leaf litter breakdown and how temperature and other factors such as microbial and and invertebrate activities were influenced over elevational and temporal gradients. Breakdown of allochthonous organic matter is a central step in nutrient cycling in stream ecosystems. There is concern that increased temperatures from climate change will alter the breakdown rate of organic matter with important consequences for ecosystem functioning of alpine streams. Dried leaves of Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora) and cotton strips were deployed in coarse (6mm) and fine (50µm) mesh size bags along an 820 m elevation gradient. Loss of mass in leaf litter and cotton tensile strength per day (k per day), fungal biomass measured as ergosterol concentration, invertebrate colonization of leaf litter and benthic organic matter (mass and composition) were determined. Both microbial and macroinvertebrate activities were equally important in leaf litter breakd...

本数据集的生成旨在探究叶片凋落物分解速率，以及温度、微生物与无脊椎动物活动等其他因素沿海拔梯度和时间梯度的变化规律。外源有机物（allochthonous organic matter）的分解是溪流生态系统养分循环的核心环节。当前学界担忧，气候变化引发的升温将改变有机物分解速率，进而对高山溪流的生态系统功能产生重要影响。研究人员将雪胶树（Eucalyptus pauciflora）干燥叶片与棉条装入孔径分别为粗网（6mm）和细网（50μm）的分解袋中，沿820米的海拔梯度进行布设。本研究测定了多项指标：叶片凋落物的日质量损失率、棉条的日抗张强度变化（以日分解速率k表示）、以麦角甾醇（ergosterol）浓度表征的真菌生物量、叶片凋落物的无脊椎动物定殖情况，以及底栖有机物（benthic organic matter）的质量与组成。微生物与大型无脊椎动物的活动在叶片凋落物分解过程中均发挥着同等重要的作用……