DOI: 10.5061/dryad.547d7wmgq
title: Standing and shed litters alter plant growth in disturbed and undisturbed soils differently

description: Plant species affect key ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling and
 overall ecosystem productivity through their litter. The outcome of litter
 effects is largely determined by its decomposability, which directly
 effects soil properties. If litter remains standing or unshed (i.e.
 marcescent), its final decomposability can be increased by
 photodegradation of recalcitrant structures (like lignin). If the litter
 is immediately shed, its decomposability largely depends on its original
 nutrient content. Moreover, plant species may affect soil also through
 other, more direct effects. It is however unknown whether marcescent and
 immediately shed litters affect soil, and by that plants, differently,
 whether direct effects of plants on soil interact with those of marcescent
 and shed litters, and whether these interactions are consistent under
 different soil conditions. We set up a pot experiment, where we tested the
 effects of originally marcescent and shed litters (both added on the soil
 surface of the pots) on three grassland species (Bromus erectus,
 Filipendula vulgaris, and Plantago media) in contrasting soils from
 long-term stable ancient grassland and grassland restored on arable land
 20 years before. We also tested how litter types and plant species affect
 soil chemical properties and microbial community (characterised by PLFA
 markers). Marcescent litter contained a lower amount of nutrients, but
 still increased plant biomass more than shed litter, although only
 for F. vulgaris (likely due to mobilisation of soil nutrients).
 The effect of litter on soil chemical properties and microbial community
 was low. These were largely affected by the plant species growing in the
 pot. The effect of these species on the microbial community was stronger
 in the undisturbed soil of ancient grasslands, while plant species
 affected mainly chemical properties in disturbed soil of restored
 grasslands. B. erectus slowed down the decomposition of both
 litter types in restored grassland soil. The effect of marcescent litter
 on living plants was significant but species-specific and depended on soil
 conditions. Marcescence seems to have a stronger effect on plants in
 disturbed soil, which indicates its importance for recovery of the
 ecosystem after disturbance.
description: We set up a pot experiment, where we tested the effects of
 originally marcescent and shed litters (both added on the soil surface of
 the pots) on three grassland species (<em>Bromus erectus</em>,
 <em>Filipendula vulgaris</em>, and <em>Plantago
 media</em>) in contrasting soils from long-term stable ancient
 grassland and grassland restored on arable land 20 years before. We also
 tested how litter types and plant species affect soil chemical properties
 and microbial community (characterised by PLFA markers). Material for the
 experiment was sampled in grasslands of the White Carpathian Mts. SE of
 Czechia.
description: ## Mudrák, Ondřej et al. (2024), Standing and shed litters alter plant
 growth in disturbed and undisturbed soils differently, Dryad, Dataset,
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wmgq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.547d7wmgq) ## Description of the data and file structure Data are in excel sheet table and named in full or by commonly used abbreviations (see also below). N/A sign missing values in the dataset. Description of the variables and its units: Pot – identifier of the pot Soil – identifier of the soil type (A – ancient grassland soil; R – restored grassland soil) Litter – identifier of the litter type (M – marcescent; S – shed; W – without litter) Species - identifier of the planted species (BE – Bromus erectus; FV – Filipendula vulgaris; PM – Plantago media) Aboveground_biomass – aboveground biomass of planted species in grams per pot Belowground_biomass – belowground biomass of planted species in grams per pot Litter_mass – litter remaining at the end of the experiment on the pot surface (in grams) pH – soil pH EC – soil electric conductivity in µS/cm P – soil phosphorus content in mg/kg K – soil potassium content in mg/kg NH4 – soil NH4 content in mg/kg NO3 – soil NO3 content in mg/kg fungi – soil PLFA of fungi in ppm bacteria – soil PLFA of bacteria in ppm actinobacteria – soil PLFA of actinobacteria in ppm G+bacteria – soil PLFA of G+ bacteria in ppm G-bacteria – soil PLFA of G- bacteria in ppm total_microb_biomass – soil PLFA of total microbial biomass in ppm