Autumn leaf colours as indicators of decomposition rate in sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that there is a causal connection between autumn colour, nutrient concentration and decomposibility of fresh leaf litter. Samples from patches of different autumn colours within the leaves of the deciduous tree sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) were sealed into litter bags and incubated for one winter in an outdoor leaf mould bed. Green leaf patches were decomposed faster than yellow or brown patches and this corresponded with the higher N and P concentrations in the former. Black patches, indicating colonisation by the tar spot fungus Rhytisma acerinum, were particularly high in P, but were decomposed very slowly, owing probably to resource immobilisation by the fungus. The results supported the hypothesis and were consistent with a previous study reporting an interspecific link between autumn coloration and decomposition rate. Autumn leaf colour of deciduous woody plants may serve as a useful predictor of litter decomposibility in ecosystem or biome scale studies where extensive direct measurements of litter chemistry and decomposition are not feasible.