Do grassland management practices affect soil lignin chemistry by changing the composition of plant-derived organic matter input?
Résumé
Methods We considered three types of OM input: aboveground and belowground material from living plants and partly degraded aboveground litter. We assessed their quality based on their elemental (C and N) contents, their stable carbon isotope (13C) and their lignin composition.
Results The results showed that C/N ratios differed among plant-derived OM input types but did not vary among treatments. In contrast, lignin biogeochemistry and lignin/N ratios of plant tissues were differentiated according to input type and treatment. High grazing intensity resulted in the lowest lignin/N ratios of aboveground litter. Lignin chemistry of all plant OM input types under grazing treatments indicated low maturity stage. Despite the similar lignin contribution to soil carbon under all grassland management practices, soil lignin was more degraded under mowing than under the other practices.
Conclusions We conclude that grassland management may have an impact on SOM composition by altering plant OM input composition rather than its stoichiometry.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Aliia Gilmullina , Cornelia Rumpel , Katja Klumpp , Abad Chabbi
Publication : Plant and Soil
Date : 2025
Volume : 469
Issue : 1-2
Pages : 443-455