Combined effects of water temperature, grazing snails and terrestrial herbivores on leaf decomposition in urban streams

Abstract

The decomposition of organic matter in freshwaters, such as leaf litter, can affect global nutrient (e.g., carbon) cycling. This process can be influenced by fast urbanization through increased water temperature, reduced aquatic diversity and changed leaf litter quality traits. In this study, we performed a mesocosm experiment to explore the individual and combined effects of warming (8°C higher and ambient), the presence versus absence of grazing snails (Parafossarulus striatulus), and intraspecific difference of leaf litter quality (intact versus > 40% area of Liriodendron chinense leaves grazed by terrestrial insects) on litter decomposition in urban streams. Litter decomposition rates ranged from 0.019 d^-1 to 0.058 d^-1 with an average decomposition rate of 0.032 ± 0.002 d^-1. All the three factors had significant effects on litter decomposition rate. Warming and the presence of snails accelerated litter decomposition rates by 60% and 35% respectively. Litter decomposition rates of leaves damaged by terrestrial insects were 5% slower than that of intact leaves, because litter quality of terrestrial insect-damaged leaves was lower (i.e., higher specific leaf weight) than intact leaves. For treatments with snails, warming stimulated microbial and snail mediated litter decomposition rates by 35% and 167%, respectively. All combinations of treatments showed additive effects on litter decomposition except for the interaction between warming and snails which showed positive synergistic effects. In addition, neither temperature nor litter quality affected snail growth rate. These results imply that higher water temperature and the presence of abundant snails in urban streams greatly enhanced litter decomposition. Moreover, the effect of pest outbreaks, which resulted in lower litter quality, can cascade to aquatic ecosystems by retarding microbe-mediated litter decomposition. When these factors co-occurred, warming could synergistically interact with snails to speed up the depletion of organic matter, while the effect of leaf quality on litter decomposition may be diminished at high water temperature. These effects could further influence stream food webs and nutrient cycling.

Keywords: Cross-ecosystem subsidy; Ecosystem functioning; Leaf breakdown; Leaf quality; Snail; Urbanization; Warming.

Figure 1. Averages of water temperature in ambient and warming treatments.

(A) Water temperature. (B) Diel temperature oscillation. Values are mean ± SE. The symbol * above the bar indicates a significant difference between the treatments.

Figure 2. Averages of measured water quality: (A) pH, (B) turbidity, (C) dissolved oxygen (%), (D) dissolved oxygen (mg/L), (E) conductivity, and (F) ammonia across the experimental treatments (water temperature: ambient and warming, snails: presence/absence, litter quality: intact and insect damaged).

Values are mean ± SE (data of three sampling dates are combined). Text in rectangles indicates significant directional main effects and two-way interaction effects (water temperature: T, Snails: S, litter quality: Q), with effect classifications (for abbreviations see Table 1) in parentheses.

Figure 3. Averages of litter decomposition rates.

litter decomposition rate (k, d⁻¹) for intact (<5%) and damaged leaves (>40% leaf area were grazed by terrestrial insects) incubated in the absence (blank bar) and presence of snails (light grey bar), at ambient and warming mesocosms for 25 days. Text in rectangles indicate significant directional main effects and two-way interaction effects (water temperature: T, Snails: S, litter quality: Q), with effect classifications (for abbreviations see Table 1) in parentheses. Values are mean ± SE.

Figure 4. Averages of litter decomposition rates of (A) total, (B) microbes, and (C) snails for intact and insect-damaged leaf litter at ambient and warming (∼8 °C higher) conditions.

Different lowercase letters above each bar indicate significant differences after one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey (parameters with same letter are not significantly different between treatments). Text in rectangles indicate significant directional main effects and two-way interaction effects (water temperature: T, litter quality: Q), with effect classifications (for abbreviations see Table 1) in parentheses. Values are mean ± SE.

Figure 5. Averages of snail (A) growth rate, (B) initial blotted dry biomass in treatments of intact and insect-damaged litter at ambient and warming condition.

Values are mean ± SE. Different lowercase letters above each bar indicate significant differences after one-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey (parameters with same letter are not significantly different between treatments).