Abstract

GETINO-ALVAREZ, M.; SAN-MARTIN, R.  and  TURRION, M.B.. FTIR-ATR spectra as fingerprints of forest floor composition. Rev. de Ciências Agrárias [online]. 2022, vol.45, n.4, pp.791-800.  Epub Dec 01, 2022. ISSN 0871-018X.  https://doi.org/10.19084/rca.28626.

It’s known that soil has a great potential for C sequestration, but it is also important to point out the contribution of forest ecosystems to the mitigation of global warming. Mixed forest stands has arouse great relevance in forestry research. However, it is necessary to increase the knowledge about quantity and quality of its soil organic matter (SOM), and species mixture effect on its decomposition dinamics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) is a powerful analytical tool for molecular characterization of plant materials. Its use with litter samples may simplify its processing and characterization. This study analizes forest floor of mixed and pure stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Sessile oak (Quercus sp.) with FTIR-ATR, to see if this analysis allows us to: separate litter samples by species, decomposition state, and determine if decomposition dynamics are affected by the stand type. A principal component analysis and Linear mixed models were applied. Results showed that FTIR-ATR analysis is a useful tool in the study of litter composition. This fast and economic analysis allows to differentiate (p<0.01) between species, as well as litter humification state. Finally, results showed that litter decomposition dynamics are affected by the type of mass (p<0.01).

Keywords : FTIR-ATR; SOM; mixed forests; litter decomposition dinamics.

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