2026-04-17T18:50:00Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:10256/284102026-03-12T15:59:06Zcom_2072_452955com_2072_2054col_2072_452959

2026-03-12T15:59:06Z urn:hdl:10256/28410 UV radiation and reduced rainfall: Legacy effects on litter and first-year decomposition in two Mediterranean evergreen shrubs Rodríguez Hidalgo, Claudia Marina Llorens i Guasch, Laura Doménech Pascual, Anna Romaní i Cornet, Anna M. González Gutiérrez, Josep Abel Verdaguer Murlà, Dolors Plantes -- Efecte de la radiació Plants -- Effect of radiation on Radiació ultraviolada Ultraviolet radiation Fullaraca -- Biodegradació Fullaraca -- Efecte de la sequera Plant litter -- Effect of drought on Canvis climàtics Climatic changes Climatic models for the Mediterranean Basin predict higher ultraviolet (UV) radiation and drier conditions by century’s end, potentially altering litter traits, early-stage decomposition, and nutrient cycling. This study investigates how UV radiation (UV-B and UV-A) and reduced rainfall influence leaf litter characteristics and its decomposition in two evergreen sclerophyllous Mediterranean species, Arbutus unedo and Phillyrea angustifolia, growing in a natural shrubland. A field litterbag decomposition experiment was conducted using litter from plants growing in eighteen 9 m2 plots arranged in three blocks. For six years, plots experienced one of three UV radiation conditions: ambient UV, without ambient UV-B, and without ambient UV, combined with two rainfall levels (natural or reduced). Treatments altered the initial leaf litter chemistry. In A. unedo, UV-B exposure decreased the leaf carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio (due to higher N) under natural rainfall, while in P. angustifolia, mainly UV-A radiation increased this ratio. Over the studied decomposition period (374 days), leaf litter mass loss in both species was limited, but P. angustifolia litter lost more mass (11 %) than A. unedo litter (3 %), likely due to a lower C/N ratio and a higher microbial activity. UV-A and UV-B radiation affected early litter decomposition in both species by altering recalcitrant compounds and/or microbial biomass, though effects on A. unedo depended on the rainfall amount. Overall, UV radiation appeared to inhibit rather than stimulate decomposition, thus not supporting a predominant role of UV radiation-induced photodegradation. Hence, future climate change may exacerbate present UV and drought effects on litter decomposition, slowing down decomposition rates and enhancing C accumulation in Mediterranean ecosystems Cl-R-H was the recipient of a PhD grant from the Senescyt-UdG co-financed grant program (Contract Nº AR2Q-000421–2016). This work was funded by the Spanish Government “Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades – MCIN” (Ref. CGL2014–55976-R, Ref. PID2021–123735OB16C2/MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE; and Ref. PCI2020–120702–2/AEI/ 10.13039 /17 501.100.011.033) and the University of Girona (Ref. ASING2011/3 and Ref. MPCUdG2016). SOLIPLANT have been recognised as consolidated research group by the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017SGR0055 and 2021SGR0047). AMR acknowledges the funding from the AGAUR-ICREA Academia award (Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, ref. 2024 ICREA 00144). Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Elsevier 13 2026-03-12T15:59:06Z 2026-03-12T15:59:06Z 2026-01 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion peer-reviewed https://hdl.handle.net/10256/28410 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106307 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/0098-8472 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/eissn/1873-7307 PCI2020-120702-2 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020/PCI2020-120702-2/ES/USING NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS TO DECIPHER THE ADAPTATION OF SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE/ Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Elsevier Environmental and Experimental Botany, 2026, vol. 241, art. núm. 106307 Articles publicats (D-CCAA)