Tracking senescence‐induced patterns in leaf litter leachate using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling and self‐organizing maps

• Published in: Journal of geophysical research. Biogeosciences 2017-09, Vol.122 (9), p.2233-2250
• Main Authors: Wheeler, K. I., Levia, D. F., Hudson, J. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscission; Allochthonous deposits; Autumn; Beech; Biogeochemistry; Climate change; Clusters; Components; Composition; Dissolved organic matter; dissolved organic matter (DOM); Emission analysis; Factor analysis; Fagus grandifolia; Fagus grandifolia Ehrh; Forest watersheds; Gene mapping; Leachates; Leaf litter; Leaves; Liriodendron tulipifera; Migration; Modelling; nitrogen resorption; parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC); Photosynthesis; Poplar; Proteins; Rivers; Self organizing maps; self‐organizing map (SOM); Senescence; Streams; Trees; Tyrosine
• ISSN: 2169-8953; 2169-8961
• DOI: 10.1002/2016JG003677

In autumn, the dissolved organic matter (DOM) contribution of leaf litter leachate to streams in forested watersheds changes as trees undergo resorption, senescence, and leaf abscission. Despite its biogeochemical importance, little work has investigated how leaf litter leachate DOM changes throughout autumn and how any changes might differ interspecifically and intraspecifically. Since climate change is expected to cause vegetation migration, it is necessary to learn how changes in forest composition could affect DOM inputs via leaf litter leachate. We examined changes in leaf litter leachate fluorescent DOM (FDOM) from American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) leaves in Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont, and North Carolina and from yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) leaves from Maryland. FDOM in leachate samples was characterized by excitation‐emission matrices (EEMs). A six‐component parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model was created to identify components that accounted for the majority of the variation in the data set. Self‐organizing maps (SOM) compared the PARAFAC component proportions of leachate samples. Phenophase and species exerted much stronger influence on the determination of a sample's SOM placement than geographic origin. As expected, FDOM from all trees transitioned from more protein‐like components to more humic‐like components with senescence. Percent greenness of sampled leaves and the proportion of tyrosine‐like component 1 were found to be significantly different between the two genetic beech clusters, suggesting differences in photosynthesis and resorption. Our results highlight the need to account for interspecific and intraspecific variations in leaf litter leachate FDOM throughout autumn when examining the influence of allochthonous inputs to streams. Key Points Parallel factor analysis components of all leaf litter leachates shifted from more protein‐like to more humic‐like with senescence Phenophase and species had a greater influence on the fluorescent dissolved organic matter than the geographic origin of beech trees Behavior of the tyrosine‐like component differed significantly between two beech genetic clusters, suggesting differences in resorption