02276nas a2200229   4500008004100000245011900041210006900160300001100229490000700240520154400247653001201791653001801803653001201821653001901833653002201852653002201874100001501896700002001911700001301931700001901944856008301963       2009                        eng d00aImpacts of management legacies on litter decomposition in response to reduced precipitation in a tallgrass prairie0 aImpacts of management legacies on litter decomposition in respon  a79 -850 v423 a<p>The response of ecosystem processes to current and future climatic events may be affected by historical disturbance regimes. Here, we address the interaction between reduced precipitation and the legacy effects of two contrasting long-term burn regimes in a tallgrass prairie (20 years of annual burning versus fire suppression). We examined rates of decomposition and the response of decomposition to reduced precipitation under rainout shelters in these two prairie types to assess potential interactions between legacy effects and reduced precipitation. To test the legacy effects of the different burn regimes, we placed experimental plots in each prairie type under a standardized management regime. In each plot, we ceased burning, mowed to maintain a standard canopy height, and maintained standard surface litter accumulation. We measured decay rates for surface litter, buried roots, and buried wooden dowels. While decomposition rates of substrates were reduced an average of approximately 29% under reduced precipitation, we found no significant main effects of burn history on decomposition on any of the substrates. However, in the recovery period following 2 years of an experimentally imposed drought, we did find an effect of burn history on decomposition and this effect varied for different substrates. Historical effects of management or natural disturbances on ecosystem processes may often be subtle or negated by compensatory responses, and in this study few legacy effects on decomposition rate were detected.</p>10aburning10adecomposition10aDrought10aLegacy effects10aManagement regime10atallgrass prairie1 aReed, H.E.1 aBlair, John, M.1 aWall, D.1 aSeastedt, T.R.  uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929139309000274?via%3Dihub