Effects of riparian forest and annual variation in stream environmental conditions on leaf litter breakdown and invertebrate communities in highland grassland streams

Leaf litter breakdown is a critical process in streams, as it plays a significant role in influencing food webs and biogeochemical cycles. Highland grasslands are often understudied landscapes, yet they are an excellent model system for evaluating how natural differences in riparian forest cover can influence litter breakdown in streams. We experimentally examined the effects of the presence and absence of riparian forest on temporal leaf litter breakdown and the associated biota in highland grassland streams. The 3-year experiment examined leaf litter breakdown in three stream reaches with riparian forest and three without. The results indicate that temperature could potentially mediate the temporal dynamics of leaf litter breakdown (mainly fine mesh) and the associated biota in highland grassland streams. No differences were found in leaf breakdown between stream reach types, but there was evidence of an increase in invertebrate density. Finally, leaf litter breakdown in the highland grasslands was more affected by annual variation than riparian forest presence, suggesting a context-dependent relationship.