Early degradation of plant alkanes in soils: A litterbag experiment using 13C-labelled leaves

We monitored the carbon isotope composition of bulk leaves and specific long-chain alkanes during a four-year litterbag experiment using 13C-labelled leaves and unlabelled reference leaves of the European beech tree (Fagus sylvatica L.). Whereas the isotope composition of alkanes from 13C-enriched leaves exhibited a marked decrease in 13C-content, the isotope composition of unlabelled reference leaves remained nearly constant. We interpreted this difference as evidence for a microbial contribution to the long-chain alkane pool of the decomposing leaves and related it to the progressive invasion of leaves by soil organisms which was revealed upon microscopic examination. These results suggest that long-chain alkanes may not provide an unaltered record of organic carbon isotope composition in soils and sediments.