On the relationships between leaf-litter lignin and net primary productivity in tropical rain forests

We investigated if tropical rainforest trees produced more-lignified leaves in less productive environments using forests on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. Our investigation was based on two earlier suggestions that slower litter decomposition occurs under less productive forests and that trees under resource limitation invest a large amount of carbon as lignin as a defense substance to minimize the loss from herbivores. When nine forests at different altitudes (700–3100 m) and soil conditions (derived from sedimentary or ultrabasic rocks) but with the same gentle relief position were compared, the concentrations of leaf-litter lignin were positively correlated with litterfall rates and leaf-litter nitrogen concentrations. These patterns would be reinforced in intact leaves if the effects of resorption at the time of leaf shedding were taken into account, because greater magnitude of resorption of mobile elements but not of lignin would occur in less productive environments (i.e. dilution of lignin in intact leaves). These results did not support earlier suggestions to explain the variation of leaf-litter lignin. Instead, we suggest that lower lignin contents are adaptive to recycle minerals without retarding decomposition in less productive environments.     

Effect of wood density and water permeability on wood decomposition rates of 32 Bornean rainforest trees

Aims A better understanding of wood litter decomposition is essential for predicting responses of forest ecosystems to global climate change. Recent studies suggest that chemical properties of wood litters, rather than physical ones such as wood density, are more important for interspecific differences in wood decomposition rates. However, empirical data are still limited, especially for tropical trees. In addition, decomposition rate of wood litter often varies with time, which makes interspecific comparison difficult. We studied the wood decomposition of 32 rainforest trees to elucidate (i) the degree of interspecific variation in wood decomposition rate of a given size and configuration and (ii) if initial wood density and water permeability are consistent predictors of the overall decomposition rate and its pattern over time.Methods A common garden decomposition experiment was conducted in a tropical rainforest in Malaysian Borneo for 32 native tree species. Small wood sticks were set on the forest floor and the weight loss was monitored monthly for 2.7 years.Important findings We found large variation in the wood decomposition rate (a 49-fold range), suggesting that we need to consider this variation when calculating community-level carbon dynamics of tropical rain forests. The physical traits of wood, i.e. wood density and water permeability, were related to wood decomposition rate and its pattern over time. Decomposition half-time related positively and negatively to initial wood density and water permeability, respectively. The time-dependent-rate model fitted better for 18 species (56% of the study species) that had higher water permeabilities than the others, suggesting that micelle porosity in wood relates to temporal changes in decomposition rate.     

Litter mixture effects on tropical tree seedling growth--a greenhouse experiment

Decomposing litter provides critical nutrients for plants, particularly in nutrient-poor ecosystems such as tropical forests. We hypothesised that decomposing litter improves the performance of a variety of tropical tree seedlings, and that this litter effect varies depending on the species of litter present in litter mixtures. We addressed these hypotheses with a large pot experiment manipulating a range of different litter mixtures of contrasting quality and using seedlings of four tree species from the Amazonian forest of French Guiana. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, decomposing litter had either neutral or negative impacts on seedling growth, despite strongly different growth rates, biomass allocation patterns and leaf and root traits among tree species. Tree species varied in their responses to litter additions, which were further modified by species identity of the added litter. Our data show litter species-specific effects on growth, biomass allocation and leaf and root traits of tropical tree seedlings. These results suggest that a net nutrient release from decomposing litter does not necessarily improve tree seedling growth, even under nutrient-limiting conditions. In conclusion, litter layer composition may affect seedling establishment and recruitment success beyond litter-derived plant nutrient availability, which may contribute to tree species composition and dynamics in the studied tropical forest.     

Responses of litter decomposition to temperature along a chronosequence of tropical montane rainforest in a microcosm experiment

We conducted a microcosm experiment for studying the decomposition of Altingia obovata leaf litter by the decomposer community at 20 and 30°C from three forest stands (namely a 35-year-old secondary forest, a 47-year-old secondary forest, and a primary forest) of a tropical montane rainforest. Our results showed that rank-order of the litter decomposition among the three forest stands was not parallel to the stand age. At 20°C, the mass loss of A. obovata leaf litter from the primary forest was higher than those from the two secondary forests, of which the younger stand showed higher mass loss than did the older one. However, there were no differences in mass loss among these three stands at 30°C. The mass loss for the two secondary forest stands, but not for the primary forest stand, increased significantly from 20 to 30°C. The level of lignin decomposition among the three stands at 20°C corresponded to their forest stand age, i.e., the primary forest > the 47-year-old secondary forest > the 35-year-old secondary forest. A rise of 10°C in temperature significantly increased lignin decomposition for the two secondary forests, while the reverse was true for the primary forest. Carbohydrate decomposition was positively related to the temperature but not to the stand age. The different responses of litter decomposition to the forest stand age and temperature might be due to the differences in the microbial activities among the three forest stands.     

A Meta-analysis of Climatic and Chemical Controls on Leaf Litter Decay Rates in Tropical Forests

Although tropical forests occupy a small fraction of the earth’s total land area, they play a disproportionately large role in regulating the global carbon cycle. Yet controls on both primary productivity and decomposition in tropical forests are not well-studied in comparison with temperate forests and grasslands, despite their extreme biogeochemical heterogeneity. To evaluate the relative importance of climate and foliar chemical variables in driving decomposition in tropical forests, I performed a meta-analysis of reported leaf litter decay rates throughout tropical forest ecosystems. Using a model selection procedure based on Akaike’s Information Criterion, I found that temperature and precipitation played little direct role in regulating decomposition rates, except in montane forests where cool temperatures slowed decay. Foliar concentrations of calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were important predictors of mass loss rates, although each of these factors explained a very small amount of variance when considered in isolation. The large amount of unexplained variation in decomposition rates observed both within and across tropical forest sites may be due to other factors not explored here, such as soil biota or complex plant secondary chemistry. Carbon cycling in tropical forests seems to be modulated by the availability of multiple nutrients, underscoring the need for additional manipulative experiments to explore patterns of belowground nutrient limitation across the biome. Because models of decomposition developed in temperate ecosystems do not appear to be generalizable to wet tropical forests, new biogeochemical paradigms should be developed to accommodate their unique combination of climatic, edaphic, and biotic factors.     

High variation in foliage and leaf litter chemistry among 45 tree species of a neotropical rainforest community

Distinct ecosystem level carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus (C : N : P) stoichiometries in forest foliage have been suggested to reflect ecosystem-scale selection for physiological strategies in plant nutrient use. Here, this hypothesis was explored in a nutrient-poor lowland rainforest in French Guiana. Variation in C, N and P concentrations was evaluated in leaf litter and foliage from neighbour trees of 45 different species, and the litter concentrations of major C fractions were also measured. Litter C ranged from 45.3 to 52.4%, litter N varied threefold (0.68-2.01%), and litter P varied seven-fold (0.009-0.062%) among species. Compared with foliage, mean litter N and P concentrations decreased by 30% and 65%, respectively. Accordingly, the range in mass-based N : P shifted from 14 to 55 in foliage to 26 to 105 in litter. Resorption proficiencies indicated maximum P withdrawal in most species, but with a substantial increase in variation in litter P compared with foliage. These data suggest that constrained ecosystem-level C : N : P ratios do not preclude the evolution of highly diversified strategies of nutrient use and conservation among tropical rainforest tree species. The resulting large variation in litter quality will influence stoichiometric constraints within the decomposer food web, with potentially far-ranging consequences on nutrient dynamics and plant-soil feedbacks.     

中国森林生态系统凋落叶分解速率的分布特征及其控制因子

凋落物分解是森林生态系统碳循环的重要组成部分。建立中国森林凋落叶分解速率数据库, 分析凋落叶分解速率与其主要影响因素之间的关系, 对精确地预测中国森林生态系统碳收支具有重要意义。该研究通过收集已报道的中国森林凋落叶分解常数(k)及其相关变量, 分析探讨地理因素(纬度、经度和海拔)、气候因素(年平均气温和年降水量)、凋落叶质量(氮、磷、钾、木质素、木质素:氮和碳氮比)和叶特性(常绿与落叶、阔叶与针叶)对中国森林凋落叶分解速率的影响。结果表明, 在国家尺度上, k随年平均气温、年降水量、氮、磷和钾的增加而增加, 随纬度、经度、海拔、碳氮比、木质素和木质素:氮的增大而减小, 叶特性对k的影响不显著。气候与地理因素(年平均气温、年降水量和纬度)能解释k值变异的34.1%, 凋落叶质量(氮、钾、木质素和木质素:氮)能解释k值变异的21.7%, 它们能共同解释k值变异的74.4%。了解森林凋落叶分解速率在国家尺度上的格局和主控因素可为中国森林生态系统碳循环相关模型提供基础参数。     

高寒森林溪流对凋落叶分解过程中木质素降解的影响

溪流广泛分布于高寒森林地表, 凋落于其中的林木凋落物的分解是整个森林生态系统物质循环的重要环节, 水体流动过程中的冲刷和淋洗作用及其他独特的环境条件可能显著影响凋落物中木质素的降解。该研究采用凋落袋法对比研究了岷江上游高寒森林4种典型且初始质量差异显著的凋落叶, 即康定柳(Salix paraplesia)、高山杜鹃(Rhododendron lapponicum)、方枝柏(Sabina saltuaria)和四川红杉(Larix mastersiana), 在不同生境(林下、溪流和河岸带)下分解过程中木质素残留质量和浓度(质量百分率)的动态变化特征。经过两年的分解, 发现溪流显著促进了凋落叶中木质素的降解; 同一物种凋落叶在不同生境下木质素残留质量差异显著(p < 0.05), 整体表现为溪流<河岸带<林下; 在凋落叶分解的初期木质素有明显的降解, 其浓度表现为先降低后升高, 但不同物种之间存在显著(p < 0.05)的差异; 在整个分解过程中, 木质素残留质量总体呈现出了降低的趋势。此外, 生境类型、分解时期和区域性环境因子(温度、pH值和营养元素的有效性)能显著影响木质素的降解率。这些结果表明, 传统上认为木质素在凋落叶分解初期相对稳定的观点可能并不准确, 其浓度很可能是先下降后升高, 这也与有关木质素动态的最新研究结果相一致。另一方面, 在不同分解时期和不同生境下, 凋落叶木质素降解率表现出了显著差异, 表明区域性环境因子在凋落叶分解和木质素降解过程中具有重要的作用。     

Effects of streams on lignin degradation during foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest

AimsStreams are widely distributed in alpine forests, and litter decomposition in which is an important component of material cycling across the forest landscape. The leaching and fragmenting effects as well as the unique environmental factors in streams may have significant impacts on lignin degradation during litter decomposition, but studies on this are lacking.
Methods Using litterbag methods, we investigated the dynamics of lignin mass remaining and concentration (percent litter mass, %) during the decomposition of four foliar litters, which varied significantly in the initial litter chemical traits, from the dominant species of Salix paraplesia, Rhododendron lapponicum, Sabina saltuaria, and Larix mastersiana under different habitats (forest floor, stream, and riparian zone) in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River.
Important findings After two year’s incubation, litter lignin mass remaining for a specific litter species varied significantly (p < 0.05) among habitats, with an order of stream < riparian zone < forest floor. Lignin was degraded substantially in the early stage of litter decomposition process, and the lignin concentration first decreased and then increased with the proceeding of litter decomposition, but varied significantly (p < 0.05) among different litter species. Lignin mass showed a general trend of decrease across the 2-year decomposition course. In addition, habitat type, decomposition period and microenvironmental factors (e.g., temperature, pH value and nutrient availability) showed substantial influences on lignin degradation rate. These results suggest that the traditional view that lignin was relatively recalcitrant with an increase of concentration in the early stage of litter decomposition is challenged, but the loss of lignin in the early phrase is in line with recent findings about the fate of lignin during litter decomposition. Moreover, the significant differences of lignin degradation rates among different decomposition period and habitat types indicated that local-scale environmental factors can play a significant role in litter decomposition and lignin degradation processes.     

Long-term presence of tree species but not chemical diversity affect litter mixture effects on decomposition in a neotropical rainforest

Plant litter diversity effects on decomposition rates are frequently reported, but with a strong bias towards temperate ecosystems. Altered decomposition and nutrient recycling with changing litter diversity may be particularly important in tree species-rich tropical rainforests on nutrient-poor soils. Using 28 different mixtures of leaf litter from 16 Amazonian rainforest tree species, we tested the hypothesis that litter mixture effects on decomposition increase with increasing functional litter diversity. Litter mixtures and all single litter species were exposed in the field for 9 months using custom-made microcosms with soil fauna access. In order to test the hypothesis that the long-term presence of tree species contributing to the litter mixtures increases mixture effects on decomposition, microcosms were installed in a plantation at sites including the respective tree species composition and in a nearby natural forest where these tree species are absent. We found that mixture decomposition deviated from predictions based on single species, with predominantly synergistic effects. Functional litter diversity, defined as either richness, evenness, or divergence based on a wide range of chemical traits, did not explain the observed litter mixture effects. However, synergistic effects in litter mixtures increased with the long-term presence of tree species contributing to these mixtures as the home field advantage hypothesis assumes. Our data suggest that complementarity effects on mixed litter decomposition may emerge through long-term interactions between aboveground and belowground biota.     

Interactions between Litter Lignin and Nitrogenitter Lignin and Soil Nitrogen Availability during Leaf Litter Decomposition in a Hawaiian Montane Forest

Previous work in a young Hawaiian forest has shown that nitrogen (N) limits aboveground net primary production (ANPP) more strongly than it does decomposition, despite low soil N availability. In this study, I determined whether (a) poor litter C quality (that is, high litter lignin) poses an overriding constraint on decomposition, preventing decomposers from responding to added N, or (b) high N levels inhibit lignin degradation, lessening the effects of added N on decomposition overall. I obtained leaf litter from one species, Metrosideros polymorpha, which dominates a range of sites in the Hawaiian Islands and whose litter lignin concentration declines with decreasing precipitation. Litter from three dry sites had lignin concentrations of 12% or less, whereas litter from two wet sites, including the study site, had lignin concentrations of more than 18%. This litter was deployed 2.5 years in a common site in control plots (receiving no added nutrients) and in N-fertilized plots. Nitrogen fertilization stimulated decomposition of the low-lignin litter types more than that of the high-lignin litter types. However, in contrast to results from temperate forests, N did not inhibit lignin decomposition. Rather, lignin decay increased with added N, suggesting that the small effect of N on decomposition at this site results from limitation of decomposition by poor C quality rather than from N inhibition of lignin decay. Even though ANPP is limited by N, decomposers are strongly limited by C quality. My results suggest that anthropogenic N deposition may increase leaf litter decomposition more in ecosystems characterized by low-lignin litter than in those characterized by high-lignin litter. Received 26 October 1999; accepted 2 June 2000.     

Climatic effects on litter decomposition from arctic tundra to tropical rainforest

Climatic effects on the decomposition rates of various litter types in different environments must be known to predict how climatic changes would affect key functions of terrestrial ecosystems, such as nutrient and carbon cycling and plant growth. We developed regression models of the climatic effects on the first‐year mass loss of Scots pine needle litter in boreal and temperate forests across Europe (34 sites), and tested the applicability of these models for other litter types in different ecosystems from arctic tundra to tropical rainforest in Canada (average three year mass loss of 11 litter types at 18 sites), the USA and Central America (four litter types at 26 sites). A temperature variable (annual mean temperature, effective temperature sum or its logarithm) combined with a summer drought indicator (precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration between May and September) explained the first‐year mass loss of the Scots pine needle litter across Europe with a higher R² value than actual evapotranspiration (0.68–0.74 vs. 0.51) and with less systematic error for any sub‐region. The model with temperature sum and the summer drought indicator appeared best suited to the other litter types and environments. It predicted the climatic effects on the decomposition rates in North and Central America with least systematic error and highest R² values (0.72–0.80). Compared with Europe, the decomposition rate was significantly less sensitive to annual mean temperature in Canada, and to changes in actual evapotranspiration in the USA and Central America. A simple model distinguishing temperature and drought effects was able to explain the majority of climatic effects on the decomposition rates of the various litter types tested in the varying environments over the large geographical areas. Actual evapotranspiration summarizing the temperature and drought effects was not as general climatic predictor of the decomposition rate.     

Controls on long-term root and leaf litter decomposition in neotropical forests

Litter decomposition represents one of the largest annual fluxes of carbon (C) from terrestrial ecosystems, particularly for tropical forests, which are generally characterized by high net primary productivity and litter turnover. We used data from the Long-Term Intersite Decomposition Experiment (LIDET) to (1) determine the relative importance of climate and litter quality as predictors of decomposition rates, (2) compare patterns in root and leaf litter decomposition, (3) identify controls on net nitrogen (N) release during decay, and (4) compare LIDET rates with native species studies across five bioclimatically diverse neotropical forests. Leaf and root litter decomposed fastest in the lower montane rain and moist forests and slowest in the seasonally dry forest. The single best predictor of leaf litter decomposition was the climate decomposition index (CDI), explaining 51% of the variability across all sites. The strongest models for predicting leaf decomposition combined climate and litter chemistry, and included CDI and lignin ( R ²=0.69), or CDI, N and nonpolar extractives ( R ²=0.69). While we found no significant differences in decomposition rates between leaf and root litter, drivers of decomposition differed for the two tissue types. Initial stages of decomposition, determined as the time to 50% mass remaining, were driven primarily by precipitation for leaf litter ( R ²=0.93) and by temperature for root litter ( R ²=0.86). The rate of N release from leaf litter was positively correlated with initial N concentrations; net N immobilization increased with decreasing initial N concentrations. This study demonstrates that decomposition is sensitive to climate within and across tropical forests. Our results suggest that climate change and increasing N deposition in tropical forests are likely to result in significant changes to decomposition rates in this biome.     

氮、磷养分有效性对森林凋落物分解的影响研究进展

通过对相关研究文献的综述结果表明,氮(N)和磷(P)是构成蛋白质和遗传物质的两种重要组成元素,限制森林生产力和其他生态系统过程,对凋落物分解产生深刻影响。大量的凋落物分解试验发现在土壤N有效性较低的温带和北方森林,凋落物分解速率常与底物初始N浓度、木质素/N比等有很好的相关关系,也受外源N输入的影响;而在土壤高度风化的热带亚热带森林生态系统中,P可能是比N更为重要的分解限制因子。然而控制试验表明,N、P添加对凋落物分解速率的影响并不一致,既有促进效应也有抑制效应。为了深入揭示N、P养分有效性对凋落物分解的调控机制,"底物的C、N化学计量学"假说、"微生物的N开采"假说以及养分平衡的理论都常被用于解释凋落物分解速率的变化。由于微生物分解者具有较为稳定的C、N、P等养分需求比例,在不同的养分供应的周围环境中会体现出不同的活性,某种最缺乏的养分可能就是分解的最重要限制因子。未来的凋落物分解研究,应延长实验时间、加强室内和野外不同条件下的N、P等养分添加控制试验,探讨驱动分解进程的微生物群落结构和酶活性的变化。     

Cross‐biome transplants of plant litter show decomposition models extend to a broader climatic range but lose predictability at the decadal time scale

We analyzed results from 10‐year long field incubations of foliar and fine root litter from the Long‐term Intersite Decomposition Experiment Team (LIDET) study. We tested whether a variety of climate and litter quality variables could be used to develop regression models of decomposition parameters across wide ranges in litter quality and climate and whether these models changed over short to long time periods. Six genera of foliar and three genera of root litters were studied with a 10‐fold range in the ratio of acid unhydrolyzable fraction (AUF, or ‘lignin’) to N. Litter was incubated at 27 field sites across numerous terrestrial biomes including arctic and alpine tundra, temperate and tropical forests, grasslands and warm deserts. We used three separate mathematical models of first‐order (exponential) decomposition, emphasizing either the first year or the entire decade. One model included the proportion of relatively stable material as an asymptote. For short‐term (first‐year) decomposition, nonlinear regressions of exponential or power function form were obtained with r² values of 0.82 and 0.64 for foliar and fine‐root litter, respectively, across all biomes included. AUF and AUF : N ratio were the most explanative litter quality variables, while the combined temperature‐moisture terms AET (actual evapotranspiration) and CDI (climatic decomposition index) were best for climatic effects. Regressions contained some systematic bias for grasslands and arctic and boreal sites, but not for humid tropical forests or temperate deciduous and coniferous forests. The ability of the regression approach to fit climate‐driven decomposition models of the 10‐year field results was dramatically reduced from the ability to capture drivers of short‐term decomposition. Future work will require conceptual and methodological improvements to investigate processes controlling decadal‐scale litter decomposition, including the formation of a relatively stable fraction and its subsequent decomposition.     

Influence of Different Forest System Management Practices on Leaf Litter Decomposition Rates,Nutrient Dynamics and the Activity of Ligninolytic Enzymes: A Case Study from Central European Forests

Leaf litter decomposition is the key ecological process that determines the sustainability of managed forest ecosystems, however very few studies hitherto have investigated this process with respect to silvicultural management practices. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of forest management practices on leaf litter decomposition rates, nutrient dynamics (C, N, Mg, K, Ca, P) and the activity of ligninolytic enzymes. We approached these questions using a 473 day long litterbag experiment. We found that age-class beech and spruce forests (high forest management intensity) had significantly higher decomposition rates and nutrient release (most nutrients) than unmanaged deciduous forest reserves (P<0.05). The site with near-to-nature forest management (low forest management intensity) exhibited no significant differences in litter decomposition rate, C release, lignin decomposition, and C/N, lignin/N and ligninolytic enzyme patterns compared to the unmanaged deciduous forest reserves, but most nutrient dynamics examined in this study were significantly faster under such near-to-nature forest management practices. Analyzing the activities of ligninolytic enzymes provided evidence that different forest system management practices affect litter decomposition by changing microbial enzyme activities, at least over the investigated time frame of 473 days (laccase, P<0.0001; manganese peroxidase (MnP), P = 0.0260). Our results also indicate that lignin decomposition is the rate limiting step in leaf litter decomposition and that MnP is one of the key oxidative enzymes of litter degradation. We demonstrate here that forest system management practices can significantly affect important ecological processes and services such as decomposition and nutrient cycling.     

Spatial characteristics in decomposition rate of foliar litter and controlling factors in Chinese forest ecosystems

凋落物分解是森林生态系统碳循环的重要组成部分。建立中国森林凋落叶分解速率数据库, 分析凋落叶分解速率与其主要影响因素之间的关系, 对精确地预测中国森林生态系统碳收支具有重要意义。该研究通过收集已报道的中国森林凋落叶分解常数(k)及其相关变量, 分析探讨地理因素(纬度、经度和海拔)、气候因素(年平均气温和年降水量)、凋落叶质量(氮、磷、钾、木质素、木质素:氮和碳氮比)和叶特性(常绿与落叶、阔叶与针叶)对中国森林凋落叶分解速率的影响。结果表明, 在国家尺度上, k随年平均气温、年降水量、氮、磷和钾的增加而增加, 随纬度、经度、海拔、碳氮比、木质素和木质素:氮的增大而减小, 叶特性对k的影响不显著。气候与地理因素(年平均气温、年降水量和纬度)能解释k值变异的34.1%, 凋落叶质量(氮、钾、木质素和木质素:氮)能解释k值变异的21.7%, 它们能共同解释k值变异的74.4%。了解森林凋落叶分解速率在国家尺度上的格局和主控因素可为中国森林生态系统碳循环相关模型提供基础参数。     

A literature synthesis resolves litter intrinsic constraints on fungal dynamics and decomposition across standing dead macrophytes

The standing dead phase is an important stage in the decomposition of emergent vegetation in marsh wetlands, yet few studies have examined how intrinsic litter traits constrain rates of standing litter decomposition or fungal colonization across plant tissue types or species. To address broad constraints on the decomposition of standing dead litter, we conducted a systematic survey of emergent standing dead decomposition studies that measured decay rates and/or fungal biomass, and litter % lignin, carbon:nitrogen (C:N) and/or carbon:phosphorus (C:P). Across 52 datasets, litter of low C:N and C:P ratios exhibited increased decomposition rates (r = −0.737 and −0.645, respectively), whereas % lignin was not significantly correlated with decomposition rates (r = 0.149). Mixed-effects models for litter decomposition rates indicated significant effects of litter molar C:N and C:N + lignin as an additive model, with the former providing marginally better support. Litter % lignin, however, was strongly negatively correlated with fungal biomass (r = −0.669), indicating greater fungal colonization of low-lignin litter, and not correlated with C:N (r = −0.337) and C:P (r = −0.456) ratios. The best-supported model predicting fungal biomass was litter molar C:N, with the C:N + lignin additive model also showing significant effects. Fungal carbon-use efficiency (CUE) also had a strong negative correlation with % lignin (r = −0.604), molar C:N (r = −0.323) and C:P (r = −0.632) across datasets. Our study demonstrates the constraining effects that litter stoichiometry and % lignin elicit on decomposition of standing dead litter and fungal colonization, respectively. These findings improve our understanding of biogeochemical cycling and prediction of the fates of C and nutrients in wetlands.     

Templates of food–habitat resources for the organization of soil animals in temperate and tropical forests

The functioning and structure of terrestrial ecosystems are shaped and maintained by plant–decomposer interactions. The food and habitat of animal populations are biogenic and are mainly of plant origin (plant litter) in terrestrial ecosystems. Primary resources of the food-habitat template for the organization of soil animals are provided by the primary production of plants, and are then modified through decomposition processes by microbial populations. In the microbial decomposition system, the efficiency of carbon utilization by microbial decomposers characterizes the decomposition processes between tropical and temperate forest ecosystems. Tropical forests show poor development of soil reservoir systems because of the high efficiency of lignin decomposition by microbial populations. The decomposition processes of leaf litter are described briefly for the understanding of organization of soil animal communities in tropical and temperate forests. A comparison of decomposition processes shows qualitative differences in decomposition between temperate and tropical forests. The composition of functional groups of soil animals is well explained by the decomposition processes in both forests.