Highly consistent effects of plant litter identity and functional traits on decomposition across a latitudinal gradient

• Published in: Ecology letters Vol. 15; no. 9; pp. 1033 - 1041
• Main Authors: Makkonen, Marika, Berg, Matty P., Handa, I. Tanya, Hättenschwiler, Stephan, van Ruijven, Jasper, van Bodegom, Peter M., Aerts, Rien
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2012; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biosphere; Carbon - metabolism; Carbon Cycle; central argentina; climate; Decomposition; diversity; dynamics; Food web structure; Forests; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; leaf-litter; Litter; litter chemical traits; litter decomposition; litter identity; litter physical traits; Magnesium; Models, Biological; Plant ecology; Plant Leaves - metabolism; quality; rates; reciprocal litter transplant; resource quality; soil fauna; Terrestrial ecosystems; Trees; Tropical environments; tropical rain-forest; Litter; Functional trait; Trophic structure; Latitudinal gradient; litter decomposition; Decomposition; Food web structure; litter chemical traits; resource quality; Soil fauna; Food web; Quality; litter physical traits; reciprocal litter transplant; litter identity

Plant litter decomposition is a key process in terrestrial carbon cycling, yet the relative importance of various control factors remains ambiguous at a global scale. A full reciprocal litter transplant study with 16 litter species that varied widely in traits and originated from four forest sites c...