Short life–fast death: decomposition rates of woody plants leaf- and herb-litter

• Key message Decomposition of forest herb species litter was not always completed in less than a year and was not always faster than decomposition of tree leaf litter in an oak-hornbeam forest in Western Poland. Litter decomposition of herbaceous plants is connected with their life strategy and functional traits of their leaves. • Context Forest understories are frequently ignored in ecological research on decomposition, although they play an important role in biomass and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. • Aims We hypothesized that the decomposition process of herbaceous species was completed in less than a year, as opposed to tree leaf litter. The second aim of our study was to determine if life strategy affects the rate of litter decomposition. • Methods We performed the decomposition experiment in the oak-hornbeam forest in Czmoń (Western Poland) using the litter bag method to determine decay constants ( k ) for all species studied. The influence of species identity, functional group, and functional traits of leaves and other effects on the decomposition process was assessed. • Results The decomposition process was significantly dependent on the functional group of plants, time of exposure in the field, species identity, and precipitation. We found a significant correlation between leaf traits and decay rates of the species studied. • Conclusion Litter decomposition of herbaceous plants is connected with their life strategy and functional traits of their leaves in an oak-hornbeam forests.