Premium
Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide
Author(s) -
Cornwell William K.,
Cornelissen Johannes H. C.,
Amatangelo Kathryn,
Dorrepaal Ellen,
Eviner Valerie T.,
Godoy Oscar,
Hobbie Sarah E.,
Hoorens Bart,
Kurokawa Hiroko,
PérezHarguindeguy Natalia,
Quested Helen M.,
Santiago Louis S.,
Wardle David A.,
Wright Ian J.,
Aerts Rien,
Allison Steven D.,
Van Bodegom Peter,
Brovkin Victor,
Chatain Alex,
Callaghan Terry V.,
Díaz Sandra,
Garnier Eric,
Gurvich Diego E.,
Kazakou Elena,
Klein Julia A.,
Read Jenny,
Reich Peter B.,
Soudzilovskaia Nadejda A.,
Vaieretti M. Victoria,
Westoby Mark
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01219.x
Subject(s) - biome , biogeochemical cycle , litter , ecology , ecosystem , plant litter , cycling , biology , carbon cycle , nutrient cycle , vegetation (pathology) , plant functional type , decomposition , environmental science , geography , forestry , medicine , pathology
Worldwide decomposition rates depend both on climate and the legacy of plant functional traits as litter quality. To quantify the degree to which functional differentiation among species affects their litter decomposition rates, we brought together leaf trait and litter mass loss data for 818 species from 66 decomposition experiments on six continents. We show that: (i) the magnitude of species‐driven differences is much larger than previously thought and greater than climate‐driven variation; (ii) the decomposability of a species’ litter is consistently correlated with that species’ ecological strategy within different ecosystems globally, representing a new connection between whole plant carbon strategy and biogeochemical cycling. This connection between plant strategies and decomposability is crucial for both understanding vegetation–soil feedbacks, and for improving forecasts of the global carbon cycle.