Contrasting dynamics and trait controls in first-order root compared with leaf litter decomposition

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1716595115
• Publication Date: 2018-09-25T15:55:46Z
• Authors: Tao Sun; Sarah E. Hobbie; Björn Berg; Hongguang Zhang; Qingkui Wang; Zhengwen Wang; Stephan Hättensch...
• Keywords: Litter; Plant litter; Temperate forest; Nitrogen Cycle; Carbon fibers; Terrestrial ecosystem

Significance Decomposition of plant roots and associated fungal mutualists is a dominant process in ecosystem carbon cycles, yet woefully understudied compared with decomposition leaf litter, particularly for the finest order that have highest turnover. In field experiment, we finest, most distal litter among 35 cooccurring temperate forest species over 6 years. We found rates root tips were considerably lower than those controlled by nonlignin compounds contrast to lignin:nitrogen ratio control decomposition. Our study suggests models terrestrial cycling based on aboveground patterns are inadequate describe roots.