Within-site drivers of leaf litter decomposition in functionally diverse tree communities
(2026) Forest Ecology and Management — Vol. 618, p. 123971 (2026)
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- Authors
Melis, Rune 
Vancampenhout, Karen
- Abstract
- Litter decomposition is a key process regulating carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how much variation in species-specific mass loss rates is structured by litter quality, substrate-matrix mismatches, and canopy characteristics under constant macroclimate and soil conditions. We quantified leaf litter decomposition across 12 tree species in a century-old common garden, combining a fully reciprocal leaf litter transplant in monocultures with parallel incubations in mixed-species stands. This design allowed us to disentangle the roles of substrate (leaf) quality, a matrix chemistry proxy based on canopy CWM leaf traits, canopy structure, and substrate-matrix interactions in shaping decomposition dynamics. After one year, relative mass loss varied strongly between species (mean 58.7% ± 19.1%), with substrate quality emerging as the dominant driver. A modest home-field advantage was observed (+1.2% mass loss conspecific), though its magnitude varied among species. Home-away differences were associated with higher ΔN/P and ΔMn in the leaf substrates relative to the matrix proxy, indicating directional, trait-specific mismatch effects rather than simple contrasts in absolute quality. Increasing canopy cover reduced mass loss, particularly for high-quality leaves, likely through reduced leaching and altered moisture conditions. Higher annual litterfall slightly enhanced decomposition of rich-quality substrates but tended to suppress decomposition of low-quality substrates. Despite these effects, variance partitioning showed that leaf substrate chemistry alone explained over 70% of the variation in mass loss, while matrix quality proxy and stand structure contributed smaller fractions. Overall, our results demonstrate that decomposition in temperate forests is primarily governed by substrate quality, with additional but moderate modulation by stoichiometric mismatch relative to litter input chemistry and stand structure. These results highlight the importance of integrating trait-based leaf litter properties with stand-level conditions when predicting carbon and nutrient cycling under changing forest composition.
- Affiliations
Citations
Lopez, J., Melis, R., Vancampenhout, K., Muys, B., & Ponette, Q. (2026). Within-site drivers of leaf litter decomposition in functionally diverse tree communities. Forest Ecology and Management, 618, 123971. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123971 (Original work published 2026)