title: Foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.
abstract: Litter decomposition is a biological process fundamental to element cycling and a main nutrient source within forest meta-ecosystems, but few studies have looked into this process simultaneously in individual ecosystems, where environmental factors can vary substantially. A two-year field study conducted in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem with four litter species (i.e., willow: Salix paraplesia, azalea: Rhododendron lapponicum, cypress: Sabina saltuaria, and larch: Larix mastersiana) that varied widely in chemical traits showed that both litter species and ecosystem type (i.e., forest floor, stream and riparian zone) are important factors affecting litter decomposition, and their effects can be moderated by local-scale environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient availability. Litter decomposed fastest in the streams followed by the riparian zone and forest floor regardless of species. For a given litter species, both the k value and limit value varied significantly among ecosystems, indicating that the litter decomposition rate and extent (i.e., reaching a limit value) can be substantially affected by ecosystem type and the local-scale environmental factors. Apart from litter initial acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) concentration and its ratio to nitrogen concentration (i.e., AUR/N ratio), the initial nutrient concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were also important litter traits that affected decomposition depending on the ecosystem type.
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu 611130, China.
authors.forename: Wanqin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada; Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
authors.forename: Changhui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China.
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China.
authors.forename: Chunping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu 611130, China. Electronic address: wufzchina@163.com.
authors.forename: Fuzhong
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002681:China; D065928:Forests; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D029793:Rhododendron / Q000737:chemistry; D032108:Salix / Q000737:chemistry; D064028:Tracheophyta / Q000737:chemistry
keywords: Ecosystem type; Limit value; Litter nutrients; Local-scale environmental factors; Mass-loss rate; k value