Ecology Letters, (2008) 11: 1065–1071 doi: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2008.01219.x LETTER Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide
Abstract William K. Cornwell,1* Johannes Worldwide decomposition rates depend both on climate and the legacy of plant functional H. C. Cornelissen,1 Kathryn traits as litter quality. To quantify the degree to which functional differentiation among Amatangelo,2 Ellen Dorrepaal,1 species affects their litter decomposition rates, we brought together leaf trait and litter mass 3 4 Valerie T. Eviner, Oscar Godoy, loss data for 818 species from 66 decomposition experiments on six continents. We show Sarah E. Hobbie,5 Bart Hoorens,1 6,7 that: (i) the magnitude of species-driven differences is much larger than previously thought Hiroko Kurokawa, Natalia and greater than climate-driven variation; (ii) the decomposability of a speciesÕ litter is Pe´ rez-Harguindeguy,8 Helen M. consistently correlated with that speciesÕ ecological strategy within different ecosystems Quested,9 Louis S. Santiago,10 David A. Wardle,11,12 Ian J. globally, representing a new connection between whole plant carbon strategy and Wright,13 Rien Aerts,1 Steven D. biogeochemical cycling. This connection between plant strategies and decomposability is Allison,14 Peter van Bodegom,1 crucial for both understanding vegetation–soil feedbacks, and for improving forecasts of Victor Brovkin,15 Alex Chatain,16 the global carbon cycle. Terry V. Callaghan,17,18 Sandra Dı´az,7 Eric Garnier,19 Diego E. Keywords Gurvich,8 Elena Kazakou,19 Julia Carbon cycling, decomposition, leaf economic spectrum, leaf traits, meta-analysis. A. Klein,20 Jenny Read,16 Peter B. Reich,21 Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia,1,22 M. Victoria Vaieretti8 and Mark Westoby13 Ecology Letters (2008) 11: 1065–1071
1Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Department of Systems 13Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Ecology, Institute of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands 14Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Earth 2Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, System Science, University of California, Irvine, 307 Steinhaus, Stanford, CA 94305, USA Irvine, CA 92697, USA 3Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, 15Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Climate CA 95616-8780 USA Systems Research Department, P.O. Box 601203, 14412 Pots- 4Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Ecologı´a, Universidad dam, Germany de Alcala´ , Alcala´ de Henares, Madrid, Spain 16School of Biological Science, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 5Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of 3800, Australia Minnesota, 1987 Upper Buford Circle, St Paul, MN 55108, USA 17Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Abisko Research Station, 6Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand S-981-07, Abisko, Sweden 7Graduate School of Environment and Information Sciences, 18Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Western Bank, Yokohama National University, Hodogaya, Yokohama Sheffield S10 2TN, UK 240-8501, Japan 19CNRS Centre dÕEcologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (UMR 8Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologı´a Vegetal, F.C.E.F.yN., 5175), 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, Universidad Nacional de Co´ rdoba – CONICET, CC 495, 5000 France Co´ rdoba, Argentina 20Department of Forest, Rangeland & Watershed Steward- 9Department of Botany, Stockholm University, S 106 91 ship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499, Stockholm, Sweden USA 10Botany & Plant Sciences, University of California, 2150 21Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, Batchelor Hall, Riverside, CA 92521, USA St Paul, MN 55108, USA 11Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, 22Faculty of Biology, Department of Geobotany, Moscow State Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea˚ , Sweden University, Moscow, Russia 12Landcare Research, Post Office Box 69, Lincoln, New Zealand *Correspondence: E-mail: cornwell@zoology.ubc.ca