%0 Research article
%T Variation in mass-loss rate of foliar litter in relation to climate and litter quality in Eurasian forests: differences among functional groups of litter
%A Kang, Hongzhang
%A Berg, Björn
%A Liu, Chunjiang
%A Westman, Carl J.
%D 2009
%J Silva Fennica
%V 43
%N 4
%R doi:10.14214/sf.180
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/180
%X With a data set of litter decomposition collected by means of literature  survey, our objectives are 1) to determine the differences in the  variation in the first-year mass loss (%) of leaf litter with regard to  climate and litter quality among different functional groups of tree  species in Eurasian forests, and 2) to determine the difference in  effect of mean annual temperature (°C), annual precipitation (dm), as  well as concentration of nitrogen (%), and lignin (%) on first-year mass  loss over a wide range in climate and litter quality. The main results  are as follows. 1) The significant differences between litter types in  the relationships between first-year mass loss and climatic factors plus  litter quality revealed clearly different decomposition patterns over  the continent. Thus, differences were found between coniferous and  broadleaf litter, between deciduous broadleaf and evergreen broadleaf as  well as between genera and even within a genus, viz. between deciduous  and evergreen Quercus. 2) With a change in a relative unit of climate  and litter quality variables, there were clear differences in effects of  mean annual temperature, annual precipitation, and nitrogen on  first-year mass loss for different functional groups of trees. 3) We  identified some broadleaf litter species that decomposed to 100% in one  year and thus did not contribute to carbon sequestration in a humus  layer. Thus, the variation in pattern of foliar litter decomposition  with climate and litter quality across functional groups in Eurasian  forests showed different decomposition strategies for litter of  different groups and genera.