Journal
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE RECHERCHE FORESTIERE
Volume 32, Issue 5, Pages 789-804Publisher
NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA
DOI: 10.1139/X01-117
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The effects of litter quality and climate on decomposition rates of plant tissues were examined using percent mass remaining (MR) data of 10 foliar litter types and 1 wood type during 6 years exposure at 18 upland forest sites across Canada. Litter-quality variables used included initial nutrient contents (N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg) and carbon fractions (determined by proximate analysis and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy). Climate variables used included mean annual temperature; total, summer, and winter precipitation; and potential evaptranspiration. A single-exponential decay model with intercept was fit using the natural logarithm of 0- to 6-year percent MR data (LNMR) for all 198 type by site combinations. Model fit was good for most sites and types (r(2) = 0.64-0.98), although poorest for cold sites with low-quality materials. Multiple regression of model slope (K-f) and intercept (A) terms demonstrated the importance of temperature, summer precipitation, and the acid-unhydrolyzable residue to N ratio (AUR/N) (r(2) = 0.65) for K-f, and winter precipitation and several litter-quality variables including AUR/N for A (r(2) = 0.60). Comparison of observed versus predicted LNMR for the best overall combined models were good (r(2) = 0.75-0.80), although showed some bias, likely because of other site- and type-specific factors as predictions using 198 equations accounted for more variance (r(2) = 0.95) and showed no bias.
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