Contrasting dynamics and trait controls in first-order root compared with leaf litter decomposition

Tree mycorrhizal type predicts within-site variability in the storage and distribution of soil organic matter

(2018) Matthew E. Craig et al.   GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY

Association of ectomycorrhizal trees with high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio soils across temperate forests is driven by smaller nitrogen not larger carbon stocks

(2018) Kai Zhu et al.   JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY

Evolutionary history resolves global organization of root functional traits

(2018) Zeqing Ma et al.   NATURE

A worldview of root traits: the influence of ancestry, growth form, climate and mycorrhizal association on the functional trait variation of fine-root tissues in seed plants

(2017) Oscar J. Valverde-Barrantes et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Maintaining connectivity: understanding the role of root order and mycelial networks in fine root decomposition of woody plants

(2017) Katilyn V. Beidler et al.   PLANT AND SOIL

Root and leaf decomposition become decoupled over time: implications for below- and above-ground relationships

(2016) Chengen Ma et al.   FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY

Root structure-function relationships in 74 species: evidence of a root economics spectrum related to carbon economy

(2016) Catherine Roumet et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Similar below-ground carbon cycling dynamics but contrasting modes of nitrogen cycling between arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal forests

(2016) Guigang Lin et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Early Stage Fine-Root Decomposition and Its Relationship with Root Order and Soil Depth in a Larix gmelinii Plantation

(2016) Tao Sun et al.   Forests

Formation of soil organic matter via biochemical and physical pathways of litter mass loss

(2015) M. Francesca Cotrufo et al.   Nature Geoscience

Fine roots are the dominant source of recalcitrant plant litter in sugar maple-dominated northern hardwood forests

(2015) Mengxue Xia et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Phenolic profile within the fine-root branching orders of an evergreen species highlights a disconnect in root tissue quality predicted by elemental- and molecular-level carbon composition

(2015) Jun-Jian Wang et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Redefining fine roots improves understanding of below-ground contributions to terrestrial biosphere processes

(2015) M. Luke McCormack et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Plant species effects on nutrient cycling: revisiting litter feedbacks

(2015) Sarah E. Hobbie   TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION

Evaluating soil biogeochemistry parameterizations in Earth system models with observations

(2014) William R. Wieder et al.   GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Mycorrhiza-mediated competition between plants and decomposers drives soil carbon storage

(2014) Colin Averill et al.   NATURE

Decomposition patterns for foliar litter – A theory for influencing factors

(2014) Björn Berg   SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY

Adjustment of microbial nitrogen use efficiency to carbon:nitrogen imbalances regulates soil nitrogen cycling

(2014) Maria Mooshammer et al.   Nature Communications

Linking litter decomposition of above- and below-ground organs to plant-soil feedbacks worldwide

(2013) Grégoire T. Freschet et al.   JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY

The mycorrhizal-associated nutrient economy: a new framework for predicting carbon-nutrient couplings in temperate forests

(2013) Richard P. Phillips et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Roots and Associated Fungi Drive Long-Term Carbon Sequestration in Boreal Forest

(2013) K. E. Clemmensen et al.   SCIENCE

Highly consistent effects of plant litter identity and functional traits on decomposition across a latitudinal gradient

(2012) Marika Makkonen et al.   ECOLOGY LETTERS

The Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework integrates plant litter decomposition with soil organic matter stabilization: do labile plant inputs form stable soil organic matter?

(2012) M. Francesca Cotrufo et al.   GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY

Multiple mechanisms for trait effects on litter decomposition: moving beyond home-field advantage with a new hypothesis

(2012) Grégoire T. Freschet et al.   JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY

Predicting fine root lifespan from plant functional traits in temperate trees

(2012) M. Luke McCormack et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Further evidence for slow decomposition of very fine roots using two methods: litterbags and intact cores

(2012) Tao Sun et al.   PLANT AND SOIL

Slow decomposition and limited nitrogen release by lower order roots in eight Chinese temperate and subtropical trees

(2012) Yanmei Xiong et al.   PLANT AND SOIL

Distinct Microbial Limitations in Litter and Underlying Soil Revealed by Carbon and Nutrient Fertilization in a Tropical Rainforest

(2012) Nicolas Fanin et al.   PLoS One

Plant traits and decomposition: are the relationships for roots comparable to those for leaves?

(2011) Marine Birouste et al.   ANNALS OF BOTANY

The role of chitin in the decomposition of ectomycorrhizal fungal litter

(2011) Christopher W. Fernandez et al.   ECOLOGY

Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property

(2011) Michael W. I. Schmidt et al.   NATURE

Can ectomycorrhizal colonization ofPinus resinosaroots affect their decomposition?

(2011) Roger T. Koide et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST

Litter decomposition: what controls it and how can we alter it to sequester more carbon in forest soils?

(2010) Cindy E. Prescott   BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Decomposition of the finest root branching orders: linking belowground dynamics to fine-root function and structure

(2010) Marc Goebel et al.   ECOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS

Interspecific variation in leaf litter tannins drives decomposition in a tropical rain forest of French Guiana

(2010) Sylvain Coq et al.   ECOLOGY

Slow decomposition of lower order roots: a key mechanism of root carbon and nutrient retention in the soil

(2010) Pingping Fan et al.   OECOLOGIA

Dual role of lignin in plant litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems

(2010) A. T. Austin et al.   PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Fine root decomposition rates do not mirror those of leaf litter among temperate tree species

(2009) Sarah E. Hobbie et al.   OECOLOGIA

Plant species traits are the predominant control on litter decomposition rates within biomes worldwide

(2008) William K. Cornwell et al.   ECOLOGY LETTERS

Anatomical traits associated with absorption and mycorrhizal colonization are linked to root branch order in twenty-three Chinese temperate tree species

(2008) Dali Guo et al.   NEW PHYTOLOGIST