Traits drive global wood decomposition rates more than climate

Hu, Zhenhong; Michaletz, Sean T.; Johnson, Daniel J.; McDowell, Nate G.; Huang, Zhiqun; Zhou, Xuhui; Xu, Chonggang

doi:10.1111/gcb.14357

Title: Traits drive global wood decomposition rates more than climate

Journal Article · 03 July 2018 · Global Change Biology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14357 · OSTI ID:1458830

Hu, Zhenhong ^[1]; Michaletz, Sean T. ^[2]; Johnson, Daniel J. ^[3]; McDowell, Nate G. ^[4]; Huang, Zhiqun ^[5];

^[6]; Xu, Chonggang ^[3]

Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, ECNU‐UH Joint Translational Science and Technology Research Institute East China Normal University Shanghai China, College of Natural Resources and Environment South China Agricultural University Guangzhou China, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering Fudan University Shanghai China
Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos New Mexico, Biosphere 2 and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Arizona Tucson
Earth and Environmental Sciences Division Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos New Mexico
Earth Systems Analysis and Modeling Division Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Washington
Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco‐geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, Tiantong National Station for Forest Ecosystem Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, ECNU‐UH Joint Translational Science and Technology Research Institute East China Normal University Shanghai China, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security Shanghai China

Abstract Wood decomposition is a major component of the global carbon cycle. Decomposition rates vary across climate gradients, which is thought to reflect the effects of temperature and moisture on the metabolic kinetics of decomposers. However, decomposition rates also vary with wood traits, which may reflect the influence of stoichiometry on decomposer metabolism as well as geometry relating the surface areas that decomposers colonize with the volumes they consume. In this paper, we combined metabolic and geometric scaling theories to formalize hypotheses regarding the drivers of wood decomposition rates, and assessed these hypotheses using a global compilation of data on climate, wood traits, and wood decomposition rates. Our results are consistent with predictions from both metabolic and geometric scaling theories. Approximately half of the global variation in decomposition rates was explained by wood traits (nitrogen content and diameter), whereas only a fifth was explained by climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity). These results indicate that global variation in wood decomposition rates is best explained by stoichiometric and geometric wood traits. Our findings suggest that inclusion of wood traits in global carbon cycle models can improve predictions of carbon fluxes from wood decomposition.

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Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

OSTI ID:: 1458830

Journal Information:: Global Change Biology, Journal Name: Global Change Biology Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 24; ISSN 1354-1013

Publisher:: Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United Kingdom

Language:: English

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