Feedback of litter decay to temporal stability of biomass under N-inputs

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) input affects litter decay and ecosystem functioning. However, the mechanism of litter decay under temporal N-inputs has rarely been observed. Here we show that three-year experimental N-inputs significantly stimulated the rate of litter decay to some extent and then inhibited it with increasing N-inputs. The N-inputs affected the litter's mass loss by directly influencing the temporal stability of aboveground biomass (BS) and diversity while indirectly changing soil pH, C: N ratio, and synergistic interactions of soil, vegetation, and microbial traits. The BS has emerged as a significant regulatory factor for the litter decay of tropical grassland. The outcome of the present study will be helpful in predicting the global feedback of litter decay on the N inputs and the amount of N required for the sustainable functioning of the degraded tropical or similar grasslands.