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Cited by 313

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 6 of the 6 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Leaf traits capture the effects of land use changes and climate on litter decomposability of grasslands across Europe

Open access
Fortunel, Claire, Garnier, Eric, Joffre, Richard, Kazakou, Elena, Quested, Helen, Grigulis, Karl, Lavorel, Sandra, Ansquer, Pauline, Castro, Helena, Cruz, Pablo, DoleŽal, JiŘí, Eriksson, Ove, Freitas, Helena, Golodets, Carly, Jouany, Claire, Kigel, Jaime, Kleyer, Michael, Lehsten, Veiko, Lepš, Jan, Meier, Tonia, Pakeman, Robin, Papadimitriou, Maria, Papanastasis, Vasilios P., Quétier, Fabien, Robson, Matt, Sternberg, Marcelo, Theau, Jean-Pierre, Thébault, Aurélie, Zarovali, Maria·2009·Ecology

Abstract

Land use and climate changes induce shifts in plant functional diversity and community structure, thereby modifying ecosystem processes. This is particularly true for litter decomposition, an essential process in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. In this study, we asked whether changes in functional traits of living leaves in response to changes in land use and climate were related to rates of litter potential decomposition, hereafter denoted litter decomposability, across a range of 10 contrasting sites. To disentangle the different control factors on litter decomposition, we conducted a microcosm experiment to determine the decomposability under standard conditions of litters collected in herbaceous communities from Europe and Israel. We tested how environmental factors (disturbance and climate) affected functional traits of living leaves and how these traits then modified litter quality and subsequent litter decomposability. Litter decomposability appeared proximately linked to initial litter quality, with particularly clear negative correlations with lignin‐dependent indices (litter lignin concentration, lignin : nitrogen ratio, and fiber component). Litter quality was directly related to community‐weighted mean traits. Lignin‐dependent indices of litter quality were positively correlated with community‐weighted mean leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and negatively correlated with community‐weighted mean leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC). Consequently, litter decomposability was correlated negatively with community‐weighted mean LDMC, and positively with community‐weighted mean LNC. Environmental factors (disturbance and climate) influenced community‐weighted mean traits. Plant communities experiencing less frequent or less intense disturbance exhibited higher community‐weighted mean LDMC, and therefore higher litter lignin content and slower litter decomposability. LDMC therefore appears as a powerful marker of both changes in land use and of the pace of nutrient cycling across 10 contrasting sites.

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Metadata

Authors
Fortunel, C., Garnier, E., Joffre, R., Kazakou, E., Quested, H., Grigulis, K., Lavorel, S., Ansquer, P., Castro, H., Cruz, P., DoleŽal, J., Eriksson, O., Freitas, H., Golodets, C., Jouany, C., Kigel, J., Kleyer, M., Lehsten, V., Lepš, J., Meier, T., Pakeman, R., Papadimitriou, M., Papanastasis, V. P., Quétier, F., Robson, M., Sternberg, M., Theau, J.-P., Thébault, A., & Zarovali, M.
Venue
Ecology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2009-03
Volume
90
Issue
3
Pages
598-611
ISSN
  • 0012-9658 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-9170
OpenAlex
W2170861119
Cited by
313
References
6
FWCI
31.91
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
green

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Leaf traits capture the effects of land use changes and climate on litter decomposability of grasslands across Europe. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1890/08-0418.1
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Fortunel, C., Garnier, E., Joffre, R., Kazakou, E., Quested, H., Grigulis, K., Lavorel, S., Ansquer, P., Castro, H., Cruz, P., DoleŽal, J., Eriksson, O., Freitas, H., Golodets, C., Jouany, C., Kigel, J., Kleyer, M., Lehsten, V., Lepš, J., . . . Zarovali, M. (2009). Leaf traits capture the effects of land use changes and climate on litter decomposability of grasslands across Europe. Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-0418.1

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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).

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