The Relationship between Tree Litter Decomposition and Global Change

Dear Colleagues,

Tree litter decomposition is an important biochemical process that has close linkages with nutrient circulation, carbon source-sink balance, soil fertility, plant growth and community succession, as well as the productivity of ecosystems. Decomposition of litter can be driven by a series of complex internal and external factors, such as climate change, nitrogen deposition, fire disturbance, human management, substrate, soil organisms, and edaphic physicochemical properties. Hence, it may be pivotal to identify how the processes of litter decomposition and nutrient release can be regulated by these biotic and abiotic factors.

This Special Issue aims to collate state-of-the-art research on how tree litter decomposition may be regulated, particularly in the scenarios of increasing global change. Papers on the aforementioned topics are invited so that an empirical or theoretical understanding of tree litter decomposition is advanced.

Prospective topics may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Carbon dioxide emission and regulation;
• Climate change effect;
• Nitrogen deposition effect;
• Prescribed burning effect;
• Faunal  mechanisms;
• Microbial mechanisms;
• Role of biotic interactions.

Prof. Dr. Shaojun Wang
Dr. Wei Huang
Dr. Grizelle González
Guest Editors

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