Factors Controlling Decomposition Rates of Needle Litter Across a Chronosequence of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) Forests

Leaf litter decomposition is an important ecological process that regulates the cycle of matter, such as the release of CO 2 into the atmosphere and nutrient mineralization in soil, providing the main source of nutrients for biological activity and playing a crucial role in the maintenance of soil fertility in forest ecosystems [1-2].Generally, the rate of litter decomposition is positively correlated with the N content of initial litter, while it is negatively correlated with C/N and lignin/N ratios of initial litter over a wide range of ecosystems [3].Moreover, environmental conditions, including soil fertility, microclimate, and