Reading tea leaves worldwide: Decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass‐loss rate and stabilization
Authors: Sarneel Judith M. , Hefting Mariet M. , Sandén Taru , van den Hoogen Johan , Routh Devin , Adhikari Bhupendra S. , Alatalo Juha M. , Aleksanyan Alla , Althuizen Inge H. J. , Alsafran Mohammed H. S. A. , Atkins Jeff W. , Augusto Laurent , Aurela Mika , Azarov Aleksej V. , Barrio Isabel C. , Beier Claus , Bejarano María D. , Benham Sue E. , Berg Björn , Bezler Nadezhda V. , Björnsdóttir Katrín , Bolinder Martin A. , Carbognani Michele , Cazzolla Gatti Roberto , Chelli Stefano , Chistotin Maxim V. , Christiansen Casper T. , Courtois Pascal , Crowther Thomas W. , Dechoum Michele S. , Djukic Ika , Duddigan Sarah , Egerton‐Warburton Louise M. , Fanin Nicolas , Fantappiè Maria , Fares Silvano , Fernandes Geraldo W. , Filippova Nina V. , Fliessbach Andreas , Fuentes David , Godoy Roberto , Grünwald Thomas , Guzmán Gema , Hawes Joseph E. , He Yue , Hero Jean‐Marc , Hess Laura L. , Hogendoorn Katja , Høye Toke T. , Jans Wilma W. P. , Jónsdóttir Ingibjörg S. , Keller Sabina , Kepfer‐Rojas Sebastian , Kuz'menko Natalya N. , Larsen Klaus S. , Laudon Hjalmar , Lembrechts Jonas J. , Li Junhui , Limousin Jean‐Marc , Lukin Sergey M. , Marques Renato , Marín César , McDaniel Marshall D. , Meek Qi , Merzlaya Genrietta E. , Michelsen Anders , Montagnani Leonardo , Mueller Peter , Murugan Rajasekaran , Myers‐Smith Isla H. , Nolte Stefanie , Ochoa‐Hueso Raúl , Okafor Bernard N. , Okorkov Vladimir V. , Onipchenko Vladimir G. , Orozco María C. , Parkhurst Tina , Peres Carlos A. , Petit Bon Matteo , Petraglia Alessandro , Pingel Martin , Rebmann Corinna , Scheffers Brett R. , Schmidt Inger , Scholes Mary C. , Sheffer Efrat , Shevtsova Lyudmila K. , Smith Stuart W. , Sofo Adriano , Stevenson Pablo R. , Strouhalová Barbora , Sundsdal Anders , Sühs Rafael B. , Tamene Gebretsadik , Thomas Haydn J. D. , Tolunay Duygu , Tomaselli Marcello , Tresch Simon , Tucker Dominique L. , Ulyshen Michael D. , Valdecantos Alejandro , Vandvik Vigdis , Vanguelova Elena I. , Verheyen Kris , Wang Xuhui , Yahdjian Laura , Yumashev Xaris S. , Keuskamp Joost A. 
Published: May 2024

The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large‐scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization factors of plant‐derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy‐to‐degrade components accumulate during early‐stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass‐loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass‐loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early‐stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models.