Wood taxonomic division and nutrient type jointly influence wood decomposition responses to nutrient additions in a subtropical forest

Wood taxonomic division and nutrient type jointly influence wood decomposition responses to nutrient additions in a subtropical forest | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Wood taxonomic division and nutrient type jointly influence wood decomposition responses to nutrient additions in a subtropical forest Lulu Ma, Xiangyu Ji, Shahla Hosseini Bai, Xian He, Zhiyuan Xu, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8461407/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Wood decomposition is a critical process in forest ecosystems, influencing vegetation productivity, species composition and carbon (C) storage. Wood decomposition rates are strongly controlled by high contents of recalcitrant components (e.g., lignin) and low nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]), which vary systematically between major taxonomic divisions (i.e., angiosperms and gymnosperms). Under climate change, external nutrient inputs may increase wood nutrient availability and decomposition rate. However, the interactive mechanisms by which wood taxonomic division and nutrient addition affect wood decomposition remain poorly understood. Methods We examined the responses of wood decomposition rates to N and P additions between angiosperms and gymnosperms in a subtropical forest. Results Nutrient additions significantly accelerated decomposition by elevating wood N and P concentrations and decreasing the activities of N- and P-acquiring enzymes. The magnitude of this acceleration varied with types of nutrient addition and wood taxonomic division. Specifically, P addition stimulated decomposition (+100%) more than N addition (+43%), suggesting stronger microbial P limitation during wood decomposition. Further, gymnosperms (+138%) were more responsive to nutrient addition than angiosperms (+46%). This indicated that the lower initial substrate quality and higher C concentration in gymnosperm wood may result in a higher nutrient sensitivity of wood decomposition. Conclusion Our findings highlight that nutrient type and wood taxonomic division jointly influence wood decomposition responses to nutrient additions. Givern that the range of gymnosperms tree species are expanding under forest management practices, this expansion will accelerate dead wood decomposition and reshape C cycling in subtropical forests. Wood decomposition Enzyme activities Nutrient concentrations Wood taxonomic division Subtropical forest Full Text Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 19 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 18 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 18 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 17 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8461407","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":594003490,"identity":"8deec2a3-5827-4c1c-b17e-5f846f07d701","order_by":0,"name":"Lulu Ma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lulu","middleName":"","lastName":"Ma","suffix":""},{"id":594003491,"identity":"2d94706a-2566-44cf-891d-706c254d9878","order_by":1,"name":"Xiangyu 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Wood decomposition rates are strongly controlled by high contents of recalcitrant components (e.g., lignin) and low nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P]), which vary systematically between major taxonomic divisions (i.e., angiosperms and gymnosperms). Under climate change, external nutrient inputs may increase wood nutrient availability and decomposition rate. However, the interactive mechanisms by which wood taxonomic division and nutrient addition affect wood decomposition remain poorly understood.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMethods\u003c/em\u003e We examined the responses of wood decomposition rates to N and P additions between angiosperms and gymnosperms in a subtropical forest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eResults\u003c/em\u003eNutrient additions significantly accelerated decomposition by elevating wood N and P concentrations and decreasing the activities of N- and P-acquiring enzymes. The magnitude of this acceleration varied with types of nutrient addition and wood taxonomic division. Specifically, P addition stimulated decomposition (+100%) more than N addition (+43%), suggesting stronger microbial P limitation during wood decomposition. Further, gymnosperms (+138%) were more responsive to nutrient addition than angiosperms (+46%). This indicated that the lower initial substrate quality and higher C concentration in gymnosperm wood may result in a higher nutrient sensitivity of wood decomposition.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConclusion\u003c/em\u003e Our findings highlight that nutrient type and wood taxonomic division jointly influence wood decomposition responses to nutrient additions. 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