Short life–fast death: decomposition rates of woody plants leaf- and herb-litter

• Key message Decomposition of forest herb species litter was not always completed in less than a year and was not always faster than decomposition of tree leaf litter in an oak-hornbeam forest in Western Poland. Litter decomposition of herbaceous plants is connected with their life strategy and functional traits of their leaves. • Context Forest understories are frequently ignored in ecological research on decomposition, although they play an important role in biomass and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. • Aims We hypothesized that the decomposition process of herbaceous species was completed in less than a year, as opposed to tree leaf litter. The second aim of our study was to determine if life strategy affects the rate of litter decomposition. • Methods We performed the decomposition experiment in the oak-hornbeam forest in Czmoń (Western Poland) using the litter bag method to determine decay constants (k) for all species studied. The influence of species identity, functional group, and functional traits of leaves and other effects on the decomposition process was assessed. • Results The decomposition process was significantly dependent on the functional group of plants, time of exposure in the field, species identity, and precipitation. We found a significant correlation between leaf traits and decay rates of the species studied. • Conclusion Litter decomposition of herbaceous plants is connected with their life strategy and functional traits of their leaves in an oak-hornbeam forests.