Data from: Faster than expected: Release of nitrogen and phosphorus from decomposing woody litter

Deadwood represents globally important carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus
pools. Current wood nutrient dynamics models are extensions of those
developed for leaf litter decomposition. However, tissue structure and
dominant decomposers differ between leaf and woody litter, and recent
evidence suggests that decomposer stoichiometry in combination with litter
quality may affect nutrient release. We quantified decomposition and
release of carbon and nutrients from woody litter for two stem sizes of 22
tree species in a phosphorus-limited temperate forest near Sydney,
Australia and compared these to estimates from leaf litter literature.
Following theory, nitrogen and phosphorus accumulated during early
decomposition, but began to decline earlier than expected based on work in
leaves. Woody litter converged on higher carbon:nitrogen (50) and
nitrogen:phosphorus (80) ratios than in leaf litter studies.
Carbon:nitrogen at which nitrogen was released was higher in larger stems
(~135) than smaller stems (~95); both being higher than in leaf litter.
Drawing from the literature, these differences in nitrogen and phosphorus
dynamics may be due to the identity of wood decomposers. Carbon:nitrogen
of wood decomposers is higher than mean carbon:nitrogen of leaf litter
decomposers, and this difference in stoichiometry may have important
flow-on effects for nutrient cycles in forests.