Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41104430›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in plant science2025

Litter quality outweighs climate in driving grassland root decomposition.

Jingjing Yang, Zhanbo Yang, Runzhi Zhang, Pingting Guan, Taihai Xu, Yao Tang, Guoling Ren

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in plant science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jingjing YangSchool of Biotechnology, Daqing Normal University, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Technology in Oilfield, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China.
Zhanbo YangKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Runzhi ZhangSchool of Biotechnology, Daqing Normal University, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Technology in Oilfield, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China.
Pingting GuanKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Taihai XuSchool of Biotechnology, Daqing Normal University, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Technology in Oilfield, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China.
Yao TangSchool of Biotechnology, Daqing Normal University, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Technology in Oilfield, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China.
Guoling RenSchool of Biotechnology, Daqing Normal University, Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry and Technology in Oilfield, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Root decomposition plays a critical role in nutrient cycling and carbon storage in grassland ecosystems, yet its global drivers remain poorly understood. Methods: The study synthesized global data on root decomposition in grasslands to assess the relative importance of climate and litter quality, and to quantify the effects of environmental and biotic factors using a comprehensive meta-analysis. Results: Results indicated that, at the global scale, litter quality exerted a stronger influence on root decomposition than climatic variables. Random forest analysis identified the ratio of acid-unhydrolyzable residue to nitrogen (AUR:N) and AUR as the most important predictors of mass loss, both of which were significantly and negatively correlated with mass loss. The meta-analysis further demonstrated that both environmental and biotic factors significantly affected root decomposition. Among environmental factors, nitrogen addition (+4.49%), phosphorus addition (+16.26%), warming (+9.80%), increased precipitation (+5.95%), and elevated CO Discussion: These findings highlight the dominant role of litter quality over climate in regulating root decomposition at a global scale, and underscore the sensitivity of belowground processes to environmental and biotic disturbances in grassland ecosystems.

Indexed as

climategrasslandlitter qualitymeta-analysisroot decomposition

Identifiers

PMID41104430
PMCPMC12521445

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.