Skip to main content
Journal cover image

The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Manzoni, S; Jackson, RB; Trofymow, JA; Porporato, A
Published in: Science (New York, N.Y.)
August 2008

Plant residue decomposition and the nutrient release to the soil play a major role in global carbon and nutrient cycling. Although decomposition rates vary strongly with climate, nitrogen immobilization into litter and its release in mineral forms are mainly controlled by the initial chemical composition of the residues. We used a data set of approximately 2800 observations to show that these global nitrogen-release patterns can be explained by fundamental stoichiometric relationships of decomposer activity. We show how litter quality controls the transition from nitrogen accumulation into the litter to release and alters decomposers' respiration patterns. Our results suggest that decomposers lower their carbon-use efficiency to exploit residues with low initial nitrogen concentration, a strategy used broadly by bacteria and consumers across trophic levels.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

August 2008

Volume

321

Issue

5889

Start / End Page

684 / 686

Related Subject Headings

  • Plants
  • Nitrogen
  • Mathematics
  • Kinetics
  • General Science & Technology
  • Ecosystem
  • Climate
  • Carbon
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Bacteria
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Manzoni, S., Jackson, R. B., Trofymow, J. A., & Porporato, A. (2008). The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization. Science (New York, N.Y.), 321(5889), 684–686. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1159792
Manzoni, Stefano, Robert B. Jackson, John A. Trofymow, and Amilcare Porporato. “The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization.Science (New York, N.Y.) 321, no. 5889 (August 2008): 684–86. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1159792.
Manzoni S, Jackson RB, Trofymow JA, Porporato A. The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization. Science (New York, NY). 2008 Aug;321(5889):684–6.
Manzoni, Stefano, et al. “The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization.Science (New York, N.Y.), vol. 321, no. 5889, Aug. 2008, pp. 684–86. Epmc, doi:10.1126/science.1159792.
Manzoni S, Jackson RB, Trofymow JA, Porporato A. The global stoichiometry of litter nitrogen mineralization. Science (New York, NY). 2008 Aug;321(5889):684–686.
Journal cover image

Published In

Science (New York, N.Y.)

DOI

EISSN

1095-9203

ISSN

0036-8075

Publication Date

August 2008

Volume

321

Issue

5889

Start / End Page

684 / 686

Related Subject Headings

  • Plants
  • Nitrogen
  • Mathematics
  • Kinetics
  • General Science & Technology
  • Ecosystem
  • Climate
  • Carbon
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Bacteria