Decomposition of plant, fungal and tea litter in Picea abies forests with and without a history of clear-cutting

Litter decomposition is coupled to carbon (C) sequestration through C release to the atmosphere, C transformation and nutrient release to the soil. We investigated if clear-cutting has long-term effects on this vital ecological process and consequently on C dynamics in boreal forests using twelve pairs of previously clear-cut and near-natural forests. Three litterbag experiments were conducted using (I) standardised spruce and bilberry litter, (II) melanised and non-melanised fungal necromass and (III) rooibos and green tea. We found weak and inconsistent effects of harvesting history, that did not depend on litter quality or mesofauna exclusion. Litter quality was more important in explaining net mass remaining for fungal necromass than for aboveground plant litter. Mesofauna exclusion had only marginal effects on initial litter decomposition. Results obtained with the highly standardised Tea Bag Index were not readily comparable to those of the plant litter or fungal necromass and we therefore question its use in this regional context. Further, we show that net mass or C remaining in the litterbags do not correlate consistently with in situ soil respiration. This finding is discussed in relation to previous measurements of soil C fluxes from the same system. In conclusion, we suggest that potential disturbances to the physical environment or the capacity of the decomposer community to facilitate litter decomposition are no longer clearly evident when clear-cut stands approach maturity. • Twelve pairs of previously clear-cut and near-natural forest were compared • Harvesting history had weak and inconsistent effects on litter decomposition • Litter identity was more important for the decomposition of fungi than plants • Mesofauna exclusion did not clearly affect initial litter decomposition • We question the usefulness of the Tea Bag Index in a small-scale regional context