Research on the effects of global warming on forest litter decomposition

Abstract

Global warming is currently one of the foremost environmental challenges, exerting a profound and extensive influence on natural ecosystems. The alteration of forest litter, as a crucial source of organic matter within these ecosystems, plays a pivotal role in the context of global warming. Litter decomposition represents the process through which carbon and nutrients contained therein are transferred, serving as a crucial nexus for vegetation-litter-soil nutrient cycling and biogeochemistry, playing a significant role in soil nutrient composition. This paper aims to investigate the impact of global warming-induced changes in certain factors on the rate of forest litter decomposition, while evaluating their potential implications for ecosystem function, the carbon cycle and climate change. This study delves into the complex interplay between various environmental factors and their impact on forest litter decomposition. The five factors examined in this researchtemperature, precipitation, snow cover and associated freeze-thaw phenomena, soil composition, and disastersall play a crucial role in shaping the rate of decomposition. Based on the findings presented in this paper, it can be inferred that global warming will exert direct or indirect influences on forest litter decomposition from multiple perspectives.