Blackwell Science, LtdLinkages between plant litter decomposition, litter quality, and vegetation responses to herbivores

There is increasing awareness that similar suites of plant traits may govern foliage palatability and litter decomposability, but whether there is an association between the response of vegetation to herbivory and litter decomposition rates across plant species remains unexplored. 2. We collected 141 samples of litter from 59 understorey and 18 canopy tree species from a total of 28 sites under natural forest throughout New Zealand. We assessed whether variables related to decomposition and quality of litter of the understorey spe-cies showed a statistical relationship with the response of vegetation density (assessed using a pole-intercept method) of the same species at the same locations to browsing by deer and goats. Decomposition and nutrient-loss data from litter were obtained using standardized laboratory bioassays