Abstract:As an important forest type in China, subtropical plantations play a key role in the carbon and nitrogen cycling of ecosystems through the decomposition of their litter. Litter decomposes faster in its native habitat than in other habitats, a phenomenon known as the home field advantage (HFA). This study focused on Pinus massoniana and Castanopsis hystrix plantations, conducting a 12-month decomposition experiment to syste- matically analyze the mass loss, decomposition rate, chemical component loss rate, and HFA values of the leaves and fine roots of Masson pine and C. hystrix. The aim was to explore the universality and differences in the HFA of leaf and fine root decomposition. The results showed that after 12 months of decomposition, the mass loss rate of leaves (44.26%) was significantly higher than that of fine roots (32.85%). Both leaves and fine roots exhibited significant HFA in mass loss, but compared with the more recalcitrant fine roots (HFAi=24.39, P<0.05), leaves showed a stronger HFA (HFAi=104.68, P<0.05). The HFA of different types of litter was time-dependent, with the HFA of leaves occurring in the early stage of decomposition, while that of fine roots was more likely to occur in the middle and later stages of decomposition. This study revealed significant differences in the intensity and temporal dynamics of the HFA of leaf and fine root decomposition in subtropical plantations, providing a scientific basis for nutrient cycling management and tree species selection in subtropical plantation ecosystems.
