1. Climate, litter quality and decomposers are the main drivers of litter decomposition.
2. This study evaluated the relative importance of leaf litter polyphenols, decomposer communities and soil moisture for litter C and N loss at different stages throughout the decomposition process.
3. Results suggest that biotic and abiotic factors control litter C and N dynamics during decomposition in different ways at different stages.
The article is written by a team of researchers from Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Department of Biology and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, as well as Stephan Hättenschwiler from CEFE UMR 5175. The authors have provided sufficient evidence to support their claims in the form of citations from other studies related to the topic. The article does not appear to be biased or one-sided in its reporting; rather it presents both sides equally by exploring both biotic and abiotic factors that control litter C and N dynamics during decomposition. Furthermore, the authors have discussed potential risks associated with their findings such as how current models may be limited by a single-pool approach applying control variables uniformly to the entire decay process. In conclusion, this article appears to be reliable and trustworthy due to its comprehensive coverage of the topic with sufficient evidence provided to support its claims.