Elemental content of the leaf litter
The C, N, P content and molar C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios varied considerably among the 12 types of leaf litter (Table 1). The C, N, and P masses ranged from 389.16 to 538.27 µgC/mg dry litter mass, 9.56 to 29.56 µgN/mg dry litter mass and 0.29 to 9.79 µgP/mg dry litter mass, respectively. The molar C:N ratio showed a 2.6-fold variation while the C:P and N:P ratios showed a 34-fold and 20-fold variations among the leaf litter, respectively.