Table 1 Results of a three-way repeated-measures ANOVA (F and P values) testing for the effects of forest type, stand age, decomposition time and their interactions on mass loss and leaf litter C and N loss from litterbags decomposed in soils in the Chinese fir and naturally occurring secondary forest stands.

From: Litter decomposition and nutrient release are faster under secondary forests than under Chinese fir plantations with forest development

Variation

df

Mass loss (%)a

kb

Litter C lossa

Litter N lossb

F

P

F

P

F

P

F

P

Forest type (F)

1

130.87

 < 0.001

75.523

 < 0.001

104.318

 < 0.001

166.884

 < 0.001

Stand age (A)

7

5.58

 < 0.001

4.528

 < 0.001

3.684

0.001

19.292

 < 0.001

Time (T)

6

1865.39

 < 0.001

255.057

 < 0.001

1059.478

 < 0.001

889.353

 < 0.001

F × A

8

0.333

0.952

1.361

0.217

0.441

0.895

1.204

0.299

F × T

6

16.58

 < 0.001

4.767

 < 0.001

14.963

 < 0.001

10.215

 < 0.001

A × T

42

1.72

0.011

2.085

0.001

1.645

0.018

1.96

0.003

F × A × T

62

186

 < 0.001

28.17

 < 0.001

107.2

 < 0.001

101.48

 < 0.001

  1. aPlot was not a significant random factor and was dropped from the model.
  2. bPlot was a significant random factor and included in the model.