Plant species richness negatively affects root decomposition in grasslands

Summary Plant diversity enhances many ecosystem functions, including root biomass production, which drives soil carbon input. Although root decomposition accounts for a large proportion of carbon input for soil, little is known about plant diversity effect on this process. Plant diversity may affect root decomposition in two non‐exclusive ways: by providing roots of different substrate quality (e.g. root chemistry) and/or by altering the soil...