Ecological Archives E096-055-A2

André Frainer, Marcelo S. Moretti, Wenjing Xu, and Mark O. Gessner. 2015. No evidence for leaf-trait dissimilarity effects on litter decomposition, fungal decomposers, and nutrient dynamics. Ecology 96:550–561. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/14-1151.1

Appendix B. Results of mixed-effect models on the effects of trait dissimilarity on leaf decomposition.

Table B1. Results of mixed-effect model (MEM) analyses on the effects of trait dissimilarity on leaf decomposition rates in coarse and fine-mesh litter bags. Each of the four functional dissimilarity indices was based on all three chemical variables together (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and lignin). Combinations of two variables, and the single variables were tested using Euclidean distance. Spatial block (not shown in this table) was treated as a random factor throughout. Effects where p < 0.05 are highlighted in bold.

Decomposition rates

Numerator df

Denominator df

F

p

Intercept

1

344

432.48

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, 3 variables)

1

344

0.66

0.42

Species

7

344

41.46

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

9.80

0.002

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.24

0.97

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.01

0.97

Species : Mesh

7

344

4.40

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : species : Mesh

7

344

0.35

0.935

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

398.25

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower distance, 3 variables)

1

344

0.62

0.43

Species

7

344

45.85

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

9.10

0.003

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.21

0.98

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.01

0.95

Species : Mesh

7

344

4.37

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.28

0.96

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

375.752

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

344

1.86

0.17

Species

7

344

37.88

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

6.79

0.009

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.42

0.89

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.034

0.85

Species : Mesh

7

344

4.18

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.45

0.87

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

338.83

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

344

1.69

0.19

Species

7

344

40.00

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

6.16

0.013

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.46

0.86

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.02

0.88

Species : Mesh

7

344

4.23

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.40

0.90

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

503.94

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and lignin)

1

344

0.01

0.97

Species

7

344

57.26

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

20.4737

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.45

0.87

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

1.42

0.23

Species : Mesh

7

344

6.34

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.59

0.77

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

430.0218

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P and lignin)

1

344

2.12

0.15

Species

7

344

51.09

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

5.32

0.02

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.63

0.73

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.56

0.45

Species : Mesh

7

344

4.66

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.47

0.85

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

511.00

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and P)

1

344

0.22

0.64

Species

7

344

50.41

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

13.04

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.09

0.99

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.03

0.85

Species : Mesh

7

344

5.00

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.19

0.99

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

579.21

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, lignin)

1

344

4.08

0.044

Species

7

344

74.08

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

5.62

0.018

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

1.2199

0.29

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

1.61

0.20

Species : Mesh

7

344

6.12

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.69

0.68

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

947.93

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N)

1

344

1.58

0.21

Species

7

344

84.80

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

42.32

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.45

0.87

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

3.72

0.054

Species : Mesh

7

344

9.62

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : Species : Mesh

7

344

0.83

0.56

 

 

 

 

 

Intercept

1

344

534.46

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P)

1

344

1.13

0.29

Species

7

344

79.7321

< 0.001

Mesh size

1

344

8.61

0.004

Dissimilarity : Species

7

344

0.65

0.72

Dissimilarity : Mesh

1

344

0.35

0.55

Species : Mesh

7

344

6.41

< 0.001

Dissimilarity : species : Mesh

7

344

0.29

0.96

 

Table B2. Results of mixed-effect model (MEM) analyses on the effects of functional dissimilarity on ergosterol concentration (log-transformed) in coarse-mesh litter bags. Each of the four functional dissimilarity indices was based on all three chemical variables together (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and lignin). Combinations of two variables, and the single variables were tested using Euclidean distance. Spatial block (not shown in this table) was treated as a random factor throughout. Effects where p < 0.05 are highlighted in bold.

Ergosterol

Numerator df

Denominator df

F

p

Intercept

1

123

2643.57

< 0.001

Species

7

123

22.49

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, 3 variables)

1

123

0.01

0.90

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.54

0.16

Intercept

1

123

2469.75

< 0.001

Species

7

123

22.63

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower distance, 3 variables)

1

123

0.01

0.91

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.47

0.18

Intercept

1

123

2266.33

< 0.001

Species

7

123

21.26

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

123

0.28

0.60

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

2.14

0.044

Intercept

1

123

2065.79

< 0.001

Species

7

123

21.64

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

123

0.35

0.56

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

2.16

0.042

Intercept

1

123

3301.83

< 0.001

Species

7

123

24.75

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and lignin)

1

123

0.00

0.96

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.23

0.29

Intercept

1

123

2485.36

< 0.001

Species

7

123

30.10

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P and lignin)

1

123

0.05

0.83

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.74

0.11

Intercept

1

123

3078.10

< 0.001

Species

7

123

26.11

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and P)

1

123

0.00

0.98

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.24

0.28

Intercept

1

123

5810.71

< 0.001

Species

7

123

31.39

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N)

1

123

0.04

0.85

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

0.59

0.76

Intercept

1

123

3037.02

< 0.001

Species

7

123

48.99

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P)

1

123

0.00

0.99

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.61

0.14

Intercept

1

123

3311.07

< 0.001

Species

7

123

29.79

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, lignin)

1

123

0.34

0.56

Species : Dissimilarity

7

123

1.73

0.11

 

Table B3. Results of mixed-effect model (MEM) analyses on the effects of functional dissimilarity on nitrogen dynamics (log-transformed) in coarse-mesh litter bags. Each of the four functional dissimilarity indices was based on all three chemical variables together (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and lignin). Combinations of two variables, and the single variables were tested using Euclidean distance. Spatial block (not shown in this table) was treated as a random factor throughout. Effects where p < 0.05 are highlighted in bold.

Nitrogen

Numerator df

Denominator df

F

p

Intercept

1

122

58.88

< 0.001

Species

6

122

31.17

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, 3 variables)

1

122

0.25

0.62

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

1.41

0.21

Intercept

1

122

55.20

< 0.001

Species

6

122

30.28

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower distance, 3 variables)

1

122

0.34

0.56

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

1.04

0.40

Intercept

1

122

60.61

< 0.001

Species

6

122

30.77

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

122

0.96

0.33

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

2.96

0.010

Intercept

1

122

57.63

< 0.001

Species

6

122

30.69

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

122

1.26

0.26

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

2.94

0.010

Intercept

1

122

77.82

< 0.001

Species

6

122

45.11

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and lignin)

1

122

0.00

0.94

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

4.48

< 0.001

Intercept

1

122

59.00

< 0.001

Species

6

122

36.51

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P and lignin)

1

122

0.94

0.33

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.54

0.78

Intercept

1

122

62.49

< 0.001

Species

6

122

35.59

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and P)

1

122

0.04

0.84

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.79

0.58

Intercept

1

122

121.56

< 0.001

Species

6

122

53.19

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N)

1

122

0.81

0.37

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

1.92

0.083

Intercept

1

122

69.51

< 0.001

Species

6

122

67.50

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P)

1

122

0.39

0.53

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

2.53

0.024

Intercept

1

122

102.82

< 0.001

Species

6

122

42.31

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, lignin)

1

122

3.76

0.055

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

3.52

0.003

 

Table B4. Results of mixed-effect model (MEM) analyses on the effects of functional dissimilarity on phosphorus dynamics (log-transformed) in coarse-mesh litter bags. Each of the four functional dissimilarity indices was based on all three chemical variables together (nitrogen, phosphorus, and lignin). Combinations of two variables, and the single variables were tested using Euclidean distance. Spatial block (not shown in this table) was treated as a random factor throughout. Effects where p < 0.05 are highlighted in bold.

Phosphorus

Numerator df

Denominator df

F

p

Intercept

1

122

75.16

< 0.001

Species

6

122

159.59

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, 3 variables)

1

122

0.17

0.68

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.70

0.65

Intercept

1

122

69.31

< 0.001

Species

6

122

174.58

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower distance, 3 variables)

1

122

0.17

0.68

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.62

0.72

Intercept

1

122

56.51

< 0.001

Species

6

122

139.35

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

122

0.80

0.37

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.78

0.59

Intercept

1

122

49.75

< 0.001

Species

6

122

143.73

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Gower-based dendrogram, 3 variables)

1

122

0.92

0.34

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.71

0.64

Intercept

1

122

102.12

< 0.001

Species

6

122

194.11

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and lignin)

1

122

0.03

0.86

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.60

0.73

Intercept

1

122

64.25

< 0.001

Species

6

122

232.22

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P and lignin)

1

122

0.63

0.43

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.98

0.44

Intercept

1

122

96.71

< 0.001

Species

6

122

223.95

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N and P)

1

122

0.00

0.96

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.93

0.48

Intercept

1

122

218.07

< 0.001

Species

6

122

317.01

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, N)

1

122

0.71

0.40

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

0.74

0.62

Intercept

1

122

91.11

< 0.001

Species

6

122

480.97

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, P)

1

122

0.08

0.77

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

1.80

0.10

Intercept

1

122

76.44

< 0.001

Species

6

122

289.20

< 0.001

Dissimilarity (Euclidean distance, lignin)

1

122

3.43

0.066

Species : Dissimilarity

6

122

1.02

0.42

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