Litterfall Chemistry Is Modulated by Wet-Dry Seasonality and Leaf Phenology of Dominant Species in the Tropics

Litterfall has a large influence on carbon and nutrient cycling of ecosystems, particularly in light-limited forested streams, as most nutrients return the form litter. Although recent evidence points to prevalence seasonal litterfall species-rich evergreen tropical riparian forests, there is limited understanding how plant diversity intersects with stream ecosystem functions. To explore this question, we investigate chemistry across wet dry seasons congruence between litter traits species composition wet-dry tropics. Using generalized additive models, observed consistent patterns over 2 years, mostly influenced by dominant litterfall. While drier showed lower structural compounds higher polyphenols, from wetter were rich but polyphenols. We also found contrasting chemistry, one showing that nutrient, compounds, secondary metabolite concentrations declined while other mass-based inputs increased markedly seasons. Our findings suggest may be altered shifts identity seasonality, possibly leading changes fluxes ecosystems.