To clarify how litter decomposition processes affect soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil dissolved
nitrogen (DN) dynamics, we conducted a field experiment on leaf litter and collected DOC and DN
from the underlying soil in a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna, southwest China. Principal components
analysis (PCA) showed the first PCA axis (corresponding to degraded litter quantity and quality)
explained 61.3% and 71.2% of variation in DOC and DN concentrations, respectively. Stepwise linear
regression analysis indicated that litter carbon mass controlled DOC and hemicellulose mass controlled
DN concentrations. Litter decomposition was the predominant factor controlling surface-soil DOC and
DN dynamics in this tropical rainforest