BGD - Relevance of aboveground litter for soil .
Carbon input from a recent litter layer into a forest top- and subsoil was examined by adding a 13 C enriched litter layer for a field exposure of 22 months. Annual C inputs were relatively low compared to the C already stored in soil and we did not find considerable translocation of recent litter-derived C into the deep subsoil (> 100 cm).