Lianas, woody vines that rely on trees for support, are becoming increasingly abundant in tropical forests around the world. Compared to trees, they show faster turnover rates and distinct chemical compositions. However, the fate of the liana deadwood has received limited scientific attention.

In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators revealed that although lianas can accelerate decomposition, their bark presents a resilient barrier, creating a complex "double-edged sword" effect on forest biogeochemical processes.

The researchers carried out a two-year common garden experiment in Xishuangbanna, directly comparing the decomposition rates of wood from 12 liana and 12 tree species. They placed more than one thousands of these liana and tree stems with two different diameters on the forest floor in stainless steel mesh bags of two different sizes. The fine-mesh bags allowed only microbes like fungi and bacteria to access the wood, while coarse-mesh bags besides microbes, also permitted entry to decomposing invertebrates like termites, millepedes, etc.

The results confirmed their primary hypothesis that liana wood decomposes faster than tree wood. While the inner wood (xylem) of lianas decayed rapidly, their bark proved to be remarkably resilient. In many cases, the bark remained largely intact even after the wood inside had completely rotted away.

Chemical analysis showed liana bark had a higher lignin content than tree bark, making it a tough, recalcitrant protective layer.

Furthermore, the presence of invertebrates was a dominant factor, more than doubling the decomposition rates for both plant growth forms. This effect was particularly pronounced in the larger diameter stems, which offer a more stable, moist habitat for termites and other wood-boring and dwelling creatures.

The study revealed the complex and powerful role of liana afterlives in the forest ecosystem. It highlighted that woody vines are not just passive climbers, but also active and potent drivers of the global carbon cycle.

"Lianas may promote forest biogeochemical cycling by speeding up the turnover of carbon and nutrients. As lianas are increasing in abundance, forest-level decomposition and the conversion of deadwood into atmospheric carbon could also accelerate," said Gbadamassi Dossa of XTBG.

Dead liana decomposes. (Image by Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa)

Available online: 01 April 2026