Answers to Analyzing Data 22.1 Questions

2. The results indicate that when plant litter is exposed to light, tissues higher in lignin degrade faster than those with lower lignin concentrations. Thus the inhibitory influence of lignin on biological degradation may be at least partially offset by the stimulatory effect of photodegradation.

2. The assumption that lignin will lower decomposition rate would not be expected to hold true in environments in which the influence of photodegradation is greatest: dry, high-light environments such as deserts, shrublands, grasslands, and some tundra ecosystems.