Krista A. Capps David M. Costello John Paul Schmidt Christopher J. Patrick Jennifer Follstad Shah Carri J. LeRoy Vicenc Acuna Ricardo Albarino Daniel C. Allen Cecilia Alonso Patricio Andino Clay Arango Jukka Aroviita Marcus Barbosa Leon A. Barmuta Colden V. Baxter Brent Bellinger Luz Boyero Lyubov Bragina Lee E. Brown Andreas Bruder Denise Bruesewitz Francis Burdon Marcos Callisto Antonio G. Camacho Cristina Canhoto Maria Castillo Eric Chauvet Joanne Clapcott Fanny Colas Checo Colon-Gaud Julien Cornut Veronica Crespo-Perez Wyatt F. Cross Joseph M. Culp Michael Danger Olivier Dangles Elvira de Eyto Alison Derry Veronica Diaz-Villanueva Michael Douglas Arturo Elosegi Andrea Encalada Sally Entrekin Rodrigo Espinosa Veronica Ferreira Carmen Ferriol Kyla Flanagan Alexander Flecker Tadeusz Fleituch André Frainer Nikolai Friberg Paul C. Frost Erica A. Garcia Liliana Garcia-Lago Pavel Garcia Soto Mark Gessner Sudeep Ghate Darren Giling Alan Gilmer Jose Goncalves Jr. Rosario Gonzales Manuel Graca Mike Grace Natalie A. Griffiths Hans-Peter Grossart Francois Guerold Vlad Gulis Pablo E. Gutiérrez-Fonseca Luiz Hepp Scott Higgins Takuo Hishi Joseph Huddart John P. Hudson Moss Imberger Carlos Iniguez-Armijos Mark Isken Tomoya Iwata Dave Janetski Andrea Kirkwood Aaron A. Koning Sarian Kosten Kevin Kuehn Hjalmar Laudon Peter Leavitt Aurea Lemes da Silva Shawn Leroux Peter Lisi Richard Mackenzie Amy M Marcarelli Frank Masese Peter B. McIntyre Brendan G. McKie Adriana Medeiros Kristian Meissner Marko Milisa Shailendra Mishra Yo Miyake Ashley Moerke Shorok Mombrikotb Robert J Mooney Tim Moulton Timo Muotka Junjiro N. Negishi Vinicius Neres-Lima Mika Nieminen Jorge Nimptsch Jakub Ondruch Riku Paavola Isabel Pardo Edwin Peeters Jesus Pozo Aaron Prussian Estefania Quenta Brian Reid John S. Richardson Anna Rigosi Jose Rincon Geta Risnoveanu Chris Robinson Lorena Rodriguez-Gallego Todd V Royer James A. Rusak Anna Santamans Geza Selmeczy Gelas Simiyu Agnija Skuja Jerzy Smykla Ryan A. Sponseller Kandikere Sridhar Aaron Stoler Christopher M. Swan Franco Teixeira-de Mello Jonathan Tonkin Sari Uusheimo Allison Veach Sirje Vilbaste Lena Vought Chiao-Ping Wang Jackson Webster Paul B. Wilson Stefan Woelfl Guy Woodward Marguerite A. Xenopoulos Adam Yates Chihiro Yoshimura Catherine Yule Yixin Zhang Jacob Aaron Zwart Scott Tiegs 2024 <p><span>Rivers and streams contribute to global carbon cycling by decomposing immense quantities of terrestrial plant matter. However, decomposition rates are highly variable and large-scale patterns and drivers of this process remain poorly understood. Using a cellulose-based assay to reflect the primary constituent of plant detritus, we generated a predictive model (81% variance explained) for cellulose decomposition rates across 514 globally distributed streams. A large number of variables were important for predicting decomposition, highlighting the complexity of this process at the global scale. Predicted cellulose decomposition rates, when combined with genus-level litter quality attributes, explain published leaf litter decomposition rates with high accuracy (70% variance explained). Our global map provides estimates of rates across vast understudied areas of Earth and reveals rapid decomposition across continental-scale areas dominated by human activities.</span></p> application/pdf 10.1126/science.adn1262 en AAAS Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers article