Absence of oxygen isotope fractionation/exchange of (hemi-) cellulose derived sugars during litter decomposition

► In this study we investigate the δ18O signatures of leaf litter during degradation. ► δ18O results of bulk litter reveal systematic 18O depletion. ► δ18O results are also obtained for hemicellulose-derived sugars using GC-Py-IRMS. ► Hemicellulose-derived sugars reveal no systematic δ18O trends. ► Oxygen exchange reactions/fractionation can be excluded for (hemi-) cellulose sugars.