Abstract: Decomposition of fine roots is one of the major pathways of carbon and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. There are three general processes in fine-root decomposition: leaching, fragmentation and chemical alteration, which are controlled by substrate quality such as soluble nutrient concentrations, lignin, and cellulose; soil conditions such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability; and animals, fungi and bacteria in soil. The main question for research in fine-root decomposition in terms of buried litterbags is whether the natural decay conditions of fine roots are altered due to destructive sampling, washing and removing soil particles. The technique of buried litterbags is commonly used worldwide in fine-root decomposition research, and its disadvantages are that the physical and biological microenvironments around the fine roots are greatly disturbed, which results in an underestimated decomposition rate. Recently, crop and forest studies have involved an intactcore technique, which closely mimics in situ decay conditions. Compared with decay-rate estimations with the buried litterbag approach, those with the intact-core technique are the most effective for fineroot decay. However, the most important and challenging issues in study of fine-root decomposition are to design an efficient experiment and develop new techniques.