Home Field Advantage hypothesis predicts greater litter decomposition at home than away. But, usually fails to account for site-specific variation in litter decomposition especially in hyperdiverse forest, suggesting existence of other mechanisms. Alternatively, plant apparency hypothesis (PAH) posits that dominant species litter decomposes faster than that from rare species. We examined these hypotheses with reciprocal litter transplant experiments within tropical rainforests along 100 km in SW China with litter sourced from dominant, common, and rare species by using two mesh sizes (0.15-mm and 2-mm) to control decomposer community composition access into the litterbag. Litter beneath dominant species decomposed faster than litter under rare species regardless of its source. Moreover, dominant species litter decomposed faster than that of rare species. PAH occurred only in coarse mesh regardless of litter quality or soil nutrient levels, highlighting soil fauna activity controls on PAH. This research underscores dominant species influence on nutrient cycling.