Abstract: Leaf litter decomposition and nutrient release play important roles in nutrient cycling within forest ecosystems. This study investigated the decomposition dynamics and nutrient release of litter at varying forest heights. Leaf litter from three species: Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook, Castanopsis eyrei (Champ. ex Benth.) Tutcher, and Alniphyllum fortunei (Hemsl.) Penk, which representing a gradient from low to high litter quality, was examined using a litterbag approach. A year-long decomposition experiment was conducted at three vertical forest heights: 5 m (H₅) , 0.5 m (H_0.5) , and ground (H₀) . Results showed that: (1) Over the one-year decomposition period, litter decomposition rates in the air (H₅ and H_0.5) were 14.13%–21.22% slower than those on the ground (H₀). (2) Height-related differences in decomposition rates emerged during different phases of decomposition, with A. fortunei showing pronounced early-stage differences and Castanopsis eyrei and Cunninghamia lanceolata exhibiting late-stage differences. (3) High-quality litter consistently decomposed faster than low-quality litter across all heights, regardless of whether it was on the ground or in the air. (4) After one year, nutrient retention rates across all heights followed the trend: A. fortunei<Castanopsis eyrei<Cunninghamia lanceolata. The nutrient stoichiometric ratios during decomposition were primarily affected by the initial chemical composition of the litter rather than the vertical differences in forest height.