Abstract: Litter decomposition links the above and belowground carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems, and plays a key role in the global C cycles through its controls on fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and the formation of soil organic matter (SOM). Thus, it is important to investigate the dynamics of organic C composition in decomposing litter under global climate change. Unlike traditional proximate wetchemical analyses, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a nondestructive and noninvasive technique, and has been considered as a valuable tool in the characterization of the chemical compositional changes of organic C during plant litter decomposition at the level of functional group. The aim of this study was to give an overview of the application of NMR technique in the study of plant litter decomposition. We summarized the peerreviewed articles that contained NMR spectra of both undecomposed and decomposed litters based on four plant groups (broadleaf trees, conifers, shrubs, grasses). The dynamics of different organic C functional groups and their ratios in litter during decomposition as well as the underlying mechanisms were discussed. NMR technique would be helpful to improve our understanding of the decomposition of different organic C groups in litter and its controls on the builtup of soil organic matter.