森林凋落物研究进展

对森林凋落物的概念、研究方法及主要研究内容作了阐述，特别就凋落物收集面积和分解袋孔径大小、凋落量时空动态和凋落物分解速率等问题进行了综合分析。目前森林凋落物研究的重要结论有：海拔和纬度因子是通过对光、温、水等生态因子的再分配来影响凋落量，其中主导气候因子是年均温。凋落物的分解与化学组成和环境因子有关，C／N和N含量在凋落物分解过程中起着重要作用。土壤水分是影响凋落物分解主要环境因子之一；土壤微生物对凋落物的影响，前期是通过真菌破碎凋落物表层使内居性动物得以侵入凋落物内部，后期则以细菌降解有机物为主。凋落量、凋落物分解的影响因子，以及凋落物的生态作用等内容应是凋落物研究的重要方向。

Advances in the studies of forest litter

In this paper, the authors presented the concepts of forest litter as well as the methodology and main subjects in the study of forest litter, especially the issues regarding litter gathering, aperture sizes of decomposition bags, spatial and temporal dynamics of litterfall and decomposition rates. Some important achievements in the studies of forest litter included influencing the factors of litterfall and decomposition process. Through reallocation of light, temperature and moisture, altitude and latitude affected litterfall globally. the leading influencing climatic factor was annual mean temperature. Decomposition rate of litters was correlated to their chemical composition and environmental factors. C/N ratio and the content of N played an important role in the process of litter decomposition. Soil moisture was a key environmental factor affecting litter decomposition. For the soil microbes, their effects on decomposition of litters fell into two stages. In the first stage, the microbes fragmented the surface layer of litters, which resulted in small animals entering into litters. While in the later stage, decomposition was mainly caused by breaking down of organic matters by microbes. In the future, studies will be concentrated on the factors influencing litterfall and decomposition as well as the ecological functioning of forest litters.