Litter production, leaf litter decomposition and nutrient return in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations in south China: effect of planting conifers with broadleaved species

This study compared litter production, litter decomposition and nutrient return in pure and mixed species plantations. Dry weight and N, P, K, Ca, Mg quantities in the litterfall were measured in one pure Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation (PC) and two mixed-species plantations of C. lanceolata with Alnus cremastogyne (MCA) and Kalopanax septemlobus (MCK) in subtropical China. Covering 6 years of observations, mean annual litter production of MCA (4.97 Mg·ha⁻¹) and MCK (3.97 Mg·ha⁻¹) was significantly higher than that of PC (3.46 Mg·ha⁻¹). Broadleaved trees contributed 42% of the total litter production in MCA and 31% in MCK. Introduction of broadleaved tree species had no significant effect on litterfall pattern. Total litterfall was greatest in the dry season from November to March. Nutrient returns to the forest floor through leaf litter were significantly higher in both MCA and MCK than in PC (P < 0.05). The amounts of N, K, and Mg returned to the forest floor through leaf litter were highest in the MCA, and P and Ca returns were highest in the MCK. Percent contribution of broadleaf litter to total nutrient returns ranged from 41.7% to 86.9% in MCA and from 49.3% to 74.8% in MCK. The decomposition rate of individual leaf litter increased in the order: C. lanceolata < K. septemlobus < A. cremastogyne. Litter mixing had a positive effect on decomposition rate of the more recalcitrant litter and promoted nutrient return. Relative to mass loss of A. cremastogyne decomposing alone, higher mass loss of the mixture of C. lanceolata and A. cremastogyne was observed after 330 days of decomposition. These results indicate that mixed plantations of different tree species have advantages over monospecific plantations with regards to nutrient fluxes and these advantages have relevance to restoration of degraded sites. Responsible Editor: Alfonso Escudero.     

Biomass,nutrient distribution and litterfall in Populus,Pinus and Picea stands on two different soils in Minnesota

Summary Pole sized stands ofPopulus tremuloides Michx.,Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss,Pinus resinosa Ait., andPinus banksiana Lamb., were sampled on both a very fine sandy loam and a loamy sand. Relative species ranking in above-ground tree biomass (Pinus resinosa>Populus>Picea>Pinus banksiana) and above-ground tree nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) weights (Populus>Picea>Pinus resinosa>Pinus banksiana) were similar on both soils. Particularly large proportions of biomass and nutrients were found in aspen bark and spruce foliage and branches on both soils. Harvesting entire above-ground trees would remove up to three times more nutrients than would harvesting only the bole.Herbs and shrubs had less than 3% of the total vegetation organic matter but contributed as much as one-half of the total annual litterfall nutrients. Litterfall weights and nutrient concentrations, and especially forest floor nutrients, were all less on the loamy sand. Nutrients in the rooting zone of the loamy sand were 12 to 29% less than in the very fine sandy loam except for P which averaged 24% higher. On both soils, exchangeable Ca in the surface soil was much lower under Populus and Picea than under the pines, owing to species differences in uptake and apparently slow release of Ca by weathering.Ca in the above-ground Populus amounted to 18% (very fine sandy loam) to 25% (loamy sand) of the exchangeable Ca in the total complex. Intensive utilization of this species in particular could stress the Ca economy of these sites.This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time; it is therefore in the public domain.Principal Silviculturist and Research Soil Scientist, resp.     

福建和溪亚热带雨林凋落物营养元素动态

探讨了福建和溪亚热带雨林主要营养元素通过凋落物的归还动态．结果表明,该森林一年中凋落物不同组分各元素的含量具有波动性,加权平均含量为Ｎ＞Ｋ＞Ｃａ＞Ｍｇ＞Ｐ（落果Ｃａ＝Ｍｇ、落枝Ｃａ＞Ｋ）。通过凋落物归还Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｃａ、Ｍｇ元素的年库流量,分别为８７．４１、３．８２、４０．８０、２８．８１和１５．３２ｋｇｈｍ（－２）,灰分量为２８４．５７ｋｇｈｍ（－２）,其中以落叶形式居最大,分别各占总量的７３．４％、６８．１％、．７７．２％、７２．９％、７４．５％和７９．９％;各元素的年库流量与年凋落物量的月分布相一致,有明显的季节性．森林地表残留物Ｎ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｃａ、Ｍｇ元素的累积储量．分别为５４．８３、２．４５、９．６９、１７．０和９．２５ｋｇｈｍ（－２）．五种元素在林下地表的滞留时间,分别为Ｎ０．６１、Ｐ０．６１、Ｋ０．２３、Ｃａ０．５６和Ｍｇ０．５３年．     

黑石顶自然保护区南亚热带常绿阔叶林生物量与生产量研究VII.凋落量、现存凋落量和凋落物分解速率

本文研究了黑石顶自然保护区南亚热带常绿阔叶林的凋落量及其季节动态,并对现存凋落量和凋落物分解速率进行了初步测定。 小凋落物[叶、D(直径)     

Effects of fragmentation on forest structure and litter dynamics in Atlantic rainforest in Pernambuco, Brazil

This study evaluates the effects of fragmentation on the spatial and temporal dynamics of small litterfall production in Atlantic rainforest in Pernambuco State, Brazil. Litterfall was collected for 24 months at two 0.2 ha sites, located in the forest edge zone and the forest interior, within a rainforest patch of about 300 ha. Structural parameters of both forest sites were recorded. Litter was sorted into six fractions (foliage, twigs, buds/flowers, fruits/seeds, peduncles, rest), dried and weighed. The interior forest plot contained 314 live trees with a dbh 5 cm and a stand basal area of 41.8±8.7 m², whereas the forest edge contained 211 live trees and a stand basal area of 23.4±3.6 m². Total small litterfall was extraordinarily high and totalled 12.62±4.73 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in interior forest and 14.74±2.78 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in forest edge. High litterfall rates are probably due to a pronounced periodicity, edge effects alter litterfall strongly.     

Comparative study of additive basal area of conifers in forest ecosystems along elevational gradients

We examined the basal area of two life forms (conifers vs. broadleaf trees) along elevational gradients on Yakushima Island, Japan and on two series of geological substrate on Mount Kinabalu, Borneo. On Yakushima, total stand basal area abruptly increased from 700 to 1,050 m in accordance with the high dominance of conifers, indicating the presence of additive basal area of conifers in conifer–broadleaf mixed forests at higher elevations (1,050–1,300 m). Along two substrate series on Kinabalu, some forests at higher elevations (1,860–3,080 m) showed relatively high dominance of conifers, but conifer basal area did not appear to be additive. Conifers were emergents above the canopy of broadleaf trees in mixed forests on Yakushima, but two life forms usually coexisted in the single-story canopy in mixed forests on Kinabalu. Litterfall rate as a surrogate of productivity decreased with decreasing temperature along elevation on both the sites, but the rate of decrease was slower on Yakushima, where mixed forests at higher elevations showed relatively high rates. Thus, we suggest that additive basal area of conifers was linked to their emergent status, and that it enhanced productivity by complementary use of light by two life forms that occupy different stories. On Yakushima, typhoons are a major disturbance, but do not severely limit the height growth of conifers, allowing the development of two-story mixed forests. On Kinabalu, a major disturbance is El Niño-driven drought, and hydraulic limitation to tree height may explain the non-additive and non-emergent nature of conifers.     

Temporal and structural effects of stands on litter production in Melaleuca quinquenervia dominated wetlands of south Florida

Melaleuca quinquenervia dominates large areas of the Florida Everglades in the southeastern USA where it has transformed sedge-dominated marshes into melaleuca forests. Despite its prevalence, very little is known about the ecology and stand dynamics of this invasive tree. We delineated large-, intermediate-, and small-tree stands in non-flooded, seasonally flooded and permanently flooded areas of Florida in 1997, measured their biological attributes, and then quantified litterfall components for 3–4 year periods. Melaleuca wood components and mature seed-capsules comprised the largest and the smallest portions of aboveground biomass, respectively, while leaves, fine stems, mature fruits, bud scales, floral structures, and residues represented decreasingly smaller fractions of the litter during the succeeding year. Dry weight proportion of leaves in litter was greatest (80.9%) in non-flooded and least (69.1%) in permanently flooded habitats. It was also greatest in small (85.6%) and least in large (64.7%) tree stands. Reproductive structures and mature-fruit fractions in litter were highest in large-tree stands whereas the bud-scale fraction showed no relationship to tree size. Seasonally flooded habitats had the most litterfall, wherein small-, intermediate-, and large-tree stands generated 0.662, 0.882, and 1.128 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively. Dry weight of stems, leaves, bud–scales, floral structures, and mature fruit fractions in litter increased as the predominant size of the trees in the stand increased. Total annual litter production was highest during 1999–2000. Leaf fall occurred year-round with maximal amount during April, July, and October. Highest amounts of bud scales and floral structures fell during October–January, which corresponded with flushes of vegetative growth and major flowering events. Overall, melaleuca alone accounted for nearly 99% of the total litterfall dry weight in all habitats and months sampled. The amount of non-melaleuca litter was greater in small-tree stands than in intermediate- or large-tree stands. Litterfall data of this nature will be helpful in detecting changes occurring in melaleuca canopies in response to biological control impact and in prescribing site-specific management strategies.     

Nutrient content and seasonal fluctuations in the leaf component of coark-oak (Quercus suber L.) litterfall

Nutrient content and seasonality of the leaf component in cork-oak litterfal were studied over a two year period in two cork-oak forest sites differing in biomass and edaphic condition in the north-eastern Iberian peninsula. Fallen senescent leaves compared to young leaves showed higher non-mobile nutrient concentrations and lower mobile nutrient concentrations, specially P, N, K, and Mg. At both sites, seasonal fluctuations affected both leaf production and leaf mineral content. The maximum leaf fall period correspond to the start of the vegetative growth and to the lowest N and P concentration in the falling leaves. The opposite was true for the winter, when litterfal was minimal and N and P content in falling leaves was at a maximum.The comparison between falling leaves and canopy leaves suggests that the analysis of fallen leaves can be a useful measure of N and P nutrition in cork-oak. We found site dependent differences in nutrient content and nutrient remobilization. In comparison with Q. ilex, although litter production was in the same range, nutrient retranslocation was greater for Q. suber.