Changes of several characteristics of native litter during its exposure in periodically flooded biotopes

Abstract

The litter-bag method was used to expose the native litter in five stands of three wetland communities (four of them were in a sedge-and-grass marsh and one was a willow carr) with increasing soil water content (a hydrosere) for 15 months in 1978 and 1979. The litter-mass changes, rates of litter decomposition, ash, N, P, K, Na and Ca contents were determined and expressed in terms of concentration and % remaining of initial amount of the respective element. Two main factors were distinguished that controlled the above characteristics: the overlying biomass effect that was most obvious at the end of August 1978, and the strong flood effect of spring 1979. The data on the living and dead plant biomass from all marsh sites and some data on climatic and hydrological conditions are also included.