Comparative Local Case Study of Coniferous Forest Litter of the "Pinus halepensis Mill" in Arid and Semi-arid Areas of Western Algeria

Abstract

Forest tree species produce litter, which is the plant/soil interface that ensures the maintenance of soil fertility whose properties depend on the botanical species considered. The differences of properties are marked in the nature of the decomposition processes and the forms of humus which result from it. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics and biological activity of litter were compared in coniferous plots located in the semi-arid and the arid zones of western Algeria. The objective of this work was to characterize and compare the physical-chemical properties and microbiological characteristics of softwood forest litter in the semi-arid and arid areas of western Algeria. We analyzed the properties of 50 samples of Aleppo pine litter collected from five stations in each zone. Analysis results show a highly significant difference (p<0.05) in the physical-chemical properties between the semi-arid and arid zone: humidity (20.7% – 6.51%), pH (5.98 – 6.14), conductivity (0.42 mS/cm – 0.65 mS/cm), carbon (45.74% – 73.42%), nitrogen (1.17% - 0.86%) and C/N ratio (37.47 – 73.42). A comparison of the mean of microbial biomass and their efficacy reveals what is homogeneous in both zones, with a small difference in basal respiration. The heterogeneity of these results indicates that such observations still need to be made in other forests of the Algerian territory in order to better understand the functioning of forest ecosystems and the effect of climate on these compartments, especially soil.