Abstract
The litterfall and decomposition represent the main transfer of organic matter and nutrients from the vegetation to the soil surface and determine positive trajectories in the process of rehabilitating and restoring degraded ecosystems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contributions of organic materials and nutrients through the characterization of fine litter in an urban dry forest fragment. Litter production was monitored for one year by collecting 29 traps (0.5 m2). To evaluate leaf nutrient resorption, green leaves were collected from 5-10 individuals that represented the dominant tree species. Litter-bags (20 x 20 cm, 2 mm pore) were used for six months to evaluate the decomposition of leaf litter. Annual fine litter production was found to be 8 574 kg ha-1, with the Cordia alba species contributing the most leaf litter (1 134 kg ha-1) and nutrients (N: 6.16; P: 0.21; Ca: 4.72; Mg: 0.47; K: 1.27 kg ha-1). Decomposition rates (k constant) followed the decreasing order: C. alba (k: 4.6) > Machaerium milleflorum (k: 3.5). M. milleflorum and Albizia niopoides presented a pattern of rapid N and P release in the first 30 days, with more than 80 % and 60 % released from M. milleflorum and C. alba, respectively, by the end of the experiment. The litterfall monitoring carried out in this urban dry forest fragment revealed some important aspects of the functioning of an ecosystem as seriously threatened as the tropical dry forest. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 571-585. Epub 2018 June 01.
Highlights
On a global scale, dry forests represent 46 % of all of tropical forests (Cao, Yu, SanchezAzofeifa, Feng, Rivard, & Gu, 2015); in particular, tropical dry forest in South America covers an area of 268 875 km2, which represents 51 % of the total extent of tropical dry forest in the Americas (Portillo-Quintero & Sánchez-Azofeifa, 2010)
The largest contribution was recorded for total leaf litter (TL: 4.7 Mg ha-1, 55 % of TF), followed by woody material (WM)
The annual litterfall values obtained in the urban dry forest fragment studied were higher than those recorded in other successional tropical dry forests (0.9-6.8 Mg ha-1 y-1: (Descheemaeker et al, 2006; Kalácska, Calvo-Alvarado, & Sánchez-Azofeifa, 2005; Lawrence, 2005; Maass, Vose, Swank, & Martínez-Yrízar, 1995; Martinez-Yrizar & Sarukhan, 1990; Restrepo, Flórez, Osorio, & León, 2013), representing a valuable potential return of organic matter to these urban soils
Summary
Dry forests represent 46 % of all of tropical forests (Cao, Yu, SanchezAzofeifa, Feng, Rivard, & Gu, 2015); in particular, tropical dry forest in South America covers an area of 268 875 km, which represents 51 % of the total extent of tropical dry forest in the Americas (Portillo-Quintero & Sánchez-Azofeifa, 2010). Urban forests represent an integrated and coherent system of multifunctional areas, which are perceived as living spaces that fulfill important ecological, social and economic functions (Kulchelmeister, 2000; Ferrini & Fini, 2011) These spaces provide goods such as food and energy, and services such as macro and microclimate regulation, recreation, air quality improvement, noise control (Molina & Vargas, 2007; Lima, Staudhammer, Brandeis, Escobedo, & Zipperer, 2013). Ecosystem services are supported in ecological processes, such as nutrient cycling, through litter production and decomposition These processes represent the main transfer of organic matter and nutrients from the vegetation to the soil surface (Celentano et al, 2011), and determine positive trajectories in the process of rehabilitating degraded land and restoring ecosystem resilience (León & Osorio, 2014). The results of this study indicated the acceleration of these processes and the restitution of the nutrient cycle in these previously degraded ecosystems
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