Abstract
Litter decomposition plays a major role in the cycling of energy and nutrients in woodland ecosystems. The rates of leaf litter decomposition and the resulting nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) release were monitored over a 12-month period for Eucalyptus brookerana and two types of E. botryoides leaf litter under one population density trial of eucalypt short rotation forests. The results showed that the tree density had little influence on the rates of litter decomposition and nitrogen release, but had a significant effect on phosphorus release. The higher the population density, the slower the release. The total nitrogen and phosphorus retention in the litter increased at first, particularly for phosphorus under the highest tree density (9803 trees ha −1). There were significant differences between the rates of both litter decomposition and nutrient release among the three studied leaf litter types. Litter dry weight loss and nutrient release were faster from E. brookerana litter than from E. botryoides litter. Autumn was the main season for litter decomposition and nutrient release. Overall, short rotation forests should be managed rationally based on the fluctuation of litter decomposition, and nutrient cycling in the system to ensure a sustainable production system of land use.
Published Version
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