Litter fall and litter layer decay in coastal scrub at Sydney, Australia.

Abstract

Seasonal litter fall and changes in dry weight and minerals within the litter layer were sampled throughout one year. The annual total litter fall was 4.9 t per hectare of which 70% was leaf fall. Litter fall was highest in spring and early summer, the falls of each component (leaf, wood, etc.) and species being markedly seasonal but not all in phase. The annual amounts of minerals cycling as litter fall ranged from 44 kg N to 2 kg P per hectare. Mineral concentrations of the litter fall underwent seasonal variation and in the case of potassium were related to rainfall. The litter layer, mean biomass 19 t ha-1, declined in weight at a rate of 2.4% per week between spring and summer. The mean turnover time for the dry weight of the litter layer was 3.8 years and for the mineral approx. 1 year (K, Cl) or in excess of 3 years (P, Ca, S, Mg and N).