Abstract
ABSTRACT The present study aimed to analyze the production and decomposition of litterfall in a fragment of secondary Atlantic forest in the region of Ibiúna, SP, from April 2012 to March 2013. The litterfall production was estimated by 30 collectors distributed randomly in an area of 1000 m2, where the deposited material was collected every 15 days. The decomposition of litterfall was estimated through the mass loss in the period of study. After collecting, the material was dried in an oven at 65 °C for seven days to achieve a constant weight. The decomposition constant k was obteined according to Shanks and Oslon (1961) and the time for 50% and 95% of decomposition was estimated. It was found a higher litterfall production in October (454.3 kg ha-1) and lower production in July (164.9 kg ha-1), with a total amount produced of 3.5 Mg ha-1 year-1. A delay of one month in the precipitation and relative humidity showed great influence in the litter production during the study. The decomposition rate (k) was 3.1 and the time to decompose 50% of the material was estimated in 2 and ½ months and for 95% of the litterfall the time was estimated in 11 and ½ months. The production and decomposition values of this work are within the range found in other sites of secondary tropical forests.
Highlights
Litterfall is an extremely important component within the forest ecosystem for nutrient cycling, as well as an indicator of the forest’s productive capacity
Tropical forests present an exuberant tree, shrubs and palm flora that depend on the balance of the nutrient cycling (PINTO et al, 2009), which highlights the importance of the decomposition in the system
Considering the region of Ibiúna city is between a preserved area of the Atlantic forest and one of the largest cities in the world, São Paulo, and the region presents some small fragments with important ecological meaning, this study intend to respond the following questions: i) what is the litterfall production in this site of secondary Atlantic forest? ii) what are the most important climatic variables that influence such production? iii) what is the decomposition rate in this forest fragment? the objective of this study was to evaluate the profile of litterfall production and decomposition in a secondary Atlantic forest fragment, in Ibiúna, SP, and to check the main environmental factors that most influence these biotic variables
Summary
Litterfall is an extremely important component within the forest ecosystem for nutrient cycling, as well as an indicator of the forest’s productive capacity. Tree composition, soil type and climate promote different amounts of litterfall production and stock (SANCHEZ et al, 2009; JESUS, et al, 2014), which is determinant for the decomposition rate. The amount of litterfall and its nutrients that are released to the ground by trees will reflect its productive capacity and its potential for environmental recovery, once it is possible to consider that changes will occur in the physical characteristics of the soil (COSTA et al, 2010). Tropical forests present an exuberant tree, shrubs and palm flora that depend on the balance of the nutrient cycling (PINTO et al, 2009), which highlights the importance of the decomposition in the system
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