Nutrient dynamics through fine litterfall in three plantations in Sabah, Malaysia, in relation to nutrient supply to surface soil

Abstract

To investigate soil amelioration effects by older tropical fast-wood plantations, we examined the fine litterfall and accompanying nutrient flux of a 20-year-old Acacia mangium site over 3 years under a wet tropical climate in Sabah, Malaysia. The litterfall of a Swietenia macrophylla site and an Araucaria cunninghamii site was also examined for comparison. Annual nitrogen (N) flux through litterfall (kg N ha−1) was larger in A. mangium (207–223) than in S. macrophylla (126–153) or A. cunninghamii (72–94), whereas annual phosphorus (P) flux through litterfall (kg P ha−1) was considerably smaller in A. mangium (2.7–3.4) than in S. macrophylla (7.5–15.6) or A. cunninghamii (7.8–9.2). N flux through litterfall, forest floor N, and N concentration in topsoil (0–5 cm) were in the order of A. mangium > S. macrophylla > A. cunninghamii, but other element fluxes were not related to concentrations in soils. Our findings suggest that topsoil N increased because of a large N flux from litterfall. We conclude that these plantation trees, including A. mangium have the potential to produce a N flux in litterfall for the rapid return of organic N to soils larger than or equivalent to that in adjacent primary forests. However, the litterfall of a single species may lead to deficits of a particular element and cause nutrient imbalances. Using a mixture of fertilizer tree species or applying mixed litter might be a better solution.