Nutrient Return to the Soil Through Litterfall and Throughfall Under Beech and Pine Stands of Sierra de la Demanda, Spain

Abstract

The present work was within a general study on nutrient cycling in two forest ecosystems in the Sierra de la Demanda: a climax beech forest (Fagus sylvatica L.) and a reforested plantation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) on land suitable for beech. The work aimed at estimating bioelement return to soil through the litterfall and throughfall with a view to defining their role in the soil and, more generally, in ecosystem bioelement dynamics. It was concluded that nutrient return to the soil by the litter was higher under beech compared to pine for all analyzed elements (P : 0.23¨0.11 kg ha -1 a -1 ; Ca: 17.4¨12.8 kg ha -1 a -1 ; Mg: 4.0¨2.0 kg ha -1 a -1, and K : 11.5¨5.7 kg ha -1 a -1) except N (19.8¨23.3 kg ha -1 a -1). Annual differences were due to different amounts of plant organs produced, especially fruits and owers. Approximately 64% of the water reaching the soil was accounted for by throughfall in the beech forest while in the pine stand this was 51.6%. Stemflow accounted for 6.5% in the beech forest and 0.5% in pine forest. Interception represented 30.0% and 47.9%. These values fluctuated monthly, depending on the characteristics of the rainfall.