Abstract
We investigated annual litterfall and leaf decomposition rate in a cerrado site. We collected woody plant litter monthly from April 2001 to March 2002 and from July 2003 to June 2004. We placed systematically 13 litter traps (0.5 x 0.5 m) in a line, 10 m one from the other. We sorted litter into 'leaves', 'stems', 'reproductive structures', and 'miscellanea' fractions, oven-dried them at 80 degrees C until constant mass and weighed the dry material. To assess leaf decomposition rate, we packed leaves recently shed by plants in litter bags. We placed seven sets of nine litter bags in a line, 10 m one from the other, on the soil surface and collected nine bags each time after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months. Total and leaf litter productions showed a seasonal pattern. Leaf litterfall was the phenological attribute that showed the strongest response to seasonality and drought. Decomposition was slower in the cerrado that we studied compared to a more closed cerrado physiognomy, reflecting their structural and environmental differences. Thus, decomposition rates seem to increase from open to closed cerrado physiognomies, probably related to an increase of humidity and nutrients in the soil.
Highlights
Litterfall transfers organic matter, nutrients, and energy from vegetation to soil and is a dominant link in the biogeochemical cycling of matter (Facelli and Pickett, 1991; Delitti, 1998; Liu et al, 2004)
We found 41.30% and 41.87% of litterfall in the first and in the second years, respectively, concentrated in only three months (July, August, and September)
Total litter production was negatively related to ARH (R2 = 0.48; F = 22.00; P < 0.01, Table 1)
Summary
Litterfall transfers organic matter, nutrients, and energy from vegetation to soil and is a dominant link in the biogeochemical cycling of matter (Facelli and Pickett, 1991; Delitti, 1998; Liu et al, 2004). Litter production depends on the vegetation form and the climate (Bray and Gorham, 1964; Leitão Filho, 1993; Liu et al, 2004). Its accumulation changes the physical and chemical environments, affecting plant community structure (Facelli and Pickett, 1991). Litter production and decomposition are processes linked through a positive feedback (Kitayama et al, 2004).
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