Synchronism of Production and Degradation of Litter in Fragment of Dry Tropical Forest in Paraiba, Brazil

Yasmim Yathiara Gomes Araújo Morais,Anderlon Arrais De Moraes Monte,Patrícia Carneiro Souto,Sérvio Túlio Pereira Justino,Valdirene Henrique Nunes,Jacob Silva Souto,César Henrique Alves Borges

doi:10.5539/jas.v11n6p308

Abstract

The litter is an important way of returning the organic matter to the soil, through the cycling of the nutrients, aiding in the development of the vegetation present in the ecosystems. The study aimed to estimate the spatio-temporal variation of deposition, accumulation and decomposition of the litter present in the preserved caatinga vegetation, located in the RPPN Fazenda Tamandu&aacute; in Santa Terezinha-PB, Brazil and the interference of climatic variables in the dynamics of these events. The research was conducted at RPPN Fazenda Tamandu&aacute;, in Santa Terezinha-PB, Brazil. The deposition of litter on 20 collectors of 1.0 m &times; 1.0 m was collected monthly in two periods: period I (August/2015 to July/2016) and period II (August/2016 to July/2017), the collected material was separated into leaves, branches + barks, reproductive and miscellaneous fractions. To estimate the rate of decomposition the litter accumulated on the forest floor was quantified using a 0.5 m &times; 0.5 m metal frame. The deposition of the total litter in periods I and II was 2,356.83 kg ha-1 and 1,163.67 kg ha-1, respectively. The leaf fraction was the one that contributed the most during the two collection periods. The analysis of the data allowed to conclude that the total litter deposition in the two periods is in line with the average production for the Caatinga. The increase in precipitation provided higher deposition of litter after the rainy season. Due to several factors, the decomposition of litter in the caatinga is slower than in other biomes.

Highlights

The return of organic matter to the soil and the cycling of nutrients in Tropical Rainforests are especially due to the deposition of the biomass of the aerial part, being the leaves fraction the main base for the development of the chain of decomposers and the main reservoir of nutrients for the soil.The greatest fall of the leaves, in ecosystems, is regulated by the smaller supply of water for the vegetation
In seasonally Tropical Rainforests such as the Caatinga, this mechanism is accentuated by the deciduous species, which is an inherent characteristic of most species in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil
The study was conducted at the Natural Patrimony Private Reserve (RPPN), belonging to Fazenda Tamanduá, located in the municipality of Santa Terezinha-Paraíba, Brazil, between the geographical coordinates of 7°00′00′′ S and 37°23′00′′ W, 18 km from the town of Patos (Figure 1)

Summary

Introduction

The return of organic matter to the soil and the cycling of nutrients in Tropical Rainforests are especially due to the deposition of the biomass of the aerial part, being the leaves fraction the main base for the development of the chain of decomposers and the main reservoir of nutrients for the soil.The greatest fall of the leaves, in ecosystems, is regulated by the smaller supply of water for the vegetation. The return of organic matter to the soil and the cycling of nutrients in Tropical Rainforests are especially due to the deposition of the biomass of the aerial part, being the leaves fraction the main base for the development of the chain of decomposers and the main reservoir of nutrients for the soil. Studies on the dynamics of nutrient cycling have been widely carried out in several forest formations, the litter is an important nutrient source for the maintenance of tree production (Rosa et al, 2015). Throughout the growth and development, the arboreal vegetation adds organic matter to the soil via deposition of litter and renewal of the root system, exerting influence on the physical attributes of the soil such as the density, porosity, aeration, water infiltration and retention capacity, as well as the formation and stabilization of aggregates. The tree component influences the cycling of nutrients and the ground fertility, besides promoting a microclimate that favors the development of several organisms

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Conclusion