Highest Litterfall Research Articles

Litter Dynamics and Nutrient Contributions in Arabica Coffee Agroforestry Systems Under Varied Shade Regimes in the Central Western Ghats, India

Coffee agroforestry systems (CAS) are increasingly recognized as an effective climate change mitigation strategy due to their ability to sequester carbon. However, most studies on CAS have focused on the management and productivity of coffee plants, with limited attention to litterfall dynamics and their contribution to soil nutrients, particularly in Indian coffee plantations. In this study, quantified and compared litterfall dynamics in arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) grown under different shade patterns. Litterfall collected from designated quadrants was analyzed using standard soil testing procedures. Results showed significant variation in litterfall across treatments, ranging from 3.43 to 13.54 MT ha-1. The highest litterfall was recorded under exotic species shade with 13.54 MT ha-1, followed by native species shade with 11.68 MT ha-1. In terms of nutrient contributions to the soil, coffee grown under native species shade recorded the highest addition of nitrogen (301.37 kg ha-1) and phosphorus (22.19 kg ha-1), significantly exceeding other treatments. Conversely, potassium addition was highest under exotic species shade (257.30 kg ha-1). The findings suggest that coffee grown under a two-tier mixed shade system, comprising both native and exotic species, benefits from enhanced litterfall dynamics and improved nutrient contributions to the soil compared to unshaded systems. To promote soil health and sustainability, policy incentives should encourage the adoption and maintenance of two-tier mixed shade systems in coffee plantations.

Litter production and litter dynamics in different agroforestry systems in the arid western region of India

ABSTRACT Litterfall production, decomposition and nutrient release was investigated for three prominent agroforestry tree species, Prosopis cineraria, Tecomella undulata and Hardwickia binata, grown in the arid western region of India. The highest litterfall was recorded for H. binata (9.44 Mg ha−l y−1) followed by P. cineraria (8.94 Mg ha−l y−1) and T. undulata (3.74 Mg ha−l y−1). It took 15, 12 and 9 months for decomposition of 90% of the litter of H. binata, P. cineraria and T. undulata, respectively. Regression analysis showed that rainfall and air temperature had significant impacts on the decomposition process. Soil moisture and soil microbial biomass carbon showed high correlations (R2 > 0.70, p < 0.01) with litter decay. The rate of release of N (k N = 0.0014, surface (0–15 cm); k N = 0.0015, sub-surface (15–30 cm)) and K (k K = 0.0041, surface; k K = 0.0047, sub-surface) was highest from P. cineraria, whereas release rates of P were statistically equivalent for all species. N release from the decomposing litter increased initially, but then decreased as decomposition progressed. Concentrations of P, K and Mg in the litter decreased throughout the decomposition, with some fluctuations in P and Mg for P. cineraria and H. binata at the later stage. Ca release did not follow any specific trend. P. cineraria, with considerable amounts of litterfall, the highest nutrient inputs to the soil and the most rapid release of nutrients during the decomposition, was concluded to facilitate greater fertility build-up of the soil compared with the other two species.

Phenology and litterfall dynamics structuring Ecosystem productivity in a tropical mangrove stand on South West coast of India

Phenology and litterfall dynamics structuring Ecosystem productivity in a tropical mangrove stand on South West coast of India

Soil Changes in Model Tropical Ecosystems: Effects of Stand Longevity Outweigh Plant Diversity and Tree Species Identity in a Fertile Volcanic Soil

Plant or community longevity can strongly influence soil fertility, yet it is seldom among the functional traits considered in studies of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. For 11 years we tracked the influences of plant longevity, life-form richness, and tree species identity on 12 soil chemical properties in model ecosystems on an allophanic Andisol in the humid lowlands of Costa Rica. The design employed three levels of plant longevity: 1 year and 4 years (trees cut without biomass removal and replanted to same species), and uncut; two levels of life-form diversity (tree alone, or tree plus palm plus giant perennial herb); and three eudicot, non-nitrogen (N)-fixing tree species. The site’s Andisol proved remarkably resistant to treatment-induced loss of fertility. Although the magnitude of changes was low, most properties declined during the early phases of plant growth, then stabilized or increased. The greatest declines occurred in stands of shortest life span, where organic matter inputs were low and leaching rates were high. In contrast, massive depositions of organic matter every 4 years sustained or augmented surface-soil cation concentrations, pH, organic carbon (SOC), and extractable phosphorus (P). An increase in diversity from one life form to three led to more SOC and calcium (Ca), whereas potassium (K) decreased due to a species effect: high K uptake by the giant herb. The most notable tree-species effects concerned P: It increased under the species that had the highest litterfall and may facilitate apatite weathering; it decreased under the species of highest tissue-N concentrations. Through its effects on soil exposure and organic matter returns, plant longevity exerted greater influence on more soil properties than either diversity or species identity.

Patterns of litter production in a secondary alluvial Atlantic Rain Forest in southern Brazil

Above-ground litter production is one of the most accessible ways to estimate ecosystem productivity, nutrient fluxes and carbon transfers. Phenological patterns and climatic conditions are still not fully explained well for tropical and subtropical forests under less pronounced dry season and non-seasonal climates, as well as the interaction of these patterns with successional dynamics. Monthly litterfall was estimated for two years in a 9 to 10 year old secondary alluvial Atlantic Rain forest. Total litterfall was higher in the site with more developed vegetation (6.4 ± 1.2 ton ha-1 year-1; 95% confidence interval) as compared to the site with less developed vegetation (3.0 ± 1.0 ton ha-1 year-1). The monthly production of 11 litter fractions (eight fractions comprising the leaf litter of the seven main species of the community and other species; reproductive parts, twigs £ 2 cm diameter, and miscellaneous material) were correlated with meteorological variables making possible to identify three patterns of deposition. The main pattern, dominated by leaf-exchanging species, consisted of a cycle with the highest litterfall at the beginning of the rainy season, preceding by basically three months the peaks of the annual cycles of rainfall and temperatures. Other two patterns, dominated by brevi-deciduous species, peaked at the end of the rainy season and at the end of the non-rainy season. Tropical and subtropical dry forests that present the highest leaf fall gradually earlier than rain forests (as the studied sites) are possibly related to the start of senescence process. It seems that such process is triggered earlier by a more severe hydric stress, besides other factors linked to a minor physiological activity of plants that result in abscission.

A comparative study of four tree species used in riparian forest restoration along Uruguay River, Brazil

Silvicultural and ecological knowledge about tree species is basic to restoration planning, particularly in high diversity regions. Here we present a comparison of four native tree species from the middle Uruguay River basin, Brazil-Argentine frontier: Heliocarpus americanus L. (Malvaceae), Maclura tinctoria (L.) D. Don ex Steud. (Moraceae), Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) and Cordia trichotoma (Vell.) Arrab. ex Steud. (Boraginaceae). We obtained data on initial growth, light interception, litterfall and litter mineral contents. H. americanus presented the greatest height and the lowest value of height/crown width ratio. H. americanus and M. tinctoria presented the highest light interception rate (&gt;94 %) and highest litterfall (879 ± 151 and 792 ± 164 g·m-2·year-1, respectively). For the set of species, the lowest litterfall occurred between July and September. H. americanus presented the highest K concentration (1.13%) in the litter, while C. trichotoma had the highest values of Ca and Mg (6.35 and 2.02 %, respectively). S. terebinthifolius had the lowest light interception rate and litter mineral content.

Litterfall, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Inputs at Various Levels of Canopy Removal in Oak and Pine Stands in Northern Lower Michigan

-Relatively little is known about the comparative effects of varying degrees of canopy cover in oak and pine stands on litterfall quantity and quality, which in turn have a major influence on litter decomposition rates and nutrient cycling processes. Thus, changes in litterfall and nutrient (N and P) inputs were examined over the 1st 2 yr following various levels of canopy removal in northern red oak ( Quercus rubra L.) and red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) stands in northern Lower Michigan. Selective canopy removal in experimental plots resulted in 25% (50% during the 1st yr) and 75% canopy cover. Comparisons were made with uncut references, which had an average canopy cover of 85%. As expected, the uncut stands had the highest litterfall during the 2-yr period (oak, 393 g m-2 yr-l; pine, 430 g m-2 yr-'), whereas the most heavily cut stands (25% canopy cover) had the lowest values (oak, 118 g m-2 yr-'; pine, 104 g m-2 yr-'). A small amount of canopy removal (75% canopy cover) in red oak stands led to significant reduction of litterfall and nutrient inputs, whereas the same treatment in red pine stands had little effect. In contrast, litterfall following the 25% canopy cover treatment decreased more in red pine stands than in red oak stands compared to the uncut stands. Annual total leaf litter N inputs at the same canopy cover levels were higher in red oak stands than in red pine stands. Lower N inputs in red pine stands were attributed to the low N concentrations in needle litter throughout the year, not to total leaf litter mass differences. These results indicate that the amount and quality of canopy removal were key factors in determining litterfall and nutrient inputs in these stands.