A litterbasket technique for measurement of nutrient dynamics in forest floors

Blair, J.M., Crossley, D.A., Jr. and Callaham, L.C., 1991. A litterbasket technique for measurement of nutrient dynamics in forest floors. Agric. Ecosystems Environ., 34: 465-471. We describe a litterbasket technique for quantifying litter decomposition and changes in litter and forest floor nutrient pools over time. Litterbaskets are constructed of wire hardware cloth, 10x10x10 cm. Intact cores, removed from forest floors, are separated into individual strata (litter layer, F-layer, soil) with plastic window screen. The core is reassembled in the litterbasket, which is replaced in the hole from which the core was removed. Pre-weighed aliquots of experimental substrates can be added to replace the litter layer. The advantages of the litterbasket method include: (1) reduced microclimatic effects relative to litter enclosed in litterbags; (2) allowance for input of exogenous radioactive or stable isotope tracers; (3) quantification of changes in nutrient contents in the various layers of the forest floor over time; (4) easy extraction, of invertebrates and quantification of microbial populations from individual horizons; (5) the ability to quantify the movement of radioactive or stable tracers from litter through the forest floor profile over time. Preliminary results from experiments are summarized to illustrate the utility of this technique.