Introduction: The litterfall production, foliar nutrient dynamics and decomposition are essential to maintain cycling, soil fertility, carbon regulation in terrestrial ecosystems. With several studies addressing the variation of these processes, their tropical dry forests (TDFs) remain unclear, due its complex interaction biotic abiotic factors. Objective: To evaluate litterfall, potential retu...

We document an example of a forested watershed at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory with an extraordinary tendency to retain dissolved organic matter (DOM) generated in large quantities within the ecosystem. Our objectives were to determine fluxes of dissolved organic C, N, and P (DOC, DON, DOP, respectively), in water draining through each stratum of the ecosystem and synthesize information on...

Abstract Background The homestead forests of Bangladesh occupy 0.27 million hectares (10% the total forested area) and have potential to store carbon (C) conserve biodiversity. Small scale forestry practices, however, are lacking reliable estimation C stocks tree species diversity. This may hinder successful implementation REDD + similar mechanisms as they concentrate on large-scale forests. st...

Non-native plants are invading terrestrial ecosystems across the globe, yet little is known about how invasions impact carbon (C) cycling or how these impacts will be influenced by climate change. We quantified the effect of a non-native C4 grass invasion on soil C pools and fluxes in a Hawaiian tropical dry forest over 2 years in which annual precipitation was average (Year 1) and 60% higher t...

We quantified the effect of overstory species composition on forest floor dynamics in lowland Costa Rica. Aboveground litter production and forest floor mass were measured over 1 year in 16-year-old single-species plantations established in a randomized complete block design with four blocks. The tree species investigated (=experimental treatments) were Hyeronima alchorneoides, Pentaclethra mac...

Aboveground litter production in forests is likely to increase as a consequence of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentrations, rising temperatures, and shifting rainfall patterns. As litterfall represents a major flux of carbon from vegetation to soil, changes in litter inputs are likely to have wide-reaching consequences for soil carbon dynamics. Such disturbances to the carbon...