Leaf litter represents an important link between tree community composition, forest productivity and biomass, and ecosystem processes. In forests, the spatial distribution of trees and species-specific differences in leaf litter production and quality are likely to cause spatial heterogeneity in nutrient returns to the forest floor and, therefore, in the redistribution of soil nutrients. Using ...

forests of iran located on the southern border of the caspian sea cover 1.9 million hectares. the caspian forests are divided into four separate forestry areas. one of these being guilan influx area with total area of 565000 hectares. about 30 to 40 percent of guilan province forests are suitable to short rotation forestry for afforestation. slash pine (pinus elliottii) is one of the main exoti...

Assessment of forest carbon storage dynamics requires a variety of techniques including simulation models. We developed a hybrid model to assess the effects of silvicultural management systems on carbon (C) budgets in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantations in the southeastern U.S. To simulate in situ C pools, the model integrates a growth and yield model with species-specific allomet...

Litter decomposition is a keystone ecosystem process impacting nutrient cycling and productivity, soil properties, and the terrestrial carbon (C) balance, but the factors regulating decomposition rate are still poorly understood. Traditional models assume that the rate is controlled by litter quality, relying on parameters such as lignin content as predictors. However, a strong correlation has ...

Soil nutrient concentrations decreased in an aggrading southern Appalachian forest over a 20-year period. Construction of nutrient budgets showed significant nutrient sequestration aboveground including increased forest floor mass. We hypothesized that the changes in forest floor mass resulted from decreased litter decomposition rates because of decreased litter quality. In 1992 and 1993, we re...

Litter-dwelling thrips are an important component of soil macroinvertebrates in tropical and subtropical regions. However, little is known about assemblage composition, seasonal abundance and vertical distribution of litter-dwelling thrips. A survey of forest litter-dwelling thrips and other soil macroinvertebrates was conducted in an urban forest remnant at Guangzhou, China during 2004-2005 an...

Differences in forest productivity due to climate change may result in permanently altered levels of litterfall and litter on the forest floor. Using experimental litter removal and litter addition treatments, we investigated the effects of increased and decreased litterfall on early-stage litter decomposition and the abundance of meso-arthropods in a moist tropical forest. Litterbags containin...

South Chilean forest ecosystems represent one of the largest areas of old-growth temperate rainforests remaining in the Southern hemisphere and have a high ecological value, but suffer from deforestation, invasion by exotic species, fragmentation, and increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. To support sustainable forest management, more knowledge is required on nutrient cycling of these...

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 core...

Forests of Iran located on the Southern border of the Caspian Sea cover 1.9 million hectares. The Caspian forests are divided into four separate forestry areas. One of these being Guilan influx area with total area of 565000 hectares. About 30 to 40 percent of Guilan province forests are suitable to short rotation forestry for afforestation. Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) is one of the main exo...