• Medientyp: E-Artikel
  • Titel: Litter Production and Forest Floor Nutrient Dynamics in Pine and Hardwood Stands of New Brunswick, Canada
  • Beteiligte: MacLean, David A.; Wein, Ross W.
  • Erschienen: Munksgaard International Booksellers and Publishers, 1978
  • Erschienen in: Holarctic Ecology
  • Sprache: Englisch
  • ISSN: 0105-9327
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  • Beschreibung: <p> Biomass and nutrient transfer (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) of overstory (branches and leaves) and understory litter fall were examined over a two year period in four jack pine stands aged 16, 29, 49 and 57 years and four mixed hardwood stands aged 7, 17, 20 and 29 years. Relative amounts of the five nutrients in litter fall for both series of stands were N &gt; K ≶ Ca &gt; P = Mg. Return of mineral elements to the forest floor was generally twice as high on the hardwood stands as for similarly aged pine stands. Overall return of nutrients plotted versus stand age generally exhibited a plateau relationship, with relatively little difference among stands; however, some exceptions occurred. Understory contribution to litter fall was very important on these stands, since in most cases the nutrient mass in understory litter was usually similar to or higher than that from the tree layer. Data on forest floor biomass, nutrient distribution and turnover rates of these stands were also presented; mobility of nutrients in the forest floor was in the order K &gt; Mg ≥ P ≥ Ca ≥ N. </p>