LITTER PRODUCTION AND NUTRIENT CHARACTERISTICS OF ABIES FARGESII NATURAL FOREST IN SHENNONGJIA NATURE RESERVE, HUBEI, CHINA

Aims Forest litter contains many components, including remains of leaves, twigs, flowers and fruits, and is important in the transfer of energy and nutrients to the soil and plants by decomposition. Our objective is to study the functions of forest litter by analyzing litter production, nutrient concentration and nutrient return. Methods We focused on litter production and nutrients by collecting litter from Abies fargesii natural forest and analyzing it in the lab. Important findings Annual litter production was 5 702.99 kg·hm–2, which approximates litter production in the subtropics. The majority was leaf litter, accounting for 46.00% of total production. The annual pattern exhibited two peaks: October–November 2006 and April–May 2007. The rankings of nutrient concentration and nutrient return were: NKCaPMg. With its large production, leaf litter also had the largest nutrient return.