FOREST LITTER DECOMPOSITION AS AFFECTED BY EUCALYPTUS STAND AGE AND TOPOGRAPHY IN SOUTH-EASTERN BRAZIL
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Universidade Federal de Viçosa
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Forest litter decomposition is a major process in returning nutrients to soils and thus promotingwood productivity in the humid tropic. This study aimed to assess decomposition of eucalypt litter in theRio Doce region, Brazil. Leaf litter was sampled under clonal eucalypt stands aged 2, 4 and 6 years on hillslopesand footslopes. Soil and soil+litter samples were incubated at two levels of soil moisture, temperature andfertilization. C-CO2 emissions from soil measured during 106 days were higher at 32 °C than at 23°C, mainlyfor the 2-yr-old stand on footslope. When leaf litter was added on soils, C-CO2 emissions were eight timeshigher, mainly on footslopes, with no effect of stand age. Leaf decomposition in situ, assessed with a litterbagexperiment showed a mean weight loss of at least 50% during 365 days, reaching 74% for 2 yr-old standson footslopes. In comparison with data from the native forest and the literature, no apparent restrictionswere found in eucalypt litter decomposition. Differences between in vitro and in situ results, and betweeneucalypt and native forest, were most likely related to the response of diverse decomposer communities andto substrate quality.
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