Transport and decomposition of leaf litter as affected by aspect and understory in a temperate hardwood forest

Transport of colored papers and decomposition of leaf litter of Quercus mongolica, Acer pseudo‐sieboldianum, and Kalopanax pictus were investigated on three patches differentiated by aspect and understory in a temperate hardwood forest. Two patches are represented by dwarf bamboo (Patch SS) and herbaceous plants (Patch S), respectively, lying on a southwest‐facing slope. The other patch (Patch N) is located on a northeast‐facing slope with herbaceous plants. Colored papers were placed on the patches to understand the pattern of litter movement on the ground. Papers were more dispersed in Patch S than in the other two patches. Some of the colored papers placed in Patch S moved upward. The results suggest that the litter movement is affected by aspect and that the leaf litter is retained by dwarf bamboo in Patch SS. Decay constant of Q. mongolica was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of K. pictus and A. pseudo‐sieboldianum. Decay rates of Q. mongolica were significantly different between Patches N and S and between Patches SS and S (p<0.05). On the other hand, decay rates of the other species were not significantly different among the three patches. The results suggest that aspect and understory exert an influence on redistribution and decomposition of leaf litter and that the effects could be different among the plant species.

Key words:

• Aspect
• Decomposition
• Hardwood forest
• Leaf litter redistribution
• Patch
• Understory

Notes

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