Dynamics of litterfall in a chronosequence of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco) stands in the Beaujolais mounts (France)

Abstract

Litterfall is a major component of the carbon and nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems. Results of the present study are from a chronosequence of Douglas-fir stands monitored continuously for seven years. Aboveground litterfall was measured every three months, sorted by components, and analysed for major nutrients. Results make it possible to characterize the dynamics of organic matter and nutrient returns to the forest floor during stand development. Simple extrapolation was used to estimate the total return in litter, cumulated over a 70-year-rotation length. Already published data were collected in order to try to identify simple relationships capable of predicting the litterfall return from structural stand characteristics. These models failed to be predictive, due on the one hand to insufficient data, and, on the other hand, to data not always perfectly comparable. Litterfall is a quantitative ecological measurement necessary to validate the models of ecosystem function.