Lignin, cellulose and nutrient deposition in litters of Bambusa vulgaris stands in a regenerating forest in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract

The lignin, cellulose and nutrient deposition of litters were assessed in four 0.06 ha plots of Bambusa vulgaris stands in a regenerating forest in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 35 years after ground fire, with a view to providing information on these parameters which are generally lacking in the forest ecosystem. The collected litters were sorted into leaves and twigs, oven-dried at 70 °C to a constant weight, ground and analysed for lignin, cellulose and nutrients. The total lignin and cellulose content in the litters showed significant (p<0.05) monthly variation. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in the monthly nutrient deposition of Na, Mg, K, Fe, N, P, Mn, Zn and Cu, but there was significant difference in the monthly nutrient deposition of C and Ca through the litter fall fraction (p < 0.05) in the bamboo stands in the secondary rainforest. The depositions of C, N, Ca, Mg and Cu were higher in the bamboo stands but lower in Na, Mn and Zn deposition in 1990 and 2013 studies. The bamboo stands contributed significantly to the carbon sequestration, nutrient dynamics and regeneration status of the forest.