Quantitative evaluation of nutrient status and stoichiometry on the forest floor is a good indicator of litter quality in various vegetation types. This study was conducted to determine the effects of vegetation type on the nutrient concentration and stoichiometry of forest floors at a regional scale. Forest floor samples were collected from four vegetation types of evergreen coniferous forests including Cryptomeria japonica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, evergreen broadleaf, and bamboo spp. forests in southern Korea. The dry weight of the forest floor was higher in the C. japonica and C. obtusa forests than in the evergreen broadleaf and bamboo forests. The mean carbon (C) concentrations of the forest floor were highest in the broadleaf forest, followed by the bamboo forest, C. japonica and C. obtusa forests. Mean nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations in the the coniferous forests were lower than those in the broadleaf and bamboo forests. The mean C:N ratio was the highest in C. obtusa forest (118±25), followed by C. japonica (66±6), evergreen broadleaf (41±1), and bamboo (30±1) forests. However, C:P and N:P ratios were lower in the coniferous forests than in the broadleaf forest indicating that the stoichiometry of the forest floor varies across vegetation types. The C, N, and P stocks on the forest floor were higher in the C. obtusa forest than in the broadleaf or bamboo forests. These results highlight that vegetation type-dependent stoichiometric ratio is an useful indicator for understanding interspecific difference in quality and quantity of the forest floor.
목차
Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Study site Nutrient analysis of forest floor Data analysis Results and Discussion Conclusion Acknowledgements References
키워드
bambooChamaecyparis obtusaCryptomeria japonicanutrient cyclingnutrient ratio
저자
Choonsig Kim [ Division of Environmental and Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea ]
Nam Jin Noh [ Division of Forest Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea ]
Corresponding Author