Southern Research Station

Title: Leaf Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Dynamics in Four Southern Forested Floodplain Communities

Author: Baker, Terrell T., III; Lockaby, B. Graeme; Conner, William H.; Meier, Calvin E.; Stanturf, John A.; Burke, Marianne K.

Date: 2001

Source: Soil Science Society of America Journal Volume 65, no. 4, July-August 2001

Description: Decomposition of site-specific litter mixtures was monitored for 100 wk in four Roodplaht communities: (i) a mixed oak community along the Cache River in central Arkansas, (ii) a sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.)-cherrybark oak (Quercus falcata var. pagodaefolia Ell.) community along Iatt Creek in central Louisiana, (iii) a sweetgum-swamp tupelo [Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora (Walt.) Sarg.] community, and (iv) a laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia Michx.) community along the Coosawhatchie River in southeastern South Carolina. Soil temperature, hydroperiod, and litter quality (C:N, C:P, N:P, lignin:N) were used to interpret differences in the rates of mass loss and nutrient dynamics. After 100 wk, litter mixtures retained 33, 18, 8, and 5% of original mass on the Cache, Coosawhatchie (laurel oak community), Coosawhatchie (sweetgum-swamp tupelo community), and Iatt floodplains, respectively, and these differences appeared related to hydroperiod. Decay rates were comparable to rates reported in similar floodplain environments. Net mineralization of both N and P was observed after 100 wk, but both elements accumulated in litter mixtures periodically. Differences in hydroperiod were observed among the four floodplain communities and decomposition of and nutrient mineralization from litter among them appeared to be inversely related to the number and duration of flood events. Litterbags containing leaf litter of a single-species (i.e., cherrybark oak) were also monitored on three of the four sites to compare decay rates and nutrient dynamics with the litter mixtures. On the Cache River floodplain, slower decay of poorer quality cherrybark oak litter suggested that titter quality drove decomposition under similar edaphic conditions.

Keywords: 

View and Print this Publication (691 KB)

Pristine Version:  An uncaptured or "pristine" version of this publication is available. It has not been subjected to OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and therefore does not have any errors in the text. However it is a larger file size and some people may experience long download times. The "pristine" version of this publication is available here:

View and Print the PRISTINE copy of this Publication (3.0 MB)

Publication Notes: 

• We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

 Get the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat reader or Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility

Citation

Baker, Terrell T., III; Lockaby, B. Graeme; Conner, William H.; Meier, Calvin E.; Stanturf, John A.; Burke, Marianne K.  2001.  Leaf Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Dynamics in Four Southern Forested Floodplain Communities.   Soil Science Society of America Journal Volume 65, no. 4, July-August 2001