The Natural Addition of Nitrogen, Potassium and Calcium to a Pinusbanksiana Lamb. Forest Floor

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Abstract
Nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) in litter-fall, throughfall and stemflow were measured over a 24-week summer-autumn period in a 30-year-old Pinus banksiana Lamb, stand. Litter-fall from the forest canopy was the major contributor of N; whereas throughfall contributed the most K to the forest floor during the study period. Stemflow accounted for a very small proportion of the nutrients received by the forest floor. Additions of K and Ca from through fall were greater than those from litter-fall in July and August, a period of low organic additions to the forest floor. Tree litter-fall increased in the autumn. Nitrogen concentration of this litter-fall decreased from a high of 0.92% in early summer to a low of 0.21% in autumn; whereas Ca concentration increased from a July low of 0.16% to an autumn high of 0.57%.During September–November, overstory and understory vegetation contributed the greatest quantities of N; the overstory gave the most Ca, and the overstory, understory, and throughfall all added large amounts of K to the forest floor.

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