Changes in the weight and nutrient composition of litter fall in three forest ecosystem types on coastal British Columbia

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Abstract
Changes in weight and nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) of foliage and twig litter fall were measured over an 18-month period at three positions along a topographic sequence of ecosystem types. Conifer foliage confined in litter bags was found to lose weight at the same rate on all three sites: about 35% after 12 and 40% after 18 months. Confined broadleaf foliage decomposed at about the same rates on all sites, but unconfined samples decomposed significantly faster on the lower, hygric sites, probably as a result of greater fragmentation losses. Twig weight loss of conifers was extremely variable, ranging from 10 to 28% after 12 months. The total mass of K, Mg, and Ca decreased over the study period in all foliage litter, while N increased and P was variable. K tended to be more mobile on the hygric sites. Ca was found to be the most rapidly lost element in almost all cases. It was concluded that the observed similarity in weight loss of conifer foliage on all sites is partially due to a confinement effect and partially to a substrate chemistry effect. The nutrient data suggest that there may be some differences in decomposition processes on the lower, hygric sites compared with other ecosystem types. This agrees with the observation that the humus form in the hygric site is different (duff mull) from that on the other two sites (felty mor).

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