Effects of Tree Leaf Litter on Herbaceous Vegetation in Deciduous Woodland: II. An Experimental Investigation

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Abstract
(1) Five herbaceous species (Endymion non-scriptus, Galeobdolon luteum, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis and Viola riviniana) were transplanted from woodland and grown in garden plots as monocultures and as mixtures, and subjected to treatments involving leaf litter from four deciduous tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior and Sorbus aucuparia) and an artificial plastic 'leaf' litter. (2) The yield of the two grasses was considerably reduced by the more persistent types of litter. The dry weights of the harvested grasses were closely related to the surface area of litter present in the various treatments at the end of the experiment. (3) In the other three herbaceous species, the morphology of the shoots appeared to facilitate their emergence from litter, and yield was relatively insensitive to litter treatment, although that of Galeobdolon luteum was increased in the presence of moderate amounts of persistent tree litter. (4) Comparison of the harvests from the monoculture and mixture plots suggests that by inhibiting the growth of potentially-productive grasses, persistent tree litter may benefit some herbaceous woodland plants which, although inferior competitors for resources, are well adapted to penetrate tree litter. (5) In Britain, persistent tree litter may often function as a major determinant of species-composition in the ground flora of deciduous woodlands.