Ecological Studies on Subtropical Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest in Okinawa, Japan: Litter Production and Nutrient Input

Abstract

Patterns of litterfall and nutrient input in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Okinawa, Japan, were studied during May, 1996–April, 1999. The mean annual rate of litterfall in the five sampling plots ranged from 6.84 to 8.93 Mg ha− 1 yr− 1, of which 63.3–68.5% were leaves; 22.4–29.1% woody parts (including branches < 5.0 cm in diameter and bark); 2.8–5.0% sexual organs and 4.6–6.3% miscellaneous material. Significant differences were found among plots and among years. Significantly monthly differences pronounced seasonal patterns in litterfall were observed. Total litterfall and leaf litter showed negative correlations with relative basal area of the dominant species,Castanopsis sieboldii; and showed positive correlations with mean height of the stands. The dominant species,C. sieboldii produced an average of 2.36 Mg ha − 1 yr − 1 of leaf litter, which covered 30.5% of the annual litter production, and the nutrient input from those litterfall contributed 32.3, 28.3, 30.2, 22.2, 32.5, and 30.5% of total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na, respectively. Nutrient use efficiency in litter production was high, especially for P and K compared with other broad-leaved forests in Japan indicating that P and K may be limiting in Okinawan evergreen broad-leaved forest.