Characteristic of Forests Litterfall Along Vertical Spectrum on the Gongga Mountain

Abstract

This paper explored the quantity, characteristic and nutrient elements returned to soil of forests litter-fall along vertical spectrum on the Gongga Mountain. The results showed that the annual average litterfall of the evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest, the Abies fabri forest at 3050 ma. s. 1. and the A. fabri forest at 3580m a. s. 1. averaged 3811.017,2809.925 and 2908.501 kg. hm-2 .a-1, respectively; nutrient elements returned to soil of N,P,K averaged 66.577,34.850 and 40.758 kg. hm-2 .a-1, respectively. Annual litterfall of arboreal layer in nature forests declined obviously with the temperature and precipitation variation alone the ascending of altitude form 2200m to 3580m at the east slope of Gongga Mountain. In the litterfall in arboreal layer, the component of broadleaves died out gradually, the component of needle appears, the component of lichen moss, Miscellaneous occupied a smaller and smaller proportion.