Abstract
The effects of fertilizer treatment on nutrient transfers to the forest floor were examined in regrowth Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell. forest. Dry weight and nutrient content of leaf litterfall and total litterfall were measured for 3 years in a stand to which two levels of N (0, 200 kg ha-1 year-1) were applied each year at each of three levels of a single initial application of P (0, 30, 200 kg ha-1). Annual accessions of litter to the forest floor were significantly increased by additions of both N (by 17%, 18% and 21% in the 3 years) and 200 kg P ha-1 (by 8%, 8% and 4% in the 3 years) but there was no interaction between effects of N and P treatments. Fertilizer application also had a significant effect on the nutrient content of leaf litterfall and total litterfall. Concentration of N in leaf litterfall was 9% to 23% greater on plots treated with N fertilizer compared to untreated plots. The amounts of N in litterfall were about 30% greater on N-treated compared to untreated plots. On plots treated with 200 kg P ha-1, P concentrations in leaf litter were 50% to 100% greater than in litter from plots receiving no P. Application of 200 kg P ha-1 increased the amounts of P in annual litterfall by 32% to 87%. The greatest increase in P accessions occurred soon after fertilizer treatment. The amounts of Ca, K, and Na in litterfall were also significantly increased by fertilizer application. For Ca and K this was due partly to increases in element concentrations in litterfall following application of treatments. The effect of fertilizers on internal recycling of plant nutrients and on litter accumulation and nutrient dynamics in forest floor litter is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson J. M. 1973. The breakdown and decomposition of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill) and beech (Fagus sylvatia L.) leaf litter in two deciduous woodland soils. Oecologia 12: 275–88.
Attiwill P. M., Guthrie H. B., and Leuning R. 1978. Nutrient cycling in a Eucalyptus obliqua (L'Herit) forest. I. Litter production and nutrient return. Aust. J. Bot. 26: 79–91.
Bray J. R., and Gorham E. 1964. Litter production in forests of the world. Adv. Ecol. Res. 2: 101–57.
Debell D. S., and Ralston C.W. 1970. Release of nitrogen by burning light forest fuels. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 34: 396–8.
Gholz H. L., Perry C. S., Cropper W. P., and Hendry L. C. 1985. Litterfall, decomposition, and nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in a chronosequence of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) plantations. For. Sci. 31: 463–78.
Grove T. S. 1988. Growth responses of trees and understorey to applied nitrogen and phosphorus in karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forest. For. Ecol. Manage. 23: 87–103.
Grove T. S. 1990. Twig and foliar nutrient concentrations in relation to nitrogen and phosphorus supply in a eucalypt (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) and an understorey legume (Bossiaea laidlawiana Tovey and Morris). Plant and Soil 126: 265–75.
O'Connell A. M. 1985. Nutrient accessions to the forest floor in karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) forests of varying age. For. Ecol. Manage. 10: 283–96.
O'Connell A. M. 1986. Effect of legume understorey on decomposition and nutrient content of eucalypt forest litter. Plant Soil 92: 235–48.
O'Connell A. M. 1988. Nutrient dynamics in decomposing litter in karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) forests of south-western Australia. J. Ecol. 76: 1186–1203.
O'Connell A. M., and Menage P. M. A. 1982. Litterfall and nutrient cycling in karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell.) forest in relation to stand age. Aust. J. Ecol. 7: 49–62.
O'Connell A. M., Grove T. S., and Dimmock G. M. 1978. Nutrients in litter on jarrah forest soils. Aust. J. Ecol. 3: 253–60.
Raison R. J., Khanna P. K., and Woods P. V. 1985. Mechanisms of element transfer to the atmosphere during vegetation fires. Can. J. For. Res. 15: 132–40.
Specht R. L. 1970. Vegetation, pp. 44–67. In: G. W.Leeper (Ed) The Australian Environment. CSIRO and Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Stace H. C. T., Hubble G. D., Brewer R., Northcote K. H., Sleeman J. R., Mulcahy M. J., and Hallsworth E. G. 1968. A Handbook of Australian Soils. Rellim Technical Publications, Glenside, SA.
Williams S. T., and Gray T. R. G. 1974. Decomposition of litter on the soil surface, pp. 611–32. In: C. H.Dickinson and G. J. F.Pugh (Eds) Biology of Plant Litter Decomposition. Academic Press, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
O'Connell, A.M., Grove, T.S. Influence of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on amount and nutrient content of litterfall in a regrowth eucalypt forest. New Forest 7, 33–47 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037470
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00037470