Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site
We investigated annual litterfall and leaf decomposition rate in a cerrado site. We collected woody plant litter monthly from April 2001 to March 2002 and from July 2003 to June 2004. We placed systematically 13 litter traps (0.5 x 0.5 m) in a line, 10 m one from the other. We sorted litter into �...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Instituto Internacional de Ecologia
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842008000300002&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1819064991880314880 |
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| author | MW. Valenti MV. Cianciaruso MA. Batalha |
| author_facet | MW. Valenti MV. Cianciaruso MA. Batalha |
| author_sort | MW. Valenti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated annual litterfall and leaf decomposition rate in a cerrado site. We collected woody plant litter monthly from April 2001 to March 2002 and from July 2003 to June 2004. We placed systematically 13 litter traps (0.5 x 0.5 m) in a line, 10 m one from the other. We sorted litter into 'leaves', 'stems', 'reproductive structures', and 'miscellanea' fractions, oven-dried them at 80 °C until constant mass and weighed the dry material. To assess leaf decomposition rate, we packed leaves recently shed by plants in litter bags. We placed seven sets of nine litter bags in a line, 10 m one from the other, on the soil surface and collected nine bags each time after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months. Total and leaf litter productions showed a seasonal pattern. Leaf litterfall was the phenological attribute that showed the strongest response to seasonality and drought. Decomposition was slower in the cerrado that we studied compared to a more closed cerrado physiognomy, reflecting their structural and environmental differences. Thus, decomposition rates seem to increase from open to closed cerrado physiognomies, probably related to an increase of humidity and nutrients in the soil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:39:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-31f86c53f539497b99d1ca74cf72d6e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1678-4375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T15:39:22Z |
| publisher | Instituto Internacional de Ecologia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-31f86c53f539497b99d1ca74cf72d6e72022-12-21T18:58:32ZengInstituto Internacional de EcologiaBrazilian Journal of Biology1678-437568345946510.1590/S1519-69842008000300002S1519-69842008000300002Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado siteMW. Valenti0MV. Cianciaruso1MA. Batalha2Universidade Federal de São CarlosUniversidade Federal de São CarlosUniversidade Federal de São CarlosWe investigated annual litterfall and leaf decomposition rate in a cerrado site. We collected woody plant litter monthly from April 2001 to March 2002 and from July 2003 to June 2004. We placed systematically 13 litter traps (0.5 x 0.5 m) in a line, 10 m one from the other. We sorted litter into 'leaves', 'stems', 'reproductive structures', and 'miscellanea' fractions, oven-dried them at 80 °C until constant mass and weighed the dry material. To assess leaf decomposition rate, we packed leaves recently shed by plants in litter bags. We placed seven sets of nine litter bags in a line, 10 m one from the other, on the soil surface and collected nine bags each time after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months. Total and leaf litter productions showed a seasonal pattern. Leaf litterfall was the phenological attribute that showed the strongest response to seasonality and drought. Decomposition was slower in the cerrado that we studied compared to a more closed cerrado physiognomy, reflecting their structural and environmental differences. Thus, decomposition rates seem to increase from open to closed cerrado physiognomies, probably related to an increase of humidity and nutrients in the soil.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842008000300002&lng=en&tlng=encerradosavannalitterfallleaf decomposition |
| spellingShingle | MW. Valenti MV. Cianciaruso MA. Batalha Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site Brazilian Journal of Biology cerrado savanna litterfall leaf decomposition |
| title | Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| title_full | Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| title_fullStr | Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| title_short | Seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| title_sort | seasonality of litterfall and leaf decomposition in a cerrado site |
| topic | cerrado savanna litterfall leaf decomposition |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1519-69842008000300002&lng=en&tlng=en |
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