Ecological studies of lowland forest in Barito Ulu, Central Kalimantan: II. litterfall and nutritional content
1999
Mirmanto, E. (Balai Penelitian dan Pengembangan Botani, Bogor (Indonesia))
A study on litterfall and their nutrient content has been conducted in the Barito Ulu Research Station, Central Kalimantan. Five plots of 50m x 50m were established to describe the forest structure and floristic composition. In each plot 10 of 1m x 1m litter-traps were emolaced on 25-28 April 1994, and litterfall (leaves, branches, flowers+fruits and miscellaneous) was collected twice at the mid and the end of month from May 1994 until May 1995. The litterfall chemical analyses were made for samples collected in May, June, July 1994 (dry season) and November and December 1994 and January 1995 (wet season). The mean annual total litterfall in the five plots was 8.4 t/ha/yr (range 7.3-9.5). The highest total litterfall was in October 1994 coinciding with the later part of dry season. The litterfall mineral-element concentrations and accession were below or within the range reported for other tropical forest. One the basis of Vitousek litter nutrient concentration hypothesis phosphorus tended to be more efficiently used than nitrogen. This mean that growth of forest would be expected to be more limited by phosphorus. However the results of fertilization experiment in this forest suggested that primary production of forest might be more limited by nitrogen. This is a new information that primary production of lowland tropical forest was also limited by nitrogen. The results in detail of the fertilization experiment will be published separately
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