%0 Research article
%T Matter and nutrient dynamics of pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) and oak (Quercus variabilis) litter in North China
%A Liu, Chun-Jiang
%A Westman, Carl J.
%A Ilvesniemi, Hannu
%D 2001
%J Silva Fennica
%V 35
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.599
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/599
%X In the mountainous area of North China, a distinguishing feature of  climate is the serious drought of spring and the humidity and high  temperature of summer by which the litter production and decomposition  of forest litter were strongly characterized. We investigated the  dynamic and nutrient characteristics of litter in a 30-year-old mixed  stand of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) and deciduous orient  oak (Quercus variabilis Bl.) and two comparable pure stands. Oak  litterfall peaked in November and pine litterfall in December. The oak  stand had the largest annual litterfall (347 g m–2) and the forest floor  mass (950 g m–2), the mixed stand the second (236 g m–2 and 634 g m–2),  and the pine stand the least (217 g m–2 and 615 g m–2). The nutrient  return through litterfall and the storage in forest floor followed  corresponding order between three stands. The weight loss of pine and  oak foliage litter in first year was 25% and 20%. For senesced pine and  oak leaves, the translocation rates of N, P and K were 56–83%. Nutrient  concentrations were higher in oak leaf litter than pine needle litter,  and the concentration of N and Ca appeared to rise while K concentration  decreased in both decomposing litter.