Successional and seasonal variation in litterfall and associated nutrient transfer in semi-evergreen tropical forests of SE Mexico

Abstract

Forest conversion to agriculture and grassland has been widespread in south-eastern Mexico. The productivity, functioning and carbon dynamics of secondary forests growing after abandonment of agricultural fields are expected to differ from those of primary forests. This study analysed whether forest age and seasonal variations affect the amount and temporal distribution of litterfall and associated nutrient transfer. Litterfall was measured across a chronosequence of semi-evergreen tropical forest in Calakmul, Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, and an index was created to evaluate the effect of land use intensity on litterfall collected in 16 stands from October 2012 to September 2014. Total litterfall ranged from 5.2 ± 0.6 to 7.1 ± 0.3 Mg ha -1 year -1 and peaked in secondary forest aged 10-20 years. Leaves contributed 84-91 % of total litterfall. The associated transfer of carbon ranged from 2.3 ± 0.3 to 3.2 ± 0.1 Mg ha -1 year -1 and of nitrogen from 62 ± 7 to 84 ± 4 kg ha -1 year -1 . Carbon and nutrient accumulation in the organic horizon (Oa) increased significantly with forest age. However, carbon in mineral soil (down to 0.30 m depth) did not increase over time. Peaks in monthly litterfall coincided with the dry season, with higher peaks in a year with lower rainfall in the dry season. Peaks were also higher in secondary forests than in primary forests, due to changes in species composition. Higher land use intensity reduced carbon and nutrient transfer through litter in regenerating secondary forests. Longer-term research is required to analyse the climate sensitivity of litter dynamics in these tropical forest frontiers.

Litterfall and Nutrient Dynamics in a Mature Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil

“…Greater depositions tend to occur in forests at advanced stages of development (Pinto et al, 2008;Calvi et al, 2009;Menezes et al, 2010). In some cases, greater deposition was observed in advanced secondary forests compared with mature forests (Aryal et al, 2015). Still for areas of secondary Atlantic Forest, values higher than those found in this study were reported by Abreu et al (2010) ).…”

Litterfall dynamics along a successional gradient in a Brazilian tropical dry forest

“…Few studies investigated differences in litterfall seasonality among successional stages in tropical forest (Lawrence 2005;Kalácska et al 2005;Chave et al 2009;Aryal et al 2015). In TDFs of Southern Mexico, Lawrence (2005) observed that seasonal variations in litter production were more pronounced in old secondary and mature forests.…”

Litter dynamics recover faster than arthropod biodiversity during tropical forest succession

“…Although changes in aboveground biomass are the primary driver of biogeochemical processes in secondary tropical forests (Powers & Marín‐Spiotta, ), the rates of recovery of litter dynamics vary broadly across forest types. In secondary forests, litterfall rates have been found to return to, or even exceed, levels in primary forest within the first few decades (Ewel, ; Brown & Lugo, ; Barlow, Gardner, Ferreira, & Peres, ; Aryal, Jong, Ochoa‐Gaona, Mendoza‐Vega, & Esparza‐Olguin, ). Litter chemistry is also expected to change during forest succession due to differences in tree species composition, leaf longevity, nutrient acquisition, nutrient resorption, and defense strategy (Coley, ; Santiago & Wright, ; Cornwell et al, ; Wood, Lawrence, & Wells, ) although the evidence suggests few consistent trends (e.g., Dantas & Phillipson, ; Martius, Höfer, Garcia, Römbke, & Hanagarth, ; Huang et al, ).…”