A Study on the Production and Decomposition of Litters of Major Forest Trees in Korea

우리 나라 주요 삼림수종의 낙엽의 생산과 분해에 관한 연구

The production and decomposition rate of litters of major forest trees in Korea, such as Quercus acutissima, Quercus mogolica Robinia pseudoacacia Pinus rigida, Pinus thunbergiana, Abies koreana,Phy'llostackys reticulata, were estimated by Olson model. The amount of mineral nutrients in litters and soil were measured, and the relationships among them were studied. The annual litter production was the most in the forest of broadleaved deciduous trees and the least in the forest of monocotyledonous trees. The decomposition rate of broadleaved deciduous litters was higher than that of coniferous litters and lower than that of R. pseudoacacia litters. The time required for the decomposition of half of the accumulated organic matter of R.pseudoacacia litter, Quercus litter, P. rigida litter, Ph. reticulata litter, P. thunbergiana litter and .4.koreana litter in the forest stands were 1.263 years, 2.290~2.365 years, 2.644 years, 4.660 years,4.750 years, 6.699 years respectively. The amounts of N in litters and the amounts of N returned to the soil in the forests of R. pseudoacacia. Quercus, Pinus were proportional to the decay rate of organic matter. Key words: Annual litter production, Decomposition rate.