Fertilization and Tree Density Effects on Cellulose Decomposition in a Larix leptolepis Plantation

Cellulose mass loss by cellulose filter papers was measured for 3 time (35 days, 70 days, 105 days) incubation during the growing season (from May to September 2002) with different tree density and after fertilization in a Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) plantation. Cellulose mass loss rates were significantly different between tree density types and fertilization treatments during the study periods. After 105 day incubation of cellulose filter paper, cellulose mass loss rates were significantly higher in the low tree density (70.1 $\%$) than in the high tree density (49.9$\%$). Cellulose mass loss rates averaged 62.8$\%$ in the fertilization and 58.9% in the unfertilization treatments during the same periods. However, cellulose mass loss was not significantly different between the forest floor and the mineral soil layer except for 35 day incubation. The results indicate that cellulose decomposition rates are a useful index to express differences in organic matter decomposition activity in different tree density and after fertilizer treatments.