A Comparison of Litterfall Dynamics in Three Coniferous Plantations of Identical Age under Similar Site Conditions

This study was carried out to evaluate litterfall dynamics in three adjacent coniferous tree plantations (larch: Larix leptolepis; red pine: Pinus densiflora; rigitaeda pine: P. rigitaeda) planted in the same year (1963), and growing under similar environmental conditions in the Sambong Exhibition Forests, Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Litter was collected monthly between July 2006 and June 2008. Needle, broad leaf and total litter inputs followed a similar monthly pattern in the three coniferous plantations. The amounts of needles, flowers, and miscellaneous litter were significantly lower in the larch than in the two pine plantations, while branch litter was significantly higher in the larch than in the two pine plantations. Average total litterfall for two years was significantly higher for the pine (5,475 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for red pine and 5,290 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ for rigitaeda pine) plantations than for the larch (3,953 kg $ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ plantation. Needle litter comprised about 73.1% of total litterfall for the rigitaeda pine, 70.8% for the red pine and 62.9% for the larch plantations. Our results demonstrate that litterfall inputs can be affected by tree species.