• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.4 no.1_2
• /
• pp.38-51
• /
• 1981

The present investigation was estimated the effect of temperature, precipitatiion, and time on the decomposition of litters with litter bags of Pinus densiffora and Quercus mongolica at Gure where elevation in 50m, and at Nogodan where elevation in 1300m on Mt. Jiri. As the above results, decomposition model was proposed to relation of the environmental conditions. And was investigated the production and decomposition of litters from the stands of various forest communities in Kwangneung, Mt. Jiri and Mt. Halla. The results are as follows; The models for the decay of organic carbon (C) was as follows: $C=Coe^{-Kt}$ (limiting factor;time) $C=Coe^{-K'te}$ (limiting factor;tempedrature) $C=Coe^{-KnP}$ (limiting factor:precipitation) As observed in litter bag method, the decomposition rate of litter in Pinus densiflora was slower than that of Quercus mongolica. The higher elevation, the slower decomposition rate. The decomposition of litters at Gure where elevation in 50m was equally influenced by temperature and precipitation. But at Nogodan where elevation in 1300m was much inflenced by precipitation. The decay constant of litters was larger in hardwood forest than in coniferous forest. In the same species, the more elevatiion, the less decomposition constant. The time required for the decay of 50%, 95^, 99% of the accumulated litters in the forest floor were faster in hardwood forest than in coniferous forest. In the same species, the higher elevatiion, the longer time required.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 1985

The decomposition rate of litter and the number of soil microorganisms were measured on various slope directions in deciduous oak forest in Mt. Yongam. And the chemical constitutents of litter and soil were analyzed. The decomposition rate by slope directions followed the order east facing slope>south-east facing slope>north-west facing slope>north-east facing slope>north facing slope>south facing slope>south-west facing slope>west facing slope. Of the chemical constituents analyzed, original concentrations of Ca and carbohydrate were closely correlated with the decomposition rate. There was a close relation between the number of fungi and decomposition rate by slope directions. However, a little relationship existed between the number of bacteria and decomposition rate by slope directions. The number of fungi and concentrations of Ca and carbohydrate correlated to each other. And the number of bacteria is related to concentrations of phosphorus.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.110-117
• /
• 2016

Litter fall is a source of nutrients and carbon transfer in terrestrial ecosystems. Litter decomposition provides nutrients needed for plant growth, sustains soil fertility, and supplies $CO_2$ to the atmosphere. We collected the leaf litter of evergreen broadleaf tree, Camellia japonica L., and carried out a decomposition experiment using the litterbag method in Ju-do, Wando-gun, Korea for 731 days from Dec 25, 2011 to Dec 25, 2013. The leaf litter of C. japonica remained 42.6% of the initial litter mass after experiment. The decay constant (k) of C. japonica leaf litter was $0.427yr^{-1}$. The carbon content of C. japonica leaf litter was 44.6%, and the remaining carbon content during the decomposition tended to coincide with the changes in litter mass. The initial nitrogen and phosphorus content was 0.47% and 324.7 mg/g, respectively. The remaining N in decaying litter increased 1.66-fold in the early decomposition stage, then gradually decreased to 1.18-fold after 731 days. The content of P showed the highest value (1.64-fold of initial content) after 456 days, which then fell to a 1.15-fold after 731 days. The remaining Ca, K, Mg and Na content in C. japonica leaf litter tended to decrease during decomposition. The remaining K showed a remaining mass of 8.9% as a result of rapid reduction. The initial C/N and C/P ratio of C. japonica leaf litter was 94.87 and 1368.5, respectively. However, it tended to decrease as decomposition progressed because of the immobilization of N and P (2.78 and 2.68-fold of initial content, respectively) during the leaf litter decaying. The study results showed that N and P was immobilized and other nutrients was mineralized in C. japonica leaf litter during experimental period.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.231-236
• /
• 2007

This study examined the decomposition of blades and culms of aquatic emergent plant species, Zizania latifolia, Phragmites communis and Typha angustata, and changes in nutrient contents during decomposition. Z. latifolia, P. communis and T. angustata were the most frequently occurring species in Lake Paldang of Han River, Korea. Experiments were carried out from July 27 to December 14, 2005 in Lake Paldang using the litter bag method. The remaining masses of blade litter of each species at the end of experimental period were 21.2% of initial dry weight in Z. latifolia, 32.5% in P. communis, and 44.7% in T. angustata. In addition, the remaining mass of culm was 22.6% of initial dry mass in Z. latifolia, 56.4% in P. communis, and 38.1% in T. angustata. During the litter decomposition period, P, K, Na, and Mg concentration decreased rapidly within 10 days, but Ca and Mg concentration declined slowly. K contents remained below 10% of initial values in all litter samples retrieved during decomposition, whereas Ca and Mg concentration remained above 40% and 50% during decomposition in all three species. Na, P and Mn contents in litter varied among species and plant parts. P concentration in culms of P. communis remained at about 60% of initial concentration throughout the study, but the remaining P content in culms of Z. latifolia was only 10% of the original value at the end of the study period. The Mn concentration in blades of P. communis increased about 15-fold relative to the initial content by the end of experiment.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.57-65
• /
• 2005

In a forest ecosystem, the major source of soil carbon input is from litterfall and its decomposition. To understand the effect of litterfall and litter decomposition on seasonal variation of soil respiration and litter decomposition rates were measured in temperate deciduous forest in Korea. Annual litterfall collected from litter trap (1m x 1m) were 147.5 ± 8.2g Cm/sup -2/ yr/sup -1/ in 2003. About 47% of litterfall were Quercus serrata leaf followed by Carpinus laxiflora leaf (27 %), Carpinus cordata leaf (7 %), and others, such as other leaf, bark, branch, and acorn, were 20%. The decomposition rate was the highest in C. cordata (33.03%, k = 0.46), followed by C. laxiflora (25.73%, k = 0.30), and Q. serrata (24.17%, k = 0.28). The continuous measurement of soil respiration from January 2004 to December 2004 was carried out using AOCC (Automatic Open-Closed multi-Chamber system). The annual soil respiration rate was 629.6g Cm/sup -2/ yr/sup -1/ and the litter decomposition was 30.0g Cm/sup -2/ yr/sup -1/. The portion of litter decomposition rate on soil respiration rate was about 5%. From January to February, when the soil respiration rate was the lowest, about 11 % of soil respiration (7.4 ± l.4g Cm/sup -2/ month/sup -1/) were effected by litter decomposition rate (0.8g Cm/sup -2/ month/sup -1/). The highest soil respiration rate (111.5 ± 16.2g Cm/sup -2/ month/sup -1/) and litter decomposition rate (11.4g Cm/sup -2/ month/sup -1/) were showed in July to August. According to the regression analysis between soil respiration rate and litter decomposition, the soil respiration rate were related to litter decomposition with the correlations (r = 0.63).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 1993

This study was investigated about decomposition process of litter that is reduction pathway of phosphorus from plant body to soil That is, in each community of Miscanthus sinensis, SaSa palmalta. Artemisia princeps and Polygonum thunbergii, disappearing speed was calculated from total fallen leaves yield supplied as litter and litter existant yield. Besides, setting up litter bag that put litter in nylon mesh bag. calculated disappearing speed from decreasing speed of the weight of contents and then was compared and examined. The results obtained are summarized as follows : 1. Maximum litter yield was sequently Miscanthus sinensis＞SaSa palmalta＞Artemisia princeps＞Polygonum thunbergii, but, supplied litter yield was sequently Artemisia princeps＞Miscanthus sinenis＞Polygonum thunbergii＞SaSa palmalta. 2. Reduction speed of phosphorus from plant body to soil was Polygonum thunbergii＞Artemisia princeps＞Miscanthus sinensis＞SaSa palmalta. 3. Caculated disappearing speed using litter bag method was shown latter tendency than that of natural condition. 4. It was significantly negative relationship between N contents of litter and disappearing speed of litter.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.175-186
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to evaluate changes in the terpene composition of 3 types of pines (Pinus densiflora, Pinus thunbergii and Pinus rigida), while decomposing their leaf litter. Needle litters were placed at two different organic layer depths, one on the surface and the other beneath the litter layer. Changes in the terpene composition of this litter were detected using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. Among the monoterpenes acquired from the fresh needles of P. densiflora and P. rigida, $\alpha$-pinene (12.05% and 19.87%, respectively) was the major one, followed by $\beta$-pinene (2.90% and 14.07%). However, from the needles of P. thunbergii, $\beta$-pinene (20.77%) was the major one, followed by $\alpha$-pinene (10.79%). Among the sesquiterpenes detected in P. densiflora, trans-caryophyllene (3.12%) was the highest composition compound, whereas germacrene-D (6.09%) for P. thunbergii and 1,6-cyclodecadiene (7.41%) and endo-1-bourbonanol (7.41%) for P. rigida were the highest content compounds. However, the total amounts of terpenes decreased sharply by 40-85.4% in all three types of pine needle after 90-120 days of the experiment. The concentration of each terpene differed during decomposition, and the majority of compounds disappeared from beneath the litter layer. It was determined that three types of reducing patterns of each compound appeared on the rate of loss of concentration during decomposition; one pattern decreasing sharply during the initial period, another pattern steadily or slowly decreasing, and a newly detected pattern at low concentration occurring during decomposition.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.99-109
• /
• 2012

Litterfall dynamics in forests are assessed by estimating biomass production and decomposition. However, there have been few studies on how litter dynamics impact the health and management of ecosystems. Here, a new approach to measure and assess ecosystem function is presented based on conventional methods using littertraps, litterbags, and the mass on the forest floor. To assess the status of litter dynamics, the decay rate (k) was estimated from a litterbag experiment, and removal rates ($k_i$) were determined from mass balance on the forest floor at 21 sites on three mountains in South Korea. The $k_3$ (organic mass ratio of $O_i$ and $O_e+O_a$ + A horizons in November) values in an equilibrium state in South Korea were within the range of $k{\pm}0.174$ when considering the annual variation of litterfall production. This study also suggests that sampling sites for these types of studies should be in the middle, not at the ends, of steady slopes on the forest floor.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.319-325
• /
• 2001

Transport of colored papers and decomposition of leaf litter of Quercus mongolica, Acer pseudo-sieboldianum, and Kalopanax pictus were investigated on three patches differentiated by aspect and understory in a temperate hardwood forest. Two patches are represented by dwarf bamboo (Patch SS) and herbaceous plants (Patch S), respectively, Iying on a south-west-facing slope. The other patch (Patch N) is located on a northeastfacing slope with herbaceous plants. Colored papers were placed on the patches to understand the pattern of litter movement on the ground. Papers were move dispersed in Patch S than in the other two patches. Some of the colored papers placed in Patch S moved upward. The results suggest that the litter movement is affected by aspect and that the leaf litter is retained by dwarf bamboo in Patch SS. Decay constant of Q. mongolica was significantly (p＜0.05) lower than those of K. pictus and A. pseudo-sieboldianum. Decay rates of Q. mongolica were significantly different between Patches N and S and between Patches SS and S (p＜0.05). On the other hand, decay rates of the other species were not significantly different among the three patches. The results suggest that aspect and understory exert an influence on redistribution and decomposition of leaf litter and that the effects could be different among the plant species.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.501-511
• /
• 1994

Dynamics of nutrients, non-polar, water solubles, acid solubles and acid insolubles (lignin) in decomposing litter were investigated for 2 years in the oak, Quercus acutissima, and the pitch pine, Pinus rigida, stands in the vicinity of Kongju, Chungnam Province. Nitrogen and phosphorus conetrations in decomposing litter increased with time elapsed, however, potassium decreased rapidly within three months and then remined constant with time elapsed. Calcium concentration in needle litter during experimental period was lower than that of initial concentration in needle litter during experimental period was lower than that of initial concentration, and showed no significant variation with time elapsed. Calcium concentration in oak litter during the experimental period, however, were higher than that of initial concentration. Magnesium concentration in oak litter decreased repidly during six months, and then remaines constant thereafter. Annual amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium which returned to soil via litter decomposition in the oak and the pitch pine stands was $3.3g/m^2$ and $0.9g/m^2$ for N, $0.03g/m^2$ and $0.01g/m^2$ for P, $1.3g/m^2$ and $0.7g/m^2$ for K, $0.7g/m^2$ and $1.2g/m^2$ for Ca, $0.9g/m^2$ and $0.4g/m^2$ for Mg, respectively. Non-polar, and water- and acid-soluble fractions in decomposing litter decreased and lignin increased with time.