Leaf-fall in a tropical rain forest.
Abstract
In Mora excelsa rain forests of Trinidad, leaf fall was heavy, from August to October and from February to April. For a single year the leaf fall was about 7000 kg/ha, which contained 60 kg N, 3 kg P, 11 kg K, 65 kg Ca and 15 kg Mg. Although representing only a small part of the nutrient reserves in the litter and surface soil, the nutrients supplied by the rapid decomposition of fallen leaves (0.45% per day) are thought to play an important part in subsequent tree growth as the feeding roots of Mora are restricted to the litter layer and the surface 5-8 cm of soil.