Abstract: The investigation and researches were conducted to the contents of ash and nutrition elements of the litter in different plant communities which ranged 450～2 118 m in elevation and surrounded the highest peak of Wulingshan Mountain in Hebei Province.The results showed that the contents of various elements were divided into three categories which total calcium(Ca) and total nitrogen(N) at 10⁴ mg· 5kg^-1,10³ mg· kg^-1 for total phosphorus(P),total potassium(K),total magnesium(Mg) and total iron(Fe),and 10² mg·kg^-1 for total natrium(Na);The contents of various elements of the litter in different plant communities were founded significant difference.For forest communities,the highest total N content was determined in the litter of Juglans mandshurica forest,the highest total P for Populus davidiana-Betula platyphylla forest,the highest total K and total Ca for Tilia mongolica-P.davidiana-Quercus mongolica forest,the highest total Mg and total Fe for Picea meyeri forest,the highest total Na for Betula costata-Picea wilsonii forest.For herbaceous cluster community,the highest contents of total P,total K and total Mg were found in the litter of subalpine shrubbery meadow.The content level of seven elements showed the same order of total Ca> total N> total Fe> total K> total Mg > total P > total Na.The content of ash ranged 8×10⁴～38×10⁴ mg·kg^-1.The forest communities formed with P.meyeri,Larix principis-rupprechtii,B.platyphylla,B.costata,P.wilsonii and the communities of subalpine shrubbery-meadow and subalpine meadow showed relative high content of ash.And Pinus tabulaeformis-Q.mongolica forest showed relative low content of ash.

Key words: plant community, litters, ash content, nourishment element