Abstract:

Litter on forest floor was collected and sampled in 14 different patterns of planting arrangement in the protective greenbelt in northern Karamay, China. Vertical distribution of the litter in the forest floor was investigated and the dry mass and chemical composition of litter were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the litter dry weight on the forest floor varied from about 117.34 -719.36 g ·m^-2. The planting pattern with trees and shrubs mixed by rows had significantly (P<0.05) greater dry weight than other patterns. The litter pools in the different sampling layers of the forest floor displayed in an order of the litter layer > fermentation layer > humus layer. Leaf litter was the main component, accounting for 97.0%-53.8% of the litter mass. Branch (bark) contents varied among the different arrangement patterns, and flowers (fruits) accounted for the smallest proportion of the forest floor litter. Nutrient contents and storage on the forest floor differed greatly among the arrangement patterns, and they were higher in the pattern with both trees and shrubs (Amorpha fruticosa) mixed by rows. The content of organic C was the highest, the total Ca was the second, the total P the lowest and the other nutrients also lower. The nutrients storage was mainly in the litter layer and the fermentation layer.

Key words: protective greenbelt, litter standing crop, nutrient storage, Karamay