Temporal dynamics and resilience of fine litterfall in relation to typhoon disturbances over 14 years in an old-growth lucidophyllous forest in southwestern Japan

• Published in: Plant ecology Vol. 208; no. 2; pp. 187 - 198
• Main Authors: Sato, Tamotsu, Kominami, Yohsuke, Saito, Satoshi, Niiyama, Kaoru, Tanouchi, Hiroyuki, Nagamatsu, Dai, Nomiya, Haruto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.06.2010; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied Ecology; Aya Research Site; Biodiversity; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botany; Broadleaved evergreen forests; Community & Population Ecology; Ecology; Ecosystems; Evergreen broad-leaved forest; Fluctuations; Forest canopy; Forest ecosystems; Forest litter; Forestry research; Forests; Growth; Leaf litter; Leaves; Life Sciences; Litter dynamics; Old growth forests; Plant Ecology; Recovery; Severe wind disturbance; Storm damage; Temperate rain forests; Terrestial Ecology; Trees; Typhoons; Japan; Severe wind disturbance; Evergreen broad-leaved forest; Recovery; Aya Research Site; Litter dynamics
• ISSN: 1385-0237; 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/s11258-009-9697-x

We examined fine litterfall fluctuations on a seasonal and annual scale for 14 years (1992-2005) in a 1.2-ha plot in an old-growth lucidophyllous (evergreen broad-leaved) forest within the Aya Research Site, southwestern Japan. The average total litterfall input was 6.32 Mg ha⁻¹, of which leaf litter accounted for 60% of the total. Two high-impact typhoons struck the study area in 1993 (T9313) and 2004 (T0416) during the observation period; however, the subsequent pattern of litterfall after disturbance was different between the two typhoons. T9313 disturbance caused a reduction of biomass (ca. 10% of basal area (BA)) and a sharp decrease in litterfall input following a massive input in 1993. On the other hand, T0416 caused a minor decline in litterfall input, accompanied by a relatively small reduction of BA (5.2% of the 2001 BA). In spite of large fluctuations, litterfall input increased year by year after the T9313 disturbance. In 2000, 7 years after T9313, leaf input showed no significant differences and recorded more than 90% of pre-T9313 levels. Re-leafing from typhoon survivors may play an important role in the recovery of litterfall input in this forest. This study demonstrated how one high-impact typhoon can alter the temporal fluctuations in fine litterfall in lucidophyllous forest ecosystems.