Abstract

CASTELLANOS-BARLIZA, Jeiner  and  LEON PELAEZ, Juan Diego. Descomposición de hojarasca y liberación de nutrientes en plantaciones de Acacia mangium (Mimosaceae) establecidas en suelos degradados de Colombia. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2011, vol.59, n.1, pp.113-128. ISSN 0034-7744.

Litter decomposition and nutrient release in Acacia mangium plantations established on degraded soils of Colombia. Several factors control the decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems such as humidity, temperature, quality of litter and microbial activity. We investigated the effects of rainfall and soil plowing prior to the establishment of Acacia mangium plantations, using the litterbag technique, during a six month period, in forests plantations in Bajo Cauca region, Colombia. The annual decomposition constants (k) of simple exponential model, oscillated between 1.24 and 1.80, meanwhile k₁ y k₂ decomposition constants of double exponential model were 0.88-1.81 and 0.58-7.01. At the end of the study, the mean residual dry matter (RDM) was 47% of the initial value for the three sites. We found a slow N, Ca and Mg release pattern from the A. mangium leaf litter, meanwhile, phosphorus (P) showed a dominant immobilization phase, suggesting its low availability in soils. Chemical leaf litter quality parameters (e.g. N and P concentrations, C/N, N/P ratios and phenols content) showed an important influence on decomposition rates. The results of this study indicated that rainfall plays an important role on the decomposition process, but not soil plowing. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (1): 113-128. Epub 2011 March 01.

Keywords : Acacia mangium; soil plowing; litter bags; nutrient release; decomposition rates; soil reclamation.

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