Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:20:30.415Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Leaf nutrient dynamics of two tree species and litter nutrient content in Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve, Cameroon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Nicholas C. Songwe ,
F. E. Fasehun  and
D. U. U. Okali
Nicholas C. Songwe
Affiliation:
WWF Korup Project Mundemba, BP 2417 Douala, Cameroon
F. E. Fasehun
Affiliation:
Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
D. U. U. Okali
Affiliation:
Department of Forest Resources Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The variations in macronutrient concentrations of the leaves of Terminalia superba and Pycanthus angolensis were studied and the concentrations of nutrients in leaves before abscission were compared with those after abscission. The amounts of nutrients returned to the forest floor were also computed from litter fall data at the start of maximum annual fall in the Reserve. With the exception of potassium in Pycanthus angolensis, there were significant variations in the nutrient concentrations of the two species with the time of year. With increasing leaf age the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium declined in Terminalia superba while magnesium concentration decreased in Pycanthus angolensis leaves. Furthermore, calcium showed an increasing concentration in Terminalia superba with increase in leaf age. The concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium decreased before leaf fall. Estimated losses in nitrogen phosphorus and potassium before abscission were 44, 53 and 50%, respectively, whereas generally there was an increase (40%) in the concentration of calcium at leaf fall. Magnesium did not follow a definite pattern. The return of calcium through litter fall to the forest floor was the greatest of all the major elements. The distribution and variation of foliar nutrient concentrations in the leaves of Terminalia superba and Pycanthus angolensis and the importance of the amount of litter and the concentration of the various nutrients in the influencing soil fertility are discussed.

Keywords

Cameroonnutrient dynamicsretranslocation
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , January 1997 , pp. 1 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Alexander, M. 1977. Introduction to soil microbiology. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 128 pp.Google Scholar
Attiwill, P. M. 1968. The loss of elements from decomposing litter. Ecology 49:142–145.Google Scholar
Barton, J. C. 1948. Photometric analysis of phosphate rock. Analytical Chemistry 20:1068–1973.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernhard, F. 1970. Etude de la litière et de sa contribution au cycle des éléments mineraux en foret ombriophile de Coté d'Ivoire. Oecologia Plantarum 5:247–266.Google Scholar
Bremner, J. M. & Mulvaney, C. S. 1965. Total nitrogen, pp. 595–624 in Black, C. A., Evans, D. D., White, J. L., Ensminger, L. E. & Clark, F. E. (eds) Methods of soil analysis (Part 2) American Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin.Google Scholar
Evans, J. 1979. The effect of leaf position and leaf age in foliar analysis of Gmelina arborea. Plant and Soil 52:547–552.Google Scholar
Guha, M. M. & Mitchell, R. L. 1965. The trace and major elements composition of some deciduous trees. I. Sampling techniques. Plant and Soil 23:232–338.Google Scholar
Guha, M. M. & Mitchell, R. L. 1966. Trace and major element composition of leaves of some deciduous trees. II. Seasonal changes. Plant and Soil 24:90–112.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchison, J. & Dalziel, J. M. 1954–1972. Flora of West Tropical Africa (2nd Edition) Keay, R. W. J. & Hepper, F. N. (eds). Crown Agents, London, England.Google Scholar
Jackson, M. L. 1958. Soil chemical analysis. Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 168 pp.Google Scholar
Klinge, H. W. & Rodrigues, W. 1968. Litter production in an area of Amazon Terra Firma II. Mineral nutrient of litter. Amazoniana 1:303–310.Google Scholar
Lamb, D. 1976. Variation in foliar concentration of macro and micro elements in fast growing tropical eucalypts. Plant and Soil 45:477–492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laudelout, H. & Meyer, J. 1954. Les cycles d'element mineraux et de matière organique en forêt équatoriale Congolaise pp. 267–272. Transactions of the 5th International Congress on Soil Science.Google Scholar
Lim, M. T. 1978. Litter fall and mineral nutrient content of litter in Pasoh Forest Reserve Malayan Nature Journal 30:73–380.Google Scholar
McHargue, T. S. & Roy, W. R. 1932. Mineral and nutrient of the leaves of some forest trees at different times of the growing season. Botanical Gazette 94:381–394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nye, P. H. 1961. Organic matter and nutrient cycle under moist tropical forest. Plant and Soil 13:333–346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puri, G. & Gupta, A. C. 1954. Seasonal variation in foliar ash composition of some Indian forest trees. Journal of Indian Botanical Society 33:282–293.Google Scholar
Richards, P. W. 1952. The tropical rain forest. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Selman, A., Waksman, S. A. & Tenney, F. C. 1928. Composition of natural organic material and decomposition in the soil. III. The influence of the nature of plant on the rigidity of decomposition. Soil Science. 26:155–170.Google Scholar
Singh, K. P. 1968. Litter production and nutrient turnover in the deciduous forest of varanasi. Pp. 655–664. in Recent advances in tropical ecology, Varansi, India.Google Scholar
Singh, K. P. 1969. Nutrient concentration in leaf litter of 10 important tree species of the deciduous forest at Varanasi. Tropical Ecology 10:83–95.Google Scholar
Songwe, N. C. 1984. Litter production and decomposition in a tropical rainforest, Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve, Cameroon. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.Google Scholar
Songwe, N. C. & Fasehun, E. 1991. Leaf consumption and weight loss prior to leaf fall in a tropical rain forest. Nigerian Journal of Forestry 21:7–12.Google Scholar
Songwe, N. C. & Fasehun, F. E. & Okali, D. U. U. 1988. Litter fall and productivity in a tropical rainforest, Southern Bakundu Forest Reserve, Cameroon. Journal of Tropical Ecology 4:24–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vitousek, P. M. & Sandford, R. L. 1986. Nutrient cycling in moist forest. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 17:139–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wareing, P. F. & Phillips, I. D. J. 1978. The control of growth and differentiation in plants. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 283 pp.Google Scholar
Wells, C. G. & Metz, L. T. 1963. Variation in nutrient content of loblolly pine needles with season, soil and position on the crown. Proceedings of the Soil Science Society of America 27:90–93.Google Scholar