Abstract
Foliar litterfall nutrient concentrations were analysed for selected members of Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae families andPseudotsuga menziesii for two arboreta in western Oregon and Washington. Nutrient results between arboreta show similar concentrations with the exception of magnesium, which may be the result of historical land use. Nutrient concentrations between species vary considerably.Pseudotsuga menziesii is particularly distinctive from the Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae by retaining large amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Taxodiaceae is distinctive by high concentration of Mg while Cupressaceae retains calcium, especiallyChamaecyparis nootkatensis. Results suggest that all members of Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae retain considerably more Ca than Pinaceae in foliar litter.
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Kiilsgaard, C.W., Greene, S.E. & Stafford, S.G. Nutrient concentrations in litterfall from some western conifers with special reference to calcium. Plant Soil 102, 223–227 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370707
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370707