Three sites of semideciduous mesophytic forest were studied in the Tripuí Ecological Station aiming to verifying the litterfall differences according to the site disturbance degree. Samples were collected from July 1997 to August 1998, using ten 0.36 m² traps in each site. Litterfall in sites A1 (6.78 ± 0.65 t.ha-1.y-1) and A2 (6.58 ± 0.49 t.ha-1.y-1) were significantly different from that observed in site A3 (5.09 ± 0.58 t.ha-1.y-1) (ANOVA, p < 0.01). The three sites presented similar patterns of litterfall with peaking in september (Tukey test, p < 0.0001). The abundance of pioneer species was less important than stature of canopy in litterfall production in each site.
Litterfall; disturbance; semideciduous forest; Tripuí Ecological Station
