One study was made to evaluate litter production in different fruitful coverings and forest components of a multistrata agroforestry system located in Ouro Preto do Oeste district (RO), Brazil. The studied species were: mango tree (Mangifera indica L.), breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg), cupuassu tree (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum), avocado tree (Persea Americana Mill.), shaded cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) with "gliricídia" (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp.) and the forest species were "bandarra" (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) and teak (Tectona grandis L.f.). As reference an 8-year-old natural vegetation area was used. The annual litter production from October, 2002 to September, 2003, was 13,38 t ha-1 for natural vegetation, 4,02 t ha-1 for "bandarra", 3,43 t ha-1 for "gliricídia", 2,86 t ha-1 for avocado tree , 2,54 t ha-1 for breadfruit tree, 1,40 t ha-1 for cupuassu tree, 1,16 t ha-1 for the cocoa tree, 1,12 t ha-1 for Mango tree and 1,07 t ha-1 for teak. The natural vegetation, "bandarra" and cocoa tree presented a higher deposition in dry period (summer), while breadfruit tree, mango tree, teak and avocado tree, presented the highest deposition in the wet period (winter). The accumulated litter on the soil was 14,6 t ha-1in mango tree, 12,8 t ha-1 in "bandarra", 12,73 t ha-1 in the natural vegetation, 12,0 t ha-1 in avocado tree, 9,87 t ha-1 in the shaded cocoa tree with "gliricídia", 9,88 t ha-1 in cupuassu tree, 9,0 t ha-1 in breadfruit tree and 7,39 t ha-1 in teak.
Amazonian area; agroforestry systems; fertility; litter production; litter decomposition
