ABSTRACT
The nutrient cycling is influenced by the successional stage. However, there is disagreement in relation to the pattern of this dynamic. The present study aimed to evaluate the chemical attributes of the topsoil and litterfall in two abandoned plantations of the eucalyptus Corymbia citriodora in different stages of Atlantic Rainforest succession (PJ: young plantation; PM: mature plantation) at the União Biological Reserve, RJ. We tested the hypothesis that there is an increase in the nutrient contents in the topsoil and litterfall, the amount of litterfall and nutrient input to the soil, as the process of forest succession advances. We sampled the topsoil (depth of 0-10 cm; dry season/2008, rainy season/2008, dry season/2009, rainy season/2010) and litterfall (0.49 m2 traps; 1.0 m above the forest floor; twice a month; 366 days) in five plots (5 m x 20 m) in the areas of PJ and PM. The topsoil in the PM area presented higher content of total C and N, H + Al, and Mn. On the other hand, the values of pH, C/N ratio and content of K, Fe, and Zn were higher in the topsoil in the PJ area. No clear pattern was detected in terms of the P and Cu content in the topsoil. The annual litterfall was higher in the PM area, which presented higher content of total N and Mg, while higher C/N ratio and content of both P and Ca occurred in the PJ area. We did not detect differences in terms of total C in litterfall. The input of C, N, P, K and Mg to the soil were higher by litterfall in the area of PM, and there were no differences between PJ and PM in relation to the Ca input. We partly corroborated the tested hypothesis in relation to the nutrient content in topsoil, litterfall and nutrient input, and we completely corroborated the hypothesis in terms of litterfall.
Keywords:
nutrient cycling; Corymbia citriodora; natural regeneration
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