Accumulated organic matter, litterfall production, and decomposition tell us the status of litter dynamics in forests

Litterfall dynamics in forests are assessed by estimating biomass production and decomposition. However, there havebeen few studies on how litter dynamics impact the health and management of ecosystems. Here, a new approach tomeasure and assess ecosystem function is presented based on conventional methods using littertraps, litterbags, andthe mass on the forest floor. To assess the status of litter dynamics, the decay rate (k) was estimated from a litterbag experiment,and removal rates (ki) were determined from mass balance on the forest floor at 21 sites on three mountainsin South Korea. The k3 (organic mass ratio of Oi and Oe + Oa + A horizons in November) values in an equilibrium state inSouth Korea were within the range of k ± 0.174 when considering the annual variation of litterfall production. This studyalso suggests that sampling sites for these types of studies should be in the middle, not at the ends, of steady slopes onthe forest floor.