Volume measurements for quicker determination of forest litter standing crop

Abstract

Litter standing crop (LSC) is the quantity of plant detritus on the floor in forested environments. Knowledge of LSC is important in understanding many ecological phenomena. These include studies of litterfall, decomposition/litter turnover rates and nutrient cycling (Anderson et al. 1983, Dent et al. 2006), general plant performance (Benítez-Malvido & Kossmann-Ferraz 1999), other ecosystem processes such as the effects of fire (Odiwe & Muoghalu 2003) and fauna (Frith & Frith 1990, Giaretta et al. 1999, Levings & Windsor 1985). The determination of accurate annual average LSC data, may require monitoring over long periods due to seasonality and sometimes sporadic nature of litterfall and decomposition rates (Clark et al. 2001). Furthermore, the effects of topography and water movement create the need for both representative site selection and sufficient spatial coverage.