Dynamics of litter production in a middle-aged Taiwania cryptomerioides plantation over an 8-year period

Litter traps were set up in a 15-year-old Taiwania cryptomerioides plantation to collect litterfall at monthly intervals over an 8-year period in Shunchang，Fujian，China. Annual litter production of the T. cryptomerioides plantation varied from 3.529 t/hm2 to 5.526 t/hm2 at age 16 to 23 years and the mean value was 4.166 ±0.222（ SE） t/hm2. Annual litterfall production（ y） increased with plantation age（ x） and it could be described by a quadratic equation: y = -0.0129x2 + 0.7004x - 4.5002（ R2 = 0.5892，P = 0.108）. Litter of leaves plus twigs （diameter ≤ 0.6 cm） of T. cryptomerioides，branched（ diameter >0.6 cm） of T. cryptomerioides，understory leaves， miscellaneous materials（ insect faeces，reproductive organs of understory and unidentified plant parts），understory branches of woody plants，stem bark and reproductive organs contributed to 94.642%，2.756%，1.517%，0.747%， 0.211%，0.124% and 0.004% of the total annual litterfall，respectively. Reproductive litter of T. cryptomerioides was only found in February at age 17 years with biomass only 0.001 t/hm2. The peaks of litter occurred in May to August with the major peak in June. The highest litterfall occurred in summer and the lowest in winter.