Nutrients stocks in litter in four types of vegetation in Cerrado in Goiás state, Brazil

Abstract

Studies on nutrient stock in the litter are important to consolidate information on nutrient cycling and productivity in forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was to characterize the nutrient stock in the litter in four types of vegetation in the Cerrado, in Goiás state. The litter collection was performed in a random way in the four types of vegetation (Permanent Preservation Area, Cerrado Sensu Stricto, Eucalyptus and Pinus stands), using a 25 cm x 25 cm (0.0625 m²) frame. The litter was sorted in the leaves/needles, fine branches, bark, reproductive and miscellaneous fractions, with subsequent determination of dry mass, content and nutrient stock. The largest stock of nutrients was found in the Permanent Preservation Area, where calcium is the element accumulated in greater quantity when compared to other macronutrients. In the litter in the other types of vegetation, the nitrogen was accumulated in greater quantity. Nitrogen is a nutrient of the most importance in plant metabolism, being essential to photosynthesis. For micronutrients, the most accumulated element was manganese, in the litter in all types of vegetation. Manganese has an important role for plants, as it acts on the development of roots and the synthesis of chlorophyll. The elements stored in smaller quantities were phosphorus and sulfur. The nutrient stock magnitude gradient varied according to litter fraction and vegetation type, with no pattern presented.