Mineralization and nutrient release of leaf litter and fallen bromeliads in a pine - Oak forest in Oaxaca, Mexico

The aim of the work was to estimate the impact of fallen bromeliads extraction on the dry matter deposit at soil and nutrient cycling in a pine-oak forest. Leaf litter and fallen bromeliads were collected over a period of 12 months from two sites in the forest, and their dry weight as well as their nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium content were recorded. In microcosms, the mineralization rate of each type of material from both sites was analyzed. Leaf litterfall rates were found to be 3.63 and 4.09 Mg ha ^-1 y¹ and bromeliad litterfall rates were found to be 0.046 and 0.021 Mg ha^-1 y^-1; the latter represent 1.27% and 0.52%, respectively, of leaf litterfall. The leaf litterfall dynamic showed seasonal behavior; the bromeliad litterfall dynamic did not. The contribution of fallen bromeliads to the nutrient deposit on the forest floor was 0.85% for nitrogen, 0.48% for phosphorus, 0.62% for calcium and 0.60% for magnesium, relative to the leaf litter contribution. Leaf litter was found to be more recalcitrant to mineralization than bromeliads.