Ecological Archives E087-002-A4

James W. Raich, Ann E. Russell, Kanehiro Kitayama, William J. Parton, and Peter M. Vitousek. 2006. Temperature influences carbon accumulation in moist tropical forests. Ecology 87:76–87.

Appendix D. Aboveground fine litter production rates (litterfall) and surface fine litter accumulations in mature moist broad-leaved evergreen tropical forests. See Notes at end of table for details.

Site

MAT
(°C)

Litterfall
(g ·m-2 ·yr-1)

Litter Mass
(g/m2)

Litter k
(yr)

Reference(s)

Brazil, Ducke Forest

27.2

750

600

1.3

Klinge (1976),
Klinge and Rodrigues (1968a, b)

Brunei, Bukit Belalong, 200 m

25.0

1060

517

2.1

Pendry and Proctor (1996)

Brunei, Bukit Belalong, 500 m

23.7

1050

610

1.7

Pendry and Proctor (1996)

Brunei, Bukit Belalong, 850 m

22.1

830

516

1.6

Pendry and Proctor (1996)

Costa Rica, La Selva

25.8

783

330

2.4

Gessel et al. (1977)

Costa Rica, Volcan Barva, 100 m

25.5

900

355

2.5

Heany and Proctor (1989),
Lieberman et al. (1996)

Costa Rica, Volcan Barva, 1000 m

20.5

660

420

1.6

Heany and Proctor (1989),
Lieberman et al. (1996)

Costa Rica, Volcan Barva, 2000 m

14.9

580

517

1.1

Heany and Proctor (1989),
Lieberman et al. (1996)

Costa Rica, Volcan Barva, 2600 m

11.6

530

633

0.8

Heany and Proctor (1989),
Lieberman et al. (1996)

French Guiana, Plot B

26.0

788

441

1.8

Puig and Delobelle (1988)

French Guiana, Plot D

26.0

765

495

1.5

Puig and Delobelle (1988)

Ivory Coast, Banco plateau

26.2

1187

238

5.0

Bernhard-Reversat (1974),
Bernhard-Reversat et al. (1978)

Ivory Coast, Banco valley

26.2

918

180

5.1

Bernhard-Reversat (1974),
Bernhard-Reversat et al. (1978)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, S700

23.8

1110

660

1.7

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, S1700

18.7

799

680

1.2

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysai, Mt. Kinabalu, S2700

13.1

532

530

1.0

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, S3100

10.4

631

730

0.9

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, U700

23.5

1113

670

1.7

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, U1700

17.1

628

880

0.7

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysai, Mt. Kinabalu, U2700

12.5

594

740

0.8

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Mt. Kinabalu, U3100

10.6

164

370

0.4

Kitayama and Aiba (2002a)

Malaysia, Pasoh Forest

26.0

1055

320

3.3

Ogawa (1978)

Malaysia, Sarawak, alluvial

25.0

1150

538

2.1

Proctor et al. (1983a, 1983b)

Malaysia, Sarawak, dipterocarp

24.3

880

595

1.5

Proctor et al. (1983a, 1983b)

Malaysia, Sarawak, heath

24.4

920

612

1.5

Proctor et al. (1983a, 1983b)

Malaysia, Sarawak, limestone

23.8

1200

716

1.7

Proctor et al. (1983a, 1983b)

Mexico, Veracruz, Los Tuxtlas

27.0

651

250

2.6

Alvarez-Sanchez and Guevara (1993),
Hughes et al. (2000)

New Guinea†

13.0

698

603

1.2

Edwards (1977, 1982),
Edwards and Grubb (1977)

Puerto Rico, 450 m

23.1

861

600

1.4

Weaver and Murphy (1990),
Brown et al. (1983)

Puerto Rico, 725 m

21.1

680

876

0.8

Weaver and Murphy (1990)

Puerto Rico, 1000 m

18.6

310

434

0.7

Weaver and Murphy (1990),
Brown et al. (1983)

Venezuela, San Carlos, Oxisol

26.0

1025

765

1.3

Uhl and Jordan (1984),
Cuevas and Medina (1986)

   Notes: Litter decay rates (k, column 5) were calculated from litterfall (column 3) divided by litter mass (column 4) based on the data accumulated in this table; they are not directly from the cited references. Mass data are in units of organic matter. For uniformity, data within columns is presented to the same level of certainty: MAT is mean annual temperature.

† Mean of three non-gap plots.


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