Resumen

ROCHA-LOREDO, Ana Guadalupe  y  RAMIREZ-MARCIAL, Neptalí. Litter production and leaf-litter decomposition in different pine-oak forest successional conditions in Chiapas, Mexico. Bol. Soc. Bot. Méx [online]. 2009, n.84, pp.1-12. ISSN 0366-2128.

Litter production was evaluated in successional pine-oak forests in two localities in Chiapas; simultaneously we assessed the leaf-litter decomposition of seven tree species (Alnus acuminata subsp. arguta, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, Cle-thra suaveolens, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus crassifolia, Quercus sapotifolia and Pinus oocarpa). After 1-year, the highest litter production was recorded in pine-oak-forests (7.59±0.29 Mgha^-1year^-1), followed by the oak forests (6.58±0.27 Mgha^-1year^-1), pine-oak-Liquidambar forests (5.33±0.18 Mgha^-1year^-1), pine forest (5.18±0.19 Mgha^-1year^-1), and the lowest annual litter production occurred in the plots under forest restoration (2.43±0.13 Mgha^-1year^-1). After 10-mo, the highest rate of leaf-litter decomposition occurred in Alnus acuminata (61-67%) regardless of the forest conditions and in the rest of the species, litter decomposition ranged from 34-52%, but not significant differences between forest conditions were observed.

Palabras llave : Chiranthodendron pentadactylon; forest restoration; litterbags; Montebello National Park; native trees; organic matter content; Pinus-Quercus-Liquidambar forest.