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Nutrient content of soil and leaf litter of the pioneer tree cecropia in mature and secondary forests of the wet tropical zone of ecuador

Abstract:

The soil characteristics of mature and secondary tropical rainforests are similar in color, texture, and bulk density. Cecropia a pioneer tree in early secondary forest typical of the warm-humid tropics in Ecuador, is considered important to the recovery of soil on degraded lands. It has a low nutrient requirement and produces a large amount of leaf litter that degrades slowly. This study compares soils under Cecropia in abandoned pasture and mature forest in Ecuador. No significant nutritive differences in soils or in Cecropia leaf litter were found between secondary and mature forest. Cecropia leaves have higher specific area and lower nitrogen levels in mature forest, consistent with theory on leaf economics. Variability in soil nutrition among three research stations was higher than between the two forest ages.