POTENTIAL NUTRIENT RETURN BY SECONDARY COMPONENTS OF LITTER IN VEGETAL COMMUNITIES OF NUEVO LEÓN STATE

Abstract

Litter fall is an important process of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem, for the aim of the actual study was to determine the potential return of Ca, K, Mg and P and of micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) through the reproductive structures, branches, bark and insects, in four vegetal communities of northeastern Mexico. Litter was collected in three sites of the Tamaulipan Thornscrub (Crucitas, Campus and Cascajoso) and one in the pine-oak forest (Bosque Escuela of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León), with intervals of 15 days between the years 2006 and 2007. In each place was placed a plot (50 m x 50 m) with 10 traps (1 m2). Calcium (138 kg ha-1 year-1) and iron (372 g ha-1 year-1) are the mostly recycled elements by the secondary components. The order followed in the deposition of macronutrients was Ca > Mg > K > P, while for micronutrients was Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu. The total contribution of the latter to the secondary components (Cu+Fe+Mn+Zn) for the Bosque Escuela, Crucitas, Campus and Cascajoso was 362.9, 588.5, 234.9 y 218.3 g ha-1 year-1, respectively. The corresponding to micronutrients for all the secondary components was 93 to 99% of the total annual deposition, en which they were the major source of potential return in the four researched sites, while leaves do not represent an important provision in the return of Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn.