Comparative study on the water holding ability of fresh and withered leaf litter from nine tree species
To enhance our understanding of leaf litter's role in soil and water conservation,this study compared the water holding abilities of fresh and withered leaf litter. Laboratory soaking experiments were conducted to analyze the water holding and loss characteristics of fresh and withered leaf litter from nine common tree species in South China. The factors influencing the water holding ability of fresh and withered leaf litter were investigated. Results revealed that the maximal water holding capacities of fresh and withered leaf litter across the nine tree species ranged from approximately 92. 36％ to 237. 36％ and 204. 78％ to 504. 88％,respectively. Fresh leaf litter exhibited a greater maximal water holding capacity compared to withered leaf litter. In the initial 12 hours of the water loss experiment,most tree species displayed a higher maximal water loss capacity with fresh leaf litter than with withered leaf litter. However,after 40 hours,the maximal water loss capacity of fresh leaf litter in most tree species was surpassed by withered leaf litter. The maximal water holding ability of fresh leaf litter exhibited a positive correlation with specific leaf area and a negative correlation with leaf area index. Conversely,the maximal water holding ability of withered leaf litter showed a positive correlation with specific leaf area but a negative correlation with density. Overall,fresh leaf litter demonstrated weaker water holding ability compared to withered leaf litter. Nonetheless,considering its abundance,the role of fresh leaf litter in soil and water conservation should not be underestimated. Accurate estimation of leaf litter's impact on forest hydrology necessitates inclusion of the water holding ability of fresh leaf litter in forest hydrological models.
water holding abilityfresh leaf litterwithered leaf litterleaf characterglobal climate change
国家科技期刊平台
NSTL
万方数据
