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Litter Fall From Shrubs in the Northern Mojave Desert
Author(s) -
Strojan Carl L.,
Turner Frederick B.,
Castetter Richard
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936857
Subject(s) - larrea , shrub , litter , perennial plant , lycium , biology , plant litter , deserts and xeric shrublands , botany , ecology , ecosystem , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , habitat
Plant litter was collected in traps from 8 to 10 replicates each of Ambarosia dumosa. Ephedra nevadensis, Krameria parvifolia, Larrea tridentata, Lycium andersonii, and Lycium pallidum in Rock Valley, southern Nevada, USA. Collections were made at biweekly to monthly intervals from 1975 to 1977 and handsorted into leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. Lycium pallidum produced the most litter, with annual means ranging from 52 to 173 g per shrub. Annual means per shrub for other species ranged from 39 to 89 g (Lycium andersonii), 27 to 77 g (Larrea tridentata), 20 to 29 g (E. nevadensis), 6 to 18 g (K. parvifolia), and 3 to 21 g (A. dumosa). Litter fall was generally correlated with annual rainfall, which was low in 1975 (62 mm), high in 1976 (223 mm), and close to the long—term mean in 1977 (141 mm). Leaves were generally the largest litter category, followed by stems, fruits, and flowers. Large sample variations were found, particularly for reproductive parts. Aboveground litter fall from the six species, which comprise °82% of perennial plant biomass and °81% of shrub cover in Rock Valley, was about 117 kg/ha in 1975 and 318 kg/ha in 1976. Total aboveground litter fall for Rock Valley (all perennial and annual plants) was estimated to be 194 kg/ha in 1975 and 530 kg/ha in 1976. Distinct litter fall patterns occurred for shrub species and litter categories. Most litter fell during the summer months, with individual species peaks reflecting particular phenologies. Significant amounts of live aboveground biomass were shed as litter. Amounts of litter from the six species ranged from 7 to 83% of their respective live aboveground biomass.