[Characteristics of litter and its contained water in three succession communities in Dinghushan Mountain].

Studies on the characteristics of litter and its contained water in three succession communities in Dinghushan Mountain showed that the standing mass of litter was in the order of pine forest > mixed forest > broad-leaved forest, and the annual litterfall was broad-leaved forest > mixed forest > pine forest, indicating that the return rate of nutrients was lower in pine forest than in broad-leaved forest. The proportion of leaf litter decreased in the order of pine forest > mixed forest > broad-leaved forest, and that of branch, flower, and fruit litter was on the contrary, because the broad-leaved forest had the largest amount of branches and the biggest scope of canopy. The staturation water content of litter in pine forest, mixed forest and broad-leaved forest was 329.0%, 313.0% and 295.0%, respectively, showing no significant difference, but the water content of litter in three communities differed significantly, followed the order of broad-leaved forest > mixed forest > pine forest. The evaporation ratio of litter water to free water in broad-leaved forest, mixed forest and pine forest was 78.9%, 82.45% and 91.22%, respectively.