Abstract

QUINTO-MOSQUERA, Harley; IBARGUEN-MOSQUERA, Sandra  and  CARDENAS-VICTORIA, María Fernanda. Effects of Fertilization on Litter Production in Post-Mining Forests of the Biogeographic Chocó. Colomb. for. [online]. 2024, vol.27, n.1, e20809.  Epub Mar 27, 2024. ISSN 0120-0739.  https://doi.org/10.14483/2256201x.20809.

Soil nutrients are regarded as limiting factors of the net primary productivity (PPN) of tropical forests. In this sense, it has been suggested that, in initial successional stages, the PPN is limited by N, as well as by P in late stages. To test this hypothesis, litter production and nutrient content were measured for five fertilization treatments (control, N, P, K, and NPK) in mature and post-mining forests of the Biogeographic Chocó. It was determined that the post-mining litter production was higher with the application of N, K, and NPK, whereas, in mature forests, it was higher with the application of N. In addition, a significant effect of the application of N on the post-mining foliar N content was recorded. In conclusion, a multiple nutritional limitation of the PPN was evidenced in early successional stages, which denotes a change in the limitation with succession.

Keywords : tropical forests; phosphorus; nutrient limitation; nitrogen; potassium; net primary productivity; plant succession.

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