Decomposing needle litter inPinus contorta(lodgepole pine) andPinus sylvestris(scots pine) monocultural systems — is there a maximum mass loss?

Abstract

By extrapolation of measured mass‐loss values, maximum values for accumulated litter‐mass loss were estimated by using a nonlinear statistical model. This model predicted that the proportion of mass lost through decomposition should be on the average about 85% for Scots pine needle litter and for lodgepole pine needles the corresponding value was almost 100%. The single incubations of Scots pine and lodgepole pine needle litter were made simultaneously and in parallel plots and could thus be compared pairwise. When thus compared, the limit values (asymptotic values) were significantly different in five cases out of six—the exception being a short measurement series. Lodgepole pine is an introduced species in this system.