Litterfall Carbon and Nitrogen Content of Beech Forests in Serbia
Saša Eremija,
Goran Češljar,
Sonja Braunović,
Marijana Kapović Solomun,
Snežana Stajić,
Sabahudin Hadrović,
Filip Jovanović
Affiliations
Saša Eremija
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Goran Češljar
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Sonja Braunović
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Marijana Kapović Solomun
Department of Silviecology, Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka, 1A Bulevar Vojvode Petra Bojovića, Banja Luka 78000, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Snežana Stajić
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Sabahudin Hadrović
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
Filip Jovanović
Institute of Forestry, 3 Kneza Višeslava, Belgrade 11000, Serbia
This study aimed to analyze the N storage capacity of litterfall and its impact on C mineralization in beech forests. The research was conducted at 15 sample plots under European beech stands located in different ecological conditions on the territory of Serbia. More than half (53%) of the sample plots are characterized by low and very low litterfall N content (<8 g·kg−1; 9–12 g·kg−1), and a wide C/N ratio, which indicates a slow decomposition of the organic soil layer. These results could be useful indicators of the capacity and dynamics of litterfall N storage and its impact on C mineralization in the context of preserving biodiversity, stability, and longevity of beech forests in Serbia.
