Litter accumulation and leaf litter decomposition in seven-year-old Acacia auriculiformis and Tectona grandis stands in Gunungkidul, Indonesia

¹ Undergraduate Program in Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
² Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Dryland community forests in Gunungkidul, Java, rely on tree species that tolerate shallow calcareous soils while sustaining soil organic matter. This study quantified forest-floor litter accumulation and dry-season leaf litter decomposition in seven-year-old Acacia auriculiformis and Tectona grandis (Jati Unggul Nusantara) stands. Three 40 m × 25 m plots were established in each stand on Alfisol soils. Forest-floor litter was sampled using 50 cm × 50 cm quadrats and separated into litter, fragmentation 1, fragmentation 2, and humus layers. Leaf litter decomposition was assessed for three months using 20 g litterbags. A. auriculiformis accumulated more forest-floor litter (9.7 t ha⁻¹) than T. grandis (6.9 t ha⁻¹), although the difference was not significant. Litter fractions differed between species: A. auriculiformis was dominated by fresh and early-fragmented material, whereas T. grandis had greater fragmented 2 and humus fractions. Monthly decomposition rates were low for both species during the dry-season observation period. The results indicate that litter accumulation can be substantial in young dryland stands, but decomposition proceeds slowly when moisture is limited. These findings support the use of litter indicators for dryland community forest management, including soil cover maintenance and dry-season fire-risk monitoring.