Litterfall decomposition rate of deciduous and coniferous trees under different land uses in Zagros forests

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student of Soil Science, Department of Soil and Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, I. R. Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Soil and Water Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, I. R. Iran

3 Professor, Department of Forest Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, I. R. Iran

4 Assistance Professor, Department of Nature Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Malayer University, Malayer, I. R. Iran

Abstract

Background and Objective: Litter decomposition is one of the most fundamental ecological processes regulating nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems. By facilitating nutrient return and organic matter formation, this process plays a critical role in maintaining soil quality. The rate of litter decomposition depends on litter quality, environmental conditions, and the activity of soil microorganisms. Despite its ecological significance, few studies have simultaneously compared the decomposition of broadleaf and coniferous tree litter across different land-use types, particularly in the Zagros forests of Iran. Therefore, this study aimed to compare litter quality and decomposition characteristics of selected broadleaf and coniferous tree species under forest, orchard, and agricultural land uses and to evaluate the effects of land-use change on litter decomposition.
Material and Methods: This study was conducted in 2020 in Ilam Province, western Iran. Three land-use types were selected, including natural forest within the Manesht and Ghalarang Protected Area, orchards, and agricultural lands located north of Ilam City. Three broadleaf species—Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.), wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.), and hawthorn (Crataegus pontica C. Koch)—and two coniferous species—Turkish pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.)—were investigated. Freshly fallen litter was collected from natural forests and placed in litterbags (20 × 20 cm, 2-mm mesh size), which were installed at the soil surface (0–10 cm depth). A total of 180 litterbags were prepared. Litterbags were retrieved after 60, 120, 180, and 240 days, and litter quality indices were determined. The evaluated indices included litter decomposition rate, asymptotic decomposition limit, maximum organic matter loss estimated using gravimetric relationships, and potential humification capacity. Data were analyzed as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and treatment means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at the 1% significance level.
Results: The results demonstrated that sampling time, tree species, and land-use type significantly affected litter decomposition quality indices. After 240 days, the highest percentage of organic matter loss in orchards was observed for wild pistachio litter (36.2%), whereas Mediterranean cypress exhibited the lowest value (18.2%). In agricultural land, the highest and lowest values were likewise recorded for wild pistachio (31.0%) and Mediterranean cypress (17.4%), respectively. In forest stands, wild pistachio showed the highest organic matter loss (29.3%), while Mediterranean cypress again exhibited the lowest (16.5%). Litter decomposition rates were consistently higher for wild pistachio and Persian oak than for the other species across all land-use types. The highest asymptotic decomposition limit in orchards and agricultural lands was recorded for hawthorn and wild pistachio litter, whereas in forest stands Persian oak exhibited the highest value (65%), likely reflecting its adaptation to its native habitat in the Zagros forests. After 240 days, the asymptotic decomposition rate ranged from 15.4% day⁻¹ for wild pistachio to 12.6% day⁻¹ for Mediterranean cypress. Potential humification capacity was highest for wild pistachio and Mediterranean cypress across all land-use types, whereas the lowest value in forests was observed for Persian oak (0.35). Overall, litter decomposition patterns were broadly similar among land-use types, probably because the present orchard and agricultural lands had originally been forested before land-use conversion.
Conclusion: Organic matter loss was greatest in the litter of Persian oak (29.8%) and wild pistachio (36.2%) across the forest, orchard, and agricultural land uses. The results further indicated that organic matter loss increased progressively over time. In forest ecosystems, Persian oak litter exhibited the greatest decomposition potential among the studied species. These findings suggest that Persian oak and wild pistachio play a more prominent role than the other investigated species in enhancing soil fertility and promoting nutrient cycling in Zagros forest ecosystems. Notably, their beneficial effects remained evident even after forest conversion to orchards and croplands. Therefore, for forest restoration and afforestation programs in the Zagros region, wild pistachio should be prioritized as a companion species alongside Persian oak. Given the superior decomposition performance of native broadleaf species, the introduction of coniferous species into these ecosystems should be minimized whenever possible.

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Forest Research and Development
Volume 12, Issue 2
September 2026
Pages 241-260

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