Nutrient flow in rainfall and throughfall in two stretches in an Atlantic Rain Forest in southern Brazil

Abstract

The returns of K, Ca, Mg and Na through rainfall and throughfall (in an early to midde successional alluvial forest and in a secondary lowland forest) were estimated in an Atlantic Rain Forest in Southern Brazil. The two forests showed interception rainfall values around 14%, considered low comparing to other studies. The Na values were very high, reaching in average 83 kg ha^-1y^{-1 in rainfall and 96 kg ha-1}y^{-1 in throughfall in the early to midde secondary forest. The annual nutrient returns in througfall were: of 52 kg ha-1} of K, 5 kg ha^-1 of Ca and 2.9 kg ha^-1 of Mg, with major contributions during the rainy season. The secondary forest presented lower values, mainly for K. Additioning to available litterfall data in early to midde secondary forest, througfall contributed to 65% of K, 5% of Ca and 15% of Mg returned to the soil pointing out the relevance of this process to the restoration and/or maintenance of these elements into the studied ecosystems.