[Effect of forest litter on microenvironment conditions of forestland]

Litter is a very important component in forest ecosystem. This paper made a systematic review on the previous studies about the effects of litter on forestland microsites. Litter significantly reduced the light on the soil surface of forestlands, and the light transmittance was varied with the type, water content and weight of litter. The spectral composition of the light was dramatically shifted to longer wavelengths after transmitted through forest capony, especially through moist litter leaves, intact forest litter, and even the thinner soil layer, which greatly reduced the R/FR ratio and PPFD (photosynthetic photo flux density) beneath litter and surface soil (2 mm depth), and resulted in a stronginhibitory effect on the germination of photoblastic seeds, and on the growth of seedling and sapling. It was the reason why the appearance of massive numbers of pioneer plants and their successful establishment required relatively large gaps of the forest canopy. Many references concerned the effects of litter on soil nutrient cycling and water and soil conservation. The previous studies indicated that litter could create a moist micro-site above soil, and make soil more moist and fertile. Furthermore, litter could also increase the numbers of arthropods such as Carabidae adults and larvae, crickets, millipedes, spiders, ants and others. An increase in the activity of herbivorous arthropods might produce the negative effects on the establishment of individual seedlings. Although the mechanical barrier of litter was neglected in the paper, litter might act as a mechanical impediment to the emergence of the seedlings of pioneer species with small seeds. The effects of litter on micro-sites were of complexity because it varied greatly with the density, age, structure and species composition of the canopy, sunfleck frequency, presence of gaps, as well as litter thickness, moisture, and species composition, and also with climate and topography factors. The effects of litter were comprehensive, including positive and negative effects on seed germination and seedling growth. Each effect of litter on regeneration was dependent on species physiology, litter physical properties and environmental conditions. Therefore, it should be encouraged to integrate the physical properties (such as changing light, temperature and moisture) of litter with the physiological ecology (including seed, germination and growth natures) of species, and with environment (vegeneration, climate and topography propersities) on the basis of combination of regeneration patterns of litter, understory and gap scales.