Home – Home – Jornals – Contemporary Problems of Ecology 2003 number 6

Resources, elemental composition of the organic matter and ash composition of litters in fir-greens of forest tundra, larch forests of northern taiga and pine forests of southern taiga are considered. The largest resources of litter (78 t/hectare) were found for sphagnum fir wood, because of slow decomposition of its organic substance. The organic substance of all types of litter is characterized by high-degree reduced status, which increases from north to south. The heating value of litters is lower than the heating value of litter fall and humic acids, but higher than that of fulvic acids, which points to a shift in litter humification toward the formation of fulvic acids. Oxidation and humification of organic substances of litter are accompanied by permanent arrival of new litter fall portions containing highly reduced compounds. As a result, the organic substance of litter is characterized by higher concentration of hydrogen and lower concentration of nitrogen than humic acids.