Abstract
The litter was taken, by using a litter-trap, from the subalpine coniferous forest of the Mt. Shiga IBP area in Central Japan. The litter was separated into leaves, branches and bark of Tsuga diversi-folia, a coniferous tree, and Betula ermari, a broadleaf tree, and feces. Organic components and chlorophyll-type compounds in each fraction were characterized by using the modified method of proximate analysis of Waksman and by analysis of chlorophyll. The following results were obtained. (1) The characteristics of the organic matter in the litter of the coniferous tree are related to those of the Pwh soil type. On the other hand, those of the broadleaf tree are not related to those of the B_D soil type, that is, the polysaccharide and hemicellulose contents in the B_D soil type increased remarkably in comparison with that in the litter or the broadleaf tree. The result suggests that the decomposition processes of the litter and the accumulation processes of organic components in Pwh and B_D soil types differ in a striking way. (2) The amount of each organic component and chlorophyll in the feces of fauna appeared remarkably similar to the dark brown pellets in the organic horizon. It was clear that a part of the dark brown pellets originated from the feces of fauna. This result suggests that during the early period after incorporation of the litter into the organic horizon, the decomposition processes of the litter have two results : namely, in one way, litter may undergo the degeneration and minuteness, keeping the original form of plant debris ; and in another way, litter may first change from plant debris to feces of fauna, and then undergo the degeneration and minuteness. (3) The amount of each organic compound in the annual litter fall can be roughly estimated at 422 kg for lipids, 467 kg for polysaccharide, 434 kg for hemicellulose, 348 kg for lignin and 58 kg for proteins on the base of ha, respectively.
