Abstract
Litter fall investigation was carried out in a natural evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by Castanopsis cuspidata var. sieboldii Nakai which is about 250 years old and in a secondary mixed evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest, about 30 years old, remaining on the campus of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan (UOEH). Both forests are situated in northern Kyushu. The amount of annual total litter fall from March, 1981 to February, 1982 was 6212 kg/ha in dry weight in the natural forest and 5877 kg/ha in the secondary forest. The amount of mean annual leaf fall was 4109 kg/ha in the former and 4487 kg/ha in the latter. A maximum in litter fall was in the spring from April to May in the natural forest and the two maxima were in May and from October to December in the secondary forest. The amount of annual woody litter fall was 756 kg/ha in the natural forest and 481 kg/ha in the secondary forest. The woody litter fall was greatly influenced by wind and no seasonal variation was found in it. The amount of flower fall was 427 kg/ha in the natural forest and 131 kg/ha in the secondary forest. Seed and fruit falls in the natural forest and the secondary forest were 335 and 201 kg/ha, respectively.
