Resumen

DEL VALLE-ARANGO, Jorge Ignacio. Descomposición de la hojarasca fina en bosques pantanosos del pacífico colombiano. INCI [online]. 2003, vol.28, n.3, pp.148-153. ISSN 0378-1844.

There are no reports in the scientific literature on tropical peaty (Tropofibrist) swampy forests necromass decomposition. This paper intends to fulfill this deficiency with two experiments conducted to study the fine litter decomposition in one of these forests with mean annual temperature and rainfall of 26ºC and 3500mm, respectively, located in the Patía River delta, Pacific Coast of Colombia. In the first experiment 10 decomposition trays, 1cm mesh, were arranged at random on the ground. Each tray contained an average of 156.9 g of fine litter (leaves, flowers and fruits). This experiment lasted 371 days and the trays were weighed monthly in the field. The second experiment was similar but the initial weight of litter was 106.9g and lasted 288 days. Annual decomposition rates were similar in both experiments: 87.8% and 78.6%, respectively. Four models of decomposition were tested: negative exponential, double exponential, asymptotic and compound decomposition rate proposed herein, the double exponential being the best for both experiments. With this model, the half life of litter (t0.5) was 0.439 years and the time required for decomposition of 99% of the litter (t0.99) was 1.195 years. In these forested wetlands, the rate of litter decay is intermediate among the published data for low altitude tropical rain forests.

Palabras clave : Bosques Pantanosos Tropicales; Descomposición; Hojarasca; Necromasa.