COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE DECOMPOSITION RATE OF PLANT LITTER IN MIDDLE-TAIGA SPRUCE FORESTS AND IN CLEAR-CUT AREAS

N. V. Likhanova

 

Syktyvkar forest institute

Lenin st. 39, Syktyvkar, Komi Republic 167982, Russian Federation

 

E-mail: lihanad@mail.ru

Received: 01.06.2026

Revised: 08.06.2026

Accepted: 10.06.2026

The presented work provides an assessment of the rate of decomposition of plant litter in middle-taiga spruce forests of the moist bilberry type and the polytric-sphagnum type, as well as in 4–6-year-old clear-cut areas in the Republic of Komi. The features of the component composition of plant litter and its chemical transformations during decomposition in spruce forests and clear-cut areas were studied. It was found that in spruce forests litter from woody plants predominates (76–84%), whereas in clear-cut areas there is a replacement of woody plant litter (11–12%) by litter from ground vegetation (88–89%). The total litter stock in clear-cut areas naturally decreases to 3.1–3.6 t ha^-1 year^-1. The chemical composition of litter shows species-specific characteristics. One-year-old spruce needles actively accumulate nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, while with increasing age the concentrations of calcium, silicon, manganese, and aluminum increase. Pine needles are characterized by higher potassium content and lower nitrogen and phosphorus content, and they are richer in calcium, silicon, manganese, and aluminum. Birch leaves exceed needles in the content of most macro- and microelements. Among ground vegetation species, bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is characterized by high nitrogen and calcium content, herbaceous plants are characterized by higher potassium and silicon content, mosses – by potassium and magnesium content. The decrease in the content of key nutrient elements in plant litter at the final stages of ontogenesis reflects a slowdown in metabolic processes. It was noted that the chemical composition of spruce needles differs significantly depending on growing conditions (spruce forests vs. clear-cut areas), which may contribute to increased differentiation. The results show that, despite generally low mineralization rates, the decomposition of plant litter proceeds more intensively in cutting areas between skidding roads than in spruce forests. This is associated with altered abiotic conditions and the predominance of ground vegetation litter. The study reveals patterns of plant litter transformation in disturbed ecosystems and emphasizes the need for further research to fully understand the dynamics of organic matter decomposition and forest floor formation in clear-cut spruce forest areas.

Keywords: middle taiga, spruce forests, clear-cutting, plant residues, quality of litter, decomposition of litter

  

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