Abstract
Although forests play important roles in the hydrological cycle, there is little information that relates the water retention capacity of litter in areas under passive restoration, especially in Cerrado savannas. This study relates litter levels to water holding capacity and effective water retention among forest fragments under different passive restoration stages: 46, 11, and 8 years to better understand litter hydrological functions in the Cerrado. Water retention capacity and effective water retention capacity of litters (unstructured materials, branches and leaves) in the field were monitored on a monthly basis. Total litter accumulation at 46 years was significantly higher than that of the other succession stages. Unstructured litter mass was significantly higher than that of leaves and branches. The 46-year stage had the highest water holding capacity in the leaf fraction, followed by unstructured material and branches. Although the water holding capacity was lower in the oldest restoration, this site showed the highest efficiency under field conditions. The process was quickly reestablished, as the 11-year restoration showed results closer to that for the 46-year stage in comparison to the area at 8 years. Thus, passive restoration plays a key role in soil water maintenance due to the influence of litter in Cerrado savannas. Deforestation and the imminent need of restoring degraded sites, highlight the need for further studies focused on better understanding of the process of forest restoration and its temporal effect on soil water recovery dynamics.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Acharya BS, Stebler E, Zou CB (2017) Monitoring litter interception of rainfall using leaf wetness sensor under controlled and field conditions. Hydrol Process 31:240–249. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11047
Alberts EE, Neibling WH (1994) Influence of crop residues on water erosion. In: Unger PW (ed) Managing agricultural residues. Lewis Publ, Ann Arbor, MI, pp 19–39
Almeida EJ, Luizão F, Rodrigues DJ (2015) Litterfall production in intact and selectively logged forests in southern of Amazônia as a function of basal area of vegetation and plant density. Acta Amaz 45:157–166. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392201402543
Anderson RG, Ferreira JFS, Jenkins DL, Dias NS, Suarez DL (2017) Incorporating field wind data to improve crop evapotranspiration parameterization in heterogeneous regions. Irrig Sci 35:533–547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-017-0560-x
Barbier S, Balandier P, Gosselin F (2009) Influence of several tree traits on rainfall partitioning in temperate and boreal forests: a review. Ann Sci 66:602–602. https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2009041
Bessi D, Dias HCT, Tonello KC (2018a) Rainfall partitioning in fragments of cerrado vegetation at different stages of conduction of natural regeneration. Rev Árvore 42:1–11. https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-90882018000200015
Bessi D, Tanaka MO, da Costa LA, Tonello KC (2018b) Forest restoration and hydrological parameters effects on soil water conditions: A structural equation modelling approach. Rev Bras Recur Hidricos. https://doi.org/10.1590/2318-0331.231820180043
Blow FE (1985) Quantity and hydrologic characteristics of litter under upland oak forests in eastern Tennessee. J For 53:190–195
Borém RAT, Ramos DP (2002) Variação estacional e topográfica de nutrientes na serapilheira de um fragmento de mata Atlántica. Cerne 8:42–59
Carvalho APV, Dias HCT, Tonello KC, Paiva HN (2016) Net precipitation and recharge of groundwater in riacho fundo watershed. Felixlândia-MG Rev Arvore. https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-67622016000600001
Castillo VM, Gómez-Plaza A, Martínez-Mena M (2003) The role of antecedent soil water content in the runoff response of semiarid catchments: a simulation approach. J Hydrol 284:114–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1694(03)00264-6
Chen S, Cao T, Tanaka N, Gao T, Zhu L, Zou CB (2018) Hydrological properties of litter layers in mixed forests in Mt. Qinling. China Iforest 11:243–250. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor2535-011
Cianciaruso MV, Pires JSR, Delitti WBC, Silva EFLP (2006) Produção de serapilheira e decomposição do material foliar em um cerradão na Estação Ecológica de Jataí, município de Luiz Antônio, SP, Brasil. Acta Bot Brasilica 20:49–59. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-33062006000100006
Costa CCA, Camacho RGV, Macedo ID, Silva PCM (2010) Análise comparativa da produção de serapilheira em fragmentos arbóreos e arbustivos em área de caatinga na Flona de açu-rn. Rev Arvore 34:259–265. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0100-67622010000200008
Dickow KMC, Marques R, Pinto CB, Höfer H (2012) Litter production in different successional stages of a subtropical secondary rain forest, in Antonina, PR. Cerne 18:75–86. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-77602012000100010
Dunkerley D (2015) Percolation through leaf litter: what happens during rainfall events of varying intensity? J Hydrol 525:737–746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.04.039
Durigan G, Melo ACG, Brewer JS (2012) The root to shoot ratio of trees from open—and closed-canopy cerrado in south-eastern Brazil. Plant Ecol Divers 5:333–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/17550874.2012.691564
Friesen J (2020) Flow pathways of throughfall and stemflow through the subsurface. In: Van JT Stan, II, E Gutmann, J Friesen (eds) Precipitation partitioning by vegetation: a global synthesis. Springer, Cham, pp 215–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29702-2_13
Gaertner BA, Zegre N, Warner T, Fernandez R, He Y, Merriam ER (2019) Climate, forest growing season, and evapotranspiration changes in the central Appalachian mountains, USA. Sci Total Environ 650:1371–1381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.129
Giácomo RG, Pereira MG, Machado DL (2012) Aporte e decomposição de serapilheira em áreas de cerradão e mata mesofítica na estação ecológica de Pirapitinga – MG. Ciência Florest 22:669–680
Giácomo RG, Alves MC, Camara R, Pereira MG, Arruda OG, Souto SN, Moraes MLT (2017) Litterfall and nutrient input in a degraded area. Floresta e Ambiente. https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8087.002816
Gomyo M, Kuraji K (2016) Effect of the litter layer on runoff and evapotranspiration using the paired watershed method. J For Res 21:306–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-016-0542-5
Ilek A, Kucza J, Szostek M (2015) The effect of stand species composition on water storage capacity of the organic layers of forest soils. Eur J For Res 134:187–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-014-0842-2
INMET (2020) Estações e Dados: BDMAP—Dados Históricos. Estação: 83726 – São Carlos. https://www.inmet.gov.br. Accessed 20 Mar 2021
Kim Y, Knox RG, Longo M, Medvigy D, Hutyra LR, Pyle EH, Wofsy SC, Bras RL, Moorcroft PR (2012) Seasonal carbon dynamics and water fluxes in an amazon rainforest. Glob Chang Biol 18:1322–1334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02629.x
Li W, Li Y, Long M, Li X (2018) Study on water-holding properties of litters in different types of forests of Yuntaishan Mountain area in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. IOP Conf Ser Mater Sci Eng. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/394/2/022057
Likens GE, Eaton JE (1970) A polyurethane stemflow collector for trees and shrubs. Ecology 51:938–939. https://doi.org/10.2307/1933996
Liu G, Du S, Peng S, Wang G (2014) Rainfall interception in two contrasting forest types in the mount Gongga area of Eastern Tibet, China. Hydrol Curr Res 4:1–6. https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7587.1000161
Liuzzo L, Viola F, Noto LV (2016) Wind speed and temperature trends impacts on reference evapotranspiration in Southern Italy. Theor Appl Climatol 123:43–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-014-1342-5
Mateus FA, Miranda CC, Valcarcel R, Figueiredo PHA (2013) Estoque e capacidade de retenção hídrica da serrapilheira acumulada na restauração florestal de áreas perturbadas na mata Atlântica. Floresta e Ambient 20:336–343. https://doi.org/10.4322/floram.2013.024
Matsumoto K (1999) A família Melastomataceae Juss. nas formações campestres do município de Carrancas, Minas Gerais. Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 91. Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia, Campinas-SP. http://www.repositorio.unicamp.br/handle/REPOSIP/314840
Matthews S (2005) The water vapour conductance of Eucalyptus litter layers. Agric for Meteorol 135:73–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2005.10.004
Melos AR, Sato AM, Netto ALC (2010) Produção, estoque e retenção hídrica da serrapilheira em encosta sob plantio de híbridos de Eucalyptus urophylla e Eucalyptus grandis: Médio vale do rio paraíba do sul. Anu Do Inst Geocien 33:66–73
Oliveira-Filho A, Ratter J (2002) Vegetation physiognomies and woody flora of the Cerrado biome. In: Oliveira PSMR (ed) The cerrados of Brazil: ecology and natural history of a neotropical savanna, 1st edn. Columbia University, New York, pp 91–120
Paiva AO, Silva LCR, Haridasan M (2015) Productivity-efficiency tradeoffs in tropical gallery forest-savanna transitions: linking plant and soil processes through litter input and composition. Plant Ecol 216:775–787. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-015-0466-8
Pang X, Bao W (2020) Effect of substituting plantation species for native shrubs on the water-holding characteristics of the forest floor on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. J Resour Ecol 2:217–224. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-764x.2011.03.004
Pereira DN, Martins WBR, Andrade VMS, Oliveira FA (2017) Influence of litter removal in the content of phosphorus and potassium in Eastern Amazon. Rev Bras Ciencias Agrar 12:380–385. https://doi.org/10.5039/agraria.v12i3a5458
Pereira LC, Balbinot L, Matus GN, Dias HCT, Tonello KC (2021) Aspects of forest restoration and hydrology: linking passive restoration and soil–water recovery in Brazilian Cerrado. J for Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01301-3
Pinto WJ, Negreiros AB (2018) A serrapilheira como bioindicador de qualidade ambiental em fragmentos de Eucalyptus. Rev Cont 7:175–202
Piovesan G, Schumacher MV, Viera M, Lopes VG, Welter C (2012) Deposição de serapilheira em povoamento de Pinus. Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical 42:206–211. https://doi.org/10.1590/s1983-40632012000200012
R Development Core Team (2018) R version 4.0.4. The foundation for statistical computing. http://www.r-project.org/. Accessed 23 Feb 2021
Ratter JA, Ribeiro JF, Bridgewater S (1997) The Brazilian cerrado vegetation and threats to its biodiversity. Ann Bot 80:223–230. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1997.0469
Ribeiro FP, Bussinguer AP, Hodecker BER, Gatto A (2017) Conteúdo de nutrientes na serapilheira em três fisionomias do Cerrado do Distrito Federal. Pesqui Florest Bras 37:465–473. https://doi.org/10.4336/2017.pfb.37.92.1312
Santos AFA, Carneiro ACP, Martinez DT, Caldeira SF (2017) Capacidade de retenção hídrica do estoque de serapilheira de eucalipto. Floresta e Ambient 24:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1590/2179-8087.030315
Santos HG, Jacomine PKT, Anjos LHC, Oliveira VA, Lumbreras JF, Coelho MR, Almeida JA, Araujo Filho JC, Oliveira JB, Cunha TJF (2018) Sistema Brasileiro de Classificação de Solos. Brasília-DF: Embrapa. 356p. https://www.infoteca.cnptia.embrapa.br/handle/doc/1094003
Sun J, Yu X, Wang H, Jia G, Zhao Y, Tu Z, Deng W, Jia J, Chen J (2018) Effects of forest structure on hydrological processes in China. J Hydrol 561:187–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.003
Tonello KC, Teixeira Filho J (2011) Environmental variables effects in ecophysiological behavior of two clones of Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla: Field conditions. Sci for 39:419–431
Voigt VPJ, Walsh RPD (1976) Hidrologische prozesse in bodenstreu. Schriften Des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins Fur Schleswig-Holstei 46:35–54
Wang C, Zhao CY, Xu ZL, Wang Y, Peng HH (2013) Effect of vegetation on soil water retention and storage in a semi-arid alpine forest catchment. J Arid Land 5:207–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-013-0151-5
Zagyvai-Kiss KA, Kalicz P, Szilágyi J, Gribovszki Z (2019) On the specific water holding capacity of litter for three forest ecosystems in the eastern foothills of the Alps. Agric for Meteorol 278:107656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107656
Zhang Y, Shangguan Z (2016) The change of soil water storage in three land use types after 10 years on the Loess Plateau. CATENA 147:87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2016.06.036
Zhou Q, Keith DM, Zhou X, Cui X, Wei X, Luo Y (2018) Comparing the water-holding characteristics of broadleaved, coniferous, and mixed forest litter layers in a Karst Region. Mt Res Dev 38:220–229. https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd-journal-d-17-00002.1
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Project funding: This work is supported by the International Paper Co. from Brazil (Process 23112.000670/2015-59), by Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.
The online version is available athttp://www.springerlink.com.
Corresponding editor: Yu Lei.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pereira, L.C., Balbinot, L., Lima, M.T. et al. Aspects of forest restoration and hydrology: the hydrological function of litter. J. For. Res. 33, 543–552 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01365-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01365-1