WATER-ABSORPTION, LEACHING LOSS RATES AND NUTRIENT EFFLUX FROM LEAF-LITTER OF 4 TREE SPECIES INTO ENVIRONMENT

The leaf litter of the black poplar (Populus nigra. L.), black alder ( Alnus glutinosa L.), English oak (Quercus robur L.) and white willow ( Salix alba. L.) showed differences in the rates of water absorption, l eaching loss and nutrient efflux. The results obtained proved that the different rates were caused by both the distinctions in the physical and chemical structure of the leaf litter and the ratio of stable and unstable fractions of organic matter. Immediately after leaf input int o water, the water penetration and following leaching caused concentra tion increase of easily dissolved fractions of organic matter in the w ater ecosystem.