NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION AND ACID-BASE STATUS OF LEAF-LITTER OF TREE SPECIES CHARACTERISTIC OF THE HARDWOOD FOREST OF SOUTHERN QUEBEC

Leaf litter of 15 tree species characteristic of the deciduous and mix ed forest of southern Quebec were analyzed for pH, directly titrable a cids and bases in water extracts, ash bases, excess bases, excess ash bases, and for levels of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. We hypothesized that man y tree species typical of the climax of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Ma rsh.) dominated forest have leaf litter with a higher base status than sugar maple and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) leaf litter, and that the base status of leaf litter would be lower on wet sites. Mean differenc es among species were highly significant (p < 0.0001) for all variable s related to acidity or bases, but the effect of drainage was not. Red and sugar maple leaf litter was very acid and low in N concentration. American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) and red oak (Quercus rubra L .) leaf litter was not very acidic but was low in nutrient concentrati ons. White pine (Pinus strobus L.) was lowest in all nutrients and ash bases but was low in titrable acidity. Directly titrable bases in lea f litter extracts were correlated positively with leaf litter N and Mg , and ash bases were positively correlated with leaf litter Ca and Mg. Many species typical of the sugar maple climax may have better soil a meliorating potential than sugar and red maple.