Litter interception on Astrocaryum mexicanum Liebm. (Palmae) in a tropicalrain forest

The goal of this study was to quantify liner interception on Astrocaryum me xicanum Liebm., an abundant and efficient litter-capturing palm. The study was done in a forest at Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. Palms were randomly selected and total litter retention was quantified by determining dry weight over two years. Litter interception by palms was 4.4 and 27.1 Mg/ha/yr for the first and second years, respectively and account ed for 47.9 and 239.4 percent of the reported annual litterfall in the same area. Results showed that litter interception by plants is related to litt erfall and should therefore be added to total litterfall in order to calcul ate the net primary productivity.