Drought effects on litter fraction and recovery in a subtropical forest

Litter input is a critical link between the circulation and flows of energy and matter in forest ecosystems. Drought events impact litter inputs, affecting forest ecosystems’ nutrient and energy cycles. To investigate the response of litter production to extreme drought, explore their recovery mechanism, and the difference between whole year, concurrent drought, non-drought period, rainy season, and dry season. We studied an extreme drought event in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in the Ailao Mountain in 2009–2010. We used 10 years (2005–2014) of monthly litter production and climate data, including monthly average precipitation (MAP), soil water content (SWC), and monthly average temperature (MAT). The observation period was separated into pre-drought (2005–2008), during-drought (2009–2010), and post-drought (2011–2014) periods. We found that annual total litter production decreased by 12 % during the drought (p < 0. 05), similar to that in the drought period. Leaf litter production increased by 1 % during drought time, and other fraction decreased obviously. The contribution of water environmental factors to litter production was more evident after drought events. MAT, MAP, and SWC jointly affect litter input under extreme drought conditions, and the dominant factor is related to litter fraction and drought periods. Water environmental factors (MAP & SWC) contributed to litter input after drought events, while MAT mainly affected litter input during the non-drought and rainy seasons. Due to the growth and nutritional strategies of each fraction, the recovery time is branch < leaf < flower & fruit < moss < bark. The results further reveal litter production response to drought events and the importance of water factors in recovery.