Estimation of Litter Yield and Decomposition Rate in Dahurian Larch Forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains

The aim of this paper is to investigate forest litter yield and decomposition rate estimation methods to provide a basic theory for litter production and decomposition studies and a scientific foundation for forest management practices. The Greater Khingan Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) forest in China was taken as the study subject. Forest litter was defined as the cumulative product of annual litterfall. The Olson exponential decay model, which is widely recognized in ecological studies, was employed to develop a system of equations representing the dynamic equilibrium among litter production, decomposition, and accumulation. Litter yield and decomposition rate estimation models were formulated based on this system. Model parameters were analyzed using multiple linear regression techniques. The proposed estimation methods were verified through field survey data and one-sample t-tests. The relative error for litter production estimation ranged from 0.01 to 0.25, with an average of 0.13, and the t-test yielded a p-value of 0.108. The relative error of the decomposition rate estimation was 0.00–0.35, with an average of 0.12, and the corresponding t-test yielded a p-value of 0.151. A litter yield and decomposition rate model with easily obtained predictor variables was constructed in this study. The model can rapidly estimate the litter yield and decomposition rate of survey sites and has important application value for litter yield- and decomposition-related studies.