Litter production and nutrient deposition from native woody species in the Brazilian semi-arid region

The use of native trees in agroecosystems is a promising way to increase litter deposition and nutrient cycling and foster the recovery of degraded areas, especially in semiarid regions. However, to orient the selection of the most prominent trees, there is a need to improve our knowledge about the potential of native trees in producing litter/nutrients. This study aimed to evaluate annual litter production and nutrient deposition of eight woody native species from the Brazilian semiarid region: Combretum leprosum, Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Mimosa tenuiflora, Libidibia ferrea, Poncianella piramydalis, Aspidosperma pyrifolium, Cordia oncocalyx and Croton sonderianus. For this, we installed collectors under the canopy projection of each plant, and the litter was collected monthly from January to December 2015 and its dry matter and nutrients were evaluated. The highest litter production occurred between the rainy and dry seasons and Ca, N, and Fe were the most supplied nutrients in the litter. The Libidibia ferrea and Croton sonderianus are the most prominent species to be selected aiming to improve litter production and nutrients deposition. Therefore, our results of the temporal dynamics of different native trees can contribute to better orient the selection of adequate species, either for forest restoration, recovery of degraded areas, or for the implantation of agroforestry systems.