02429naa a2200241 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902200140006002400350007410000180010924501160012726000090024330000120025252017150026465000130197965300250199265300250201765300210204270000190206370000210208270000190210377300650212220024952014-12-15       2014    bl uuuu     u00u1 u    #d  a1385-13147 a10.1007/s10705-014-9646-52DOI1 aAMORIM, L. B.  aAssessment of nutrient returns in a tropical dry forest after clear-cut without burning.h[electronic resource]  c2014  ap. 1-10  aTropical dry forests (TDFs) are being deforested at unprecedented rates. The slash/burn/ agriculture/fallow-extensive livestock sequence causes significant nutrient losses and soil degradation. Our aim is to assess nutrient inputs and outputs in a TDF area under an alternative management system, for exclusive wood production. The study involved clear-cutting a preserved caatinga TDF site without burning, quantifying nutrients exported in firewood/ timber and nutrients returned to the soil from the litter layer plus the slash debris, left to decompose unburned on the soil surface. Before clear-cut, the litter layer on the forest floor contained 6.1 t ha of dry matter (DM). After clear-cut, the aboveground biomass was 61.9 t DM ha-1 (consisting of 21.5 t DM ha-1 of commercial wood and 40.4 t DM ha-1 of clear-cut debris that did not include the underlying litter layer). The litter layer was composed of fine and coarse litter, with turnovers of 0.86 and 0.31 year-1, respectively, separately measured in uncut control plots during two rainy seasons (Dec-2007/June-2008 and Dec-2008/ June-2009). In a single season, its decomposition returned to the soil 48.4, 1.16 and 12.3 kg ha-1 of N, P and K. The clear-cut debris was mainly composed of branches, 33.4 t ha-1, bromeliads, 5.63 t ha-1 and green leaves, 1.32 t ha-1. In-situ decomposition rates for branches and bromeliads were 0.24 and 1.47 year-1, respectively. After two rainy seasons the clear-cut debris released 206, 6.5 and 106 kg ha-1 of N, P and K respectively. This input plus that of the underlying litter layer exceeded exports in the commercial wood, and replenished a soil nutrient stock (0?30 cm) of approximately the same magnitude.  aCaatinga  aDebris decomposition  aLitter decomposition  aNutrient cycling1 aSALCEDO, I. H.1 aPAREYN, F. G. C.1 aALVAREZ, I. A.  tNutrient Cycling in Agroecosystemsgv. 100, n. 1, sep. 2014.