Decay rate and nutrient dynamics during leaf litter decomposition of deciduous Quercus acutissima were
compared between Gongju and Jinju for 33 months from December 2008 through March 2011. Percent remaining
weight of Q. acutissima leaf litter after 33 months elapsed in Gongju and in Jinju was 41.2±0.4 % and 28.3±0.6
%, and decay constant (k) was 0.39 and 0.61, respectively. Decomposition in Jinju was significantly faster than that
in Gongju. This seemed to be related to higher temperature and precipitation in Jinju than those in Gongju during
the experimental period. Initial C/N and C/P ratio of Q. acutissima leaf litter was 46.8 and 270.9, respectively.
After 33 months elapsed, C/N and C/P ratios in Gongju decreased to 22.0 and 106.8, and those in Jinju decreased
to 19.2 and 170.2, respectively. Initial concentration of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in Q. acutissima leaf litter was 8.31,
0.44, 4.18, 9.38, 1.37 mg/g, respectively. After 33 month elapsed, remaining N, P, K, Ca and Mg were 91.0, 85.4,
30.2, 47.9, 11.7% in Gongju, and 67.0, 54.2, 19.9, 30.0, 40.8% in Jinju, respectively. Except for Mg, remaining
nutrients of decomposing leaf litter in Jinju were lower than those in Gongju. In case of N and P, initial
immobilization was observed, however, only mineralization was observed in K, Ca and Mg during the whole
experimental period.