INFLUENCE OF POLYPHENOLS IN THE LITTER DECOMPOSITION OF AUTOCHTHONOUS (QUERCUS ILEX L, QUERCUS SUBER L, PINUS PINEA L, CISTUS LADANIFER L, AND HALIMIUM HALIMIFOLIUM W.K) AND INTRODUCED SPECIES (EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS L, AND EUCALYPTUS CAMALDULENSIS D) IN THE SOUTHWEST OF SPAIN

In order to classify the introduced eucalyptus in the southwest of Spain and the spontaneus species with relation to soil evolution under these species, a comparative study of nutrients and polyphenols concentration is made, and it was determined the nitrogen liberated from protein by soil microorganisms, resulting that the polyphenols contents in eucalyptus and oaks are equivalent but more than in pine and brushes.
Neverthless bases are the highest in eucaplyptus and the lowest in pine corresponding to the other species intermediate values.

The nitrogen liberation by soil microorganisms show that the less in the polyphenols concentration the more is the nitrogen liberation, without influence of its quality.

Also for the different species it is assayed the effect of leaves water extract on germination of lettuce seeds.
It is found that there are inhibition substances (40 % polyphenolics) in eucalyptus and pine, inhibition that is not reproduced in the manual medium.

It is concluded that the litter decomposition is defined by the positive effect of the nutrients (nitrogen, bases, etc,) and the negative of their polyphenols, justifying the eucalyptus repoblation in the southwest of Sapin if it replaces pines or brushes but not oaks.

International Symposium on Natural Phenols in Plant Resistance

M.T. Domínguez

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1994.381.56