Summer Ground Layer Biomass and Nutrient Contribution to Above-Ground Litter in an Indiana Temperate Deciduous Forest

ABSTRACT Eastern deciduous forests of North America have productive ground layers, but information regarding the role of ground layer vegetation in carbon cycling is limited. The ground layer, here defined as all vascular plants ≤1 m in height, contributes most of its biomass and nutrient content annually to the above-ground litter pool. This study assessed the species composition and biomass and nutrient contributions of summer ground layer vegetation to the above-ground litter pool at the AmeriFlux Site in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest, Indiana. Two hundred fifteen 1-m2 subplots were sampled for ground layer species and cover (%). Forty-three of those subplots were harvested for above-ground biomass and tissue nutrient analysis. A 10-cm soil sample was obtained from each harvested subplot and analyzed for pH, organic matter and nutrient content. Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle), Lindera benzoin (spicebush), Viola spp. (violets), Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper), Polystichum acrostichoi...