Abstract:Litter decomposition and its nutrient dynamics of a pine forest in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve were studied in a period of 572 days. Mass loss in both decomposing pine needles and mixed litter (about half pine needles and half understorey litter) showed linear decrease with time during the experiment. The decomposition coefficients (k) were 0.44 a-1 and 0.37 a-1 for pine needles and mixed litter, respectively. Nitrogen was the only element that showed increase, in the first period, in concentrations (in the first 329 days for needles, 117 days for mixed litter) and in contents (at about 200～250 days), and thereafter showed decrease over the rest of the experiment. P and Ca exhibited similar pattern in terms of concentrations and contents, close to the linear rate of mass loss. K is the most mobile element. Its patterns of concentrations and contents in decomposing litter were similar: the greatest loss during the first period (30 to 50 days), after then slightly fluctuate. Mg showed a relatively rapid initial loss in terms of concentrations and contents, thereafter followed a steady decline in contents but slowly increased in concentrations. The nutrient mobilities of the five elements in both processes of decomposing litter followed the following order: K>Mg>P>Ca>N.