Litterfall production and nutrient cycling on caatinga woody leguminous.

The knowledge on nutrient cycling through litter is important for the management of the species in agroforestry systems (SAFs), since the litter is an important way of making plant nutrients available to soil. The aim of this work was to evaluate the litterfall production and nutrient cycling of woody species in an agroforestry system of Caatinga. The study was developed in SAF belonging to Embrapa Goats and Sheep, located in the county of Sobral-CE, Brazil. The evaluated species were four native leguminous from Caatinga: Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (sabia), Mimosa tenuiflora (jurema-preta), Libidibia ferrea (juca) and Poncianella piramydalis (catingueira). To collect the litter, collectors were installed under the tree canopy, using six replicates for each species evaluated.