Abstract: The decomposition and its nutrient dynamics of leaf litters of Pinus yunnanensis, Cyclobanapsis glaucoides and Castanopsis orthacantha in pine forest stand and evergreen broad -leaved forest stand in cen-tral Yunnan had been investigated by using the litterbag method in a duration of 868 days. It was found that the decomposition rates of both broad - leaved leaf litters are greater than that of pine needles. There are ob-vious differences between pine forest stand and evergreen broad - leaved forest stand in decomposed mass loss of leaf litters of three species. The decomposition coefficients were 0.55 ~ 0.6 l a^-1 for three leaf litters in evergreen broad - leaved forest, and in pine forest they were 0.50 ~ 0.53 a^-l. The removal rates of nutrient elements in litter change with the quality of leaf litter and decomposing site. During decomposition process the N, Al, Fe and Zn release of three leaf litters in both forest stands showed increase in the first period in content, and thereafter showed decrease over rest of this trial.

Key words: Pinus Yunnanensis forestl