Litter fall, litter standing crop and changes in litter fall were studied in a
secondary lowland rainforest at Ile-Ife (7o 29' N, 4o 34' E), Nigeria 14 years after a ground fire
ravaged the forest. Two sample areas, one in the burnt part of the forest (burnt area) and the
other in the part of the forest not affected by fire (unburnt area) were used for the study.
Annual litter fall (t ha-1 yr-1) was 12.5 (total), 8.2 (leaf), 2.8 (wood =3.1 cm diameter), 0.9
(reproductive parts: fruits and flowers) and 0.6 (miscellaneous) in the burnt area and 9.9
(total), 6.3 (leaf), 1.9 (wood =3.1 cm diameter), 1.1 (reproductive parts) and 0.6 (miscellaneous)
in the unburnt area. Litter production 14 years after the ground fire (11.8 t ha-1 yr-1) was
significantly higher (P = 0.001) than that seven years after the fire (4.6 t ha-1 yr-1). The annual
litter standing crop ranged from 8.3 to 9.4 t ha-1 yr-1. Decomposition coefficient (KL) values of
litter on the forest floor showed that reproductive materials are the most rapidly and woody
material least decomposed.