This work was carried out in a riparian zone from October 2000 to September 2001, within a representative plot of a riparian forest with semideciduous mesophytic forest vegetation, located in the center southern region of São Paulo state. The total litter production was 10.646 kg.ha-1.y-1. The season of highest litter and nutrient deposition was the late dry season. The total macronutrient transfer was 217.76 kg.ha-1 N; 11.55 kg.ha-1 P; 52.79 kg.ha-1 K; 199.80 kg.ha-1 Ca and 38.70 kg.ha-1 Mg. The accumulated litter was estimated as 6.227 kg.ha-1, instantaneous decomposition rate (K) 1.71 and time needed time for 50% and 95% litter disappearance was 150 and 639 days, respectively.
Riparian forest; nutrient cycling; litter; nutrient; decomposition
