This study was conducted in a remaining riparian forest (42 ha) in the Jacaré-Pepira river, where Centrolobium tomentosum Guill. ex Benth., an early secondary and deciduous species, is the most important tree in the seasonal semideciduous forest. C. tomentosum's litter production reached 4.2 kg.ind-1, with two peaks of leaf shedding (January/February _ 25.1% and July/August _ 52.3%) representing an input to soil surface of (g.ind.¹ year¹): 74.7 N; 6.1 P; 29.0 K; 73.9 Ca; 25.8 Mg and 14.1 S. Leaf litter produced takes 19.5 months for decomposition, which is strongly seasonal. The quality and quantity of C. tomentosum's litter indicate its potentially important role in the functional and structural recovery of riparian forests in the São Paulo State.
Centrolobium tomentosum; Jacaré-Pepira River basin; litter production; seasonal semideciduous forest; transfer of nutrient
