Typhoon of 1994 Doubled the Annual litterfall of the Fu-Shan mixed hardwood forest ecosystem in Northeastern Taiwan

Strong typhoons frequently hit the eastern and northeastern regins of Taiwan. From March 1992 to February 1995, annual litterfalls of a mixed hardwood forest were monitored at Fu-Shan Experimental forest in northeastern Taiwan. The strong typhoons which occurred in July-August 1994 added an average of aroung 5,100kg/ha of total litterfall with 2754 kg/ha being leaf litterfall. This amount doubled annual leaf and total litterfalls to 82,000 kg/ha/yr in this year, as compared with 3,000 to 4,500 kg/ha/yr in the previous two years. In combination with other evidence, this indicates that the typhoonscan trigger a huge positive pulse of light, temperateure,soil mosiature and nutrients in this forest. This phenomenon favors the regeneration of shade-tolerant tree species by replacement from understory growth, but does not favor the regeneration of pioneer tree species in the gaps of this forest