Abstract: A 24hm² plot was installed in the Gutianshan National Natural Reserve, East China to dynamically monitor the leaf litter’s nutrient content and return amount of evergreen broadleaved forest. In 2008, a serious snow damage event happened in southern China, which gave us an opportunity to study the effects of snow damage on the leaf litter’s nutrient content and return amount of two constructive species (Castanopsis eyrei and Schima superba) in the evergreen broadleaved forest. No obvious difference was observed in the leaf litter’s C content of the constructive species before and after the snow damage, but the leaf litter’s production after the snow damage showed an obvious decrease, and thus, the leaf litter’s C return amount after the snow damage also showed an obvious decrease. As compared with that before the snow damage, the leaf litter’s N content of the constructive species after the snow damage was significantly larger, but the litter’s N return amount was smaller, due to the decrease of the litter’s production after the snow damage. Same as the leaf litter’s N content, the leaf litter’s P content of the constructive species after the snow damage was significantly larger than that before the snow damage (P<0.01), and the leaf litter’s P return amount also presented the same pattern.

Key words: Pinus koraiensis forest, altitude, soil microorganism, functional diversity, Biolog.