Contenidos De Celulosa Y Lignina En Restos Lignino- Celulósicos De Gran Tamaño (Necromasa) En Un Bosque Templado De Antiguo Crecimiento Del Centro-Sur de Chile

The evaluation of volume, necromass, states of decay, solubility, and cellulose and lignin content in coarse woody debris (RLC) accumulated in an evergreen temperate forest of old-growth in the Puyehue National Park, South-Central Chile. Ten plots of 900 m2 each, were quantified for RLC (≥ 10 cm diameter). For necromass quantification was used a scale of five categories/states of decay, necromass (1 = lowest and 5 = highest degradation). 632 m3 ha-1 of deadwood (= 231,5 Mg ha-1 of necromass) was found, mainly represented by Nothofagus betuloides (95,2%). The wood with the most advanced state of decay (state 5) showed a greater solubility, increasing of 273,7 and 818,6 times more soluble than 1, for N. betuloides and S. conspicua, respectively. Cellulose content decreased to 91%, while the lignin increased 248% and 142% in wood decay of N. betuloides and S. conspicua, respectively. These results demonstrate the importance of RLC in the biogeochemistry of remote forest ecosystems of old-growth in Southern Chile