Abstract: Within the two years of testing period, the total litterfall of the Rhodomyrtus tomentosa shrubland were calculated to be 429.3 and 525.2 g/m ² respectively for each year. In the litterfall, there had been significant differences between the amount of woody materials and the flower fruit materials, but had no obvious difference between foliage materials and other materials. The average contents of N, P, K in litterfall of the shrubland in the two years were 2 845, 164 and 892 mg/m ² respectively. The quantity of and the nutrients contented in the litterfall of the shrubland were less than that of those in tropical and subtropical evergreen broadleaf forestes, but were comparable to that of those in Pinus massoniana forests. It has been found that climate change had a great effect on the seasonal dynamic changes of quantity and nutrient contents of the shrubland litterfall. The results of the study on nutrient utilization efficiency showed that Rhodomyrtus tomentosa shrubland had a higher nutrient utilization efficiency than tropical and subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests and Pinus massoniana forests had.

Key words: litterfall, plant nutrient, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, shrubland, Hong Kong