Litterfall production in forests located at the Pre-delta area of the Paraná River (Argentina)

• The objectives of this study were to measure litterfall production of the four floodplain forest types and to analyze the relationship between litterfall (forest type, dominant species, and organic fractions) and flood pulses. • Litterfall production was measured in two mono-specific stands of Salix humboldtiana or Tessaria integrifolia , respectively, and two mixed forests dominated by A. inundata or Nectandra angustifolia , during 1998 and the 2000–2002 periods. • Mono-specific stands presented similar productivities (6.8 and 6.5 Mg dry matter ha −1 y −1 , respectively), but differed significantly from the two other. The highest litterfall production was obtained during the large flood that occurred during 1998, decreasing later throughout the study period. Leaves were the dominant fraction of litterfall, followed by branches, flowers, and fruits. • Only S. humboldtiana, T. integrifolia and A. inundata forests showed distinct patterns of litterfall production, depending on the flooding pulse. N. angustifolia did not show a distinctive litterfall pattern. • The forests studied here presented patterns of litter production associated with the flood pulse according to its location along a topographic gradient, that controls the litter productivity of these forests.