Abstract:Based on field survey on the 161 grids with areas of 625 m2 in Jianfengling of Hainan Province,the water storage,water-holding capacity,water-holding rate and water absorption rate of forest litter were studied in different tropical rainforests(including primary forest,selectively logged forest and clear-cut forest).The results show that in primary forest,selectively logged forest and clear-cut forest,the litter storage was 6.42,6.29 and 6.66 t/hm2,and the max water-holding capacity was 9.55,10.49 and 11.17 t/hm2,respectively.Clear-cut forest has the highest max water-holding rate of 169.2%,followed by selectively logged forest(168.0%),and primary forest(155.6%).The max water-holding rates in the three forests differed significantly as indicated by the Kruskal—Wallis H test.The water-holding capacity and water-holding rate of litter in all the forests increased logarithmically with soaking time(W=alnt+b).While,the water absorption rates of litter reduced followed equation W=at-b as soaking time increased.