This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Portuguese to English
  3. Environment & Ecology

serapilheira

English translation: leaf litter

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Portuguese term or phrase:serapilheira
English translation:leaf litter
Entered by: Evans (X)

13:30 Sep 14, 2011
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Environment & Ecology
Portuguese term or phrase: serapilheira
microhabitats dentro da mata, como serapilheira, troncos caídos, etc
Andre Damasceno
Brazil
Local time: 08:12
leaf litter
Explanation:
Or layer of leaf litter.

See these refs:

"As folhas que caem das árvores, bem como os galhos secos que se desprendem e os troncos das árvores que morrem vão se acumulando no chão da floresta e criam um ambiente muito especial, que se constitui no hábitat para muitos animais e microorganismos, como fungos e bactérias, que são os principais responsáveis pelo processo de decomposição de toda esta matéria morta, que são transformados em nutrientes para manter o vigor e crescimento das árvores e outras plantas. Esta camada de materiais em decomposição recebe o nome de serapilheira.
A serapilheira tem também uma importante função de proteger o solo da floresta: evita a erosão e mantém a umidade. O solo úmido absorve melhor a água das chuvas, o que torna possível a recarga do lençol freático, evitando que as nascentes sequem."

http://www.ra-bugio.org.br/mataatlantica_02.php

http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/pdf/744/74411656001.pdf



http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb...
Selected response from:

Evans (X)
Local time: 12:12
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2leaf litter
Evans (X)
4 +2hessian
Nick Taylor
5 +1tree litter ALSO: plant litter/dead plant material
Muriel Vasconcellos
5sacking
Douglas Bissell
4leaf litter
Marian Vieyra
4Vegetable matter
suesimons
Summary of reference entries provided
Houaiss
T o b i a s

Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
sacking


Explanation:
or sacks

Douglas Bissell
Portugal
Local time: 12:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
leaf litter


Explanation:
Or layer of leaf litter.

See these refs:

"As folhas que caem das árvores, bem como os galhos secos que se desprendem e os troncos das árvores que morrem vão se acumulando no chão da floresta e criam um ambiente muito especial, que se constitui no hábitat para muitos animais e microorganismos, como fungos e bactérias, que são os principais responsáveis pelo processo de decomposição de toda esta matéria morta, que são transformados em nutrientes para manter o vigor e crescimento das árvores e outras plantas. Esta camada de materiais em decomposição recebe o nome de serapilheira.
A serapilheira tem também uma importante função de proteger o solo da floresta: evita a erosão e mantém a umidade. O solo úmido absorve melhor a água das chuvas, o que torna possível a recarga do lençol freático, evitando que as nascentes sequem."

http://www.ra-bugio.org.br/mataatlantica_02.php

http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/pdf/744/74411656001.pdf



http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb...


Evans (X)
Local time: 12:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marian Vieyra: Your answer wasn't there when I entered mine.
3 mins
  -> thanks Marian, at least we were thinking along the same lines.
agree  Stephen Kramer: Serapilheira: Camada de folhas, galhos, etc., de mistura com terra, que cobre o solo da mata. (Aurelio)
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Stephen! It's clearly the meaning here.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
leaf litter


Explanation:
Microhabitat would imply animals that live in rotting vegetation.


    Reference: http://www.countrysideinfo.co.uk/woodland_manage/woodbio3.ht...
Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Vegetable matter


Explanation:
In this context, I would suggest that this concerns an accumulation of dead leaves, seeds, and other vegetable matter. The other meaning of the word is a thick cloth used for making coats etc

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 21 mins (2011-09-14 13:52:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or leafmould perhaps.

suesimons
Local time: 12:12
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 16
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
hessian


Explanation:
hessian

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 mins (2011-09-14 13:53:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or of course JUTE

Nick Taylor
Local time: 12:12
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 67

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ulrica d'Orey
1 hr
  -> thanks Ulrica
agree  oxygen4u: :)
2 hrs
  -> thanks
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
tree litter ALSO: plant litter/dead plant material


Explanation:
'Leaf litter' isn't wrong, but it's not just leaves. Tree/plant litter also includes pieces of bark, small branches, fallen fruit, etc. In my landscaping work I use the term 'tree litter'. It's the term you see in scientific journals. They speak of 'annual tree litter production'.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_litter
Plant litter, leaf litter or tree litter is dead plant material, such as leaves, bark, needles, and twigs, that has fallen to the ground. Litter provides habitat for small ...

www.jstor.org/stable/1936037
by RM Hurd - 1971 - Cited by 14 - Related articles
ent study was to determine annual tree-litter production through a range of successional stands from recently established, relatively ephemeral, woody ...

Soil carbon and tree litter dynamics in a red cedarâ•fiscotch pine ...
digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1108&context...
by TJ Sauer - 2007 - Cited by 6 - Related articles
soil and tree litter under this agroforestry practice. ... in surface soil layers and tree litter within and ... increased organic inputs by tree litter and deposition ...

oas.uco.edu/06/paper/epperson.pdf
Allelochemicals are toxins released by tree litter. Many studies have ... The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of tree litter leachate from local ...

www.esajournals.org › Ecology › September 1971
by RM Hurd - 1971 - Cited by 14 - Related articles
Annual Tree-Litter Production by Successional Forest Stands, Juneau, Alaska. Ecology 52:881–884. [doi:10.2307/1936037]. Articles ...

Muriel Vasconcellos
United States
Local time: 04:12
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 118

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  T o b i a s: Appears to be more 'abrangente', so to speak.
14 hrs
  -> Thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


1 day 20 mins
Reference: Houaiss

Reference information:
Rubrica: indústria têxtil.
m.q. aniagem
2 camada superficial do solo de florestas e bosques, feita de folhas, ramos etc. em decomposição, misturados à terra; manta, sarapieira, sarapueira
3 Regionalismo: Brasil.
conjunto de raízes que afloram à superfície do solo

T o b i a s
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 3
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search