Forest litterfall is pivotal for biogeochemical cycles and for assessing the impacts of perturbations on ecosystems. Typhoon occurrence is the primary mechanism for producing litterfall; Taiwan is situated in one of the most frequently disturbed regions. However, no typhoons were recorded in 2018, only occurring three times since 1911. This rare occasion, along with the regular (2017) and extreme typhoon (2016) years, provides an opportunity to investigate the responses of typhoon‐prone forest ecosystems to a future climate scenario: Elevated temperatures amplify the intensity but reduce the frequency of typhoons. We compared three years (2016–2018) of summer typhoon season (July–October) mean monthly litterfall (MML) in the subtropical montane cloud forests of northeastern Taiwan, and investigated the relationships between MML/typhoon‐induced MML (ΔMML) and 17 biophysical, bioclimatic and topographic attributes. More MML was produced in 2016, caused by strong winds and heavy rainfall. However, there was no statistical difference between 2017 and 2018 since forests may also produce substantial amounts of litterfall in summer without typhoons. The relationship between ΔMML and 17 variables was relatively insensitive to typhoon severity. Variables associated with succession and forest management were crucial for modeling MML in the presence of typhoons, but none of them were pivotal for MML without typhoons. The mean air temperature and elevation (related to forest productivity) were crucial for MML without typhoons; surface curvature may form shelters to prevent extreme typhoon with reduced MML. These outcomes may shed light on future ecosystem dynamics in typhoon‐prone forests under a changing climate.
Abstract in Mandarin is available with online material.