The amounts of litter produced and nutrients returned play a fundamental role in the productivity and biogeochemical and nutrient cycling of forest ecosystems.We monitored annual litterfall production, nutrient return,and monthly dynamics over a one-year period in Chinese fir plantations aged 10, 22, and 34 years. Our objective was to quantify litterfall and nutrient return over a complete harvest rotation of Chinese fir. Annual litterfall production increased with stand age and was recorded as(3,294.6 ± 360.4),(3,733.9 ± 211.2), and(4,876.1 ± 212.8) kg ha-1a-1in stands aged 10, 22 and 34 years, respectively. Total litter production was significantly greater in the stand aged34 years than in the stand aged 10 years(p 0.05). With the exception of miscellaneous components, needle litterfall constituted the highest proportion(27.5–43.6 %), followed by branches/twigs(9.5–16.6 %). In all three plantations,annual total nutrient return to soil was in the order of C(1,119.95–2,709.05 kg ha-1a-1) [ N(39.32–62.04 kg ha-1a-1) [ K(15.95–22.44 kg ha-1a-1) [ P(1.30–1.63 kg ha-1a-1). C, N, K and P input to soil was significantly lower in the 10-year-old stand in comparison to the 22- and34-year-old stands(p 0.05). Litterfall production and nutrient return(C, N and K) followed similar patterns, and C and N input to soil was significantly related to litterfall production(needle, branch and total litterfall). C, N, P and K input to soil and total litterfall production were mainly driven by needle litterfall. The amounts of litter produced and nutrients returned play a fundamental role in the productivity and biogeochemical and nutrient cycling of forest ecosystems.We monitored annual litterfall production, nutrient return, and monthly dynamics over a one-year period in Chinese fir plantations aged 10, 22 , and 34 years. Our objective was to quantify litterfall and nutrient return over a complete harvest rotation of Chinese fir. Annual litterfall production increased with stand age and was recorded as (3,294.6 ± 360.4), (3,733.9 ± 211.2), and (4,876.1 ± 212.8) kg ha-1a-1in stands aged 10, 22 and 34 years, respectively. Total litter production was significantly greater in the stand aged 34 years than in the stand aged 10 years (p 0.05). With the exception of miscellaneous components , needle litterfall constituted the highest proportion (27.5-43.6%), followed by branches / twigs (9.5-16.6%). In all three plantations, annual total nutrient return to soil was in the order of C (1,119.95-2,709. 05 kg ha-1a-1) [K (15.95-22.44 kg ha-1a-1) [P (1.30-1.63 kg ha-1a-1) N, K and P input to soil was significantly lower in the 10-year-old stand in comparison to the 22- and 34-year-old stands (p 0.05). Litterfall production and nutrient return (C, N and K) followed similar patterns, and C and N input to soil was significantly related to litterfall production (needle, branch and total litterfall). C, N, P and K input to soil and total litterfall production were mainly driven by needle litterfall.