Abstract:Forests in the alpine gorge area of western Sichuan may have higher hydrological ecological benefits due to the higher reserves of forest litter, but scant research is available. Therefore, the water-holding and water-loss characteristics of the forest litter in six types of forests in this region were investigated during the rainy season. The results showed that:(1) The forest litter storage had a significant positive correlation with the maximum water-holding capacity and modified interception amount in the alpine gorge region of western Sichuan. The forest litter storage, maximum water-holding capacity, maximum water-holding rate, modified interception amount and modified interception rate were 6.90~17.49 t/hm2, 1.64~5.42 mm, 138.18%~330.09%, 0.53~3.33 mm and 77.57%~203.02%, respectively. (2) Compared with other forests, the litter of Betula luminifera-Rhus potaninii forest had the best water holding characteristic, while the litter of Quercus baronii-Sophora davidii-Cotinus coggygria forest had the worst. (3) The cumulative water-holding capacity and cumulative water loss capacity of forest litter varied logarithmically with increasing soaking time and water loss time, respectively. But the water absorption rate and water loss rate showed a remarkable power function relationship with soaking time and water loss time, respectively. The forest litter in the alpine gorge area of western Sichuan had obvious function of absorbing and intercepting rainfall during the rainy season, and the best one was B. luminifera-R. potaninii forest in this region. These results provided reference basis for forest ecological construction and the ecological benefit evaluation in the alpine gorge area of western Sichuan.