The specific objectives of this study were (a) to define the organic and inorganic composition of foliar litter from red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and (b) to determine the shifts in the organic and inorganic composition of these two litter types during the initial stages of decomposition. These two species were chosen because of their prominence in the northeastern U.S. and the contrast they afforded in litter quality characteristics which have a strong influence on litter decomposition.