Dynamics and elemental composition of litter fall in leguminous tree species of Sub tropical region: A nutrient cycling perspective

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/02/2017
Views (657)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Dynamics and elemental composition of litter fall in leguminous tree species of Sub tropical region: A nutrient cycling perspective

Mauvia Ahmad Muhammad, Saeed Gulzar, Syed M. Nizami, Lubna Ansari, Amir Saleem, Muhammad Essa
J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 10(2), 58-64, February 2017.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2017; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

Litter fall dynamics have significant importance in nutrient cycling especially the carbon inputs to the soils under the recent climate change scenario. The present study was carried out in sub-tropical region of Pakistan and plant community of tree leguminous species viz. Dalbergia sissoo (Shisham); Albizia lebbeck (Siris) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Safaida) were investigated for total litter fall and its elemental composition to be subsequent entry as nutrients into the soil. Litter fall trappers of dimension (1m2) were used for litter fall collection from each tree species. Later nutritional analysis of litter fall was investigated through standard laboratory techniques. The study revealed 4.78, 3.89, 6.37 t ha-1yr-1 of litter fall in the shisham, siris and safaida trees respectively. The ANOVA pointed out significant variation (P<0.001) in monthly litter fall of each species. Elemental composition analysis revealed that total concentration of C was 42.12; 43.75 and 36 gm kg-1 in shisham, siris and safaida respectively. The amount of N was 15.43; 11.11 and 18.25 gm kg-1, while the P composition was 5.6, 8.5 and 2.6 gm kg-1 in shisham, siris and safaida respectively. The concentration of K was low as compared to C, N and P in all other species. The results of study are helpful in estimating the amount nutrients entering into the soil and simultaneously have significant role in nutrient cycling in sub-tropical forest forests having composition of these species.

Berg B, McClaugherty C. 2010. Plant Litter: Decomposition, Humus Formation, Carbon Sequestration, second ed. Springer-Verlag Heidelberg Berlin 3, 338-352.

Berg B, McClaugherty C. 2014. Plant Litter: Decomposition, Humus Formation, Carbon Sequestration, 3rd ed. Springer, Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany.

Chapin FS, Matson PA, Mooney HA. 2002. Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. New York. Springer. Ver., 115-221 P.

Hasanuzzaman M, Mahmood M. 2007. Litter production and nutrient return through leaf litter of selected cropland agroforest tree species in southwestern Bangladesh. Agriculture and Forestry 60 (1), 221-233.

Kim C, Koo KS, Kim YK, Lee YK, Jeong JH, Seo HS. 1997. Dynamics of litterfall and nutrient inputs in Quercus acutissima and Pinus koraiensis stands. Forest Research Institute Journal of Forest Science  55, 13-18.

Lawrence D. 2005. Regional scale variation in litter production and seasonality in tropical dry forests of southern Mexico.  Biotropica 37, 561–570.

Lin H, Hong T, Wu C, Chen H, Chen C, Li J, Lin Y, Fan Y. 2012. Monthly variation in litterfall and the amount of nutrients in an Aleurites montana plantation. Forestry Studies in China 14(1), 30-35.

Maguire DA. 1994. Branch mortality and potential litter fall from Douglas-fir trees in stands of varying density. Forest Ecology and Management 70(1-3), 41–53.

Mahmood H, Hoque AKF. 2008. Litter production and decomposition in mangrove–a review.  Indian Forester 31(2), 227-238.

Miller HG, Cooper JM, Miller JD, Pauline JL. 1979. Nutrient cycles in pine and their adaptation to poor soils. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 9(1), 19–26.

Ryan J, Garabet S, Rashid A, El-Gharous M. 1999. Assessment of soil and plant analysis laboratories in the West Asia – North Africa region. Communications in Soil Science and  Plant Analysis 30, 885 – 894.

Polyakova O, Billor N. 2007. Impact of deciduous tree species on litterfall quality, decomposition rates and nutrient circulation in pine stands. Forest Ecology and Management  253 (1), 11-18.

Sharma RB, Moolchandra S, Singh KP. 1990a. Variation in forest biomass and productivity. In: Singh JS, Singh KP, Agrawal M (eds) Environmental degradation of Obra-Renukoot-Singrauli area and its impact on natural and derived ecosystems. Final Technical Report submitted to Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, 109–114 P.

Sharma RB, Moolchandra S, Singh KP. 1990b. Changes in relation to forest nutrient cycling. In: Singh JS, Singh KP, Agrawal M (eds) Environmental degradation of Obra-Renukoot-Singrauli area and its impact on natural and derived ecosystems. Final Technical Report submitted to Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, 109–124 P.

Sheikh MI. 1993. Trees of Pakistan. Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar Pakistan, 145 p.

Singh KP, Singh PK, Tripathi SK. 1999. Litterfall, litter decomposition and nutrient release patterns in four native tree species raised on coal mine spoil at Singrauli, India. Biology and Fertility of Soils 29(4),  371-378.

Singh KP. 1968. Litter production and nutrient turnover in deciduous forests of Varanasi. In Advances in tropical ecology Part II. Proceedings of symposium on recent advances in tropical ecology. Banaras Hindu University, India, 655-665.

Related Articles

Agroforestry in woody-encroached Sub-Saharan savannas: Transforming ecological challenges into sustainable opportunities

Yao Anicet Gervais Kouamé, Pabo Quévin Oula, Kouamé Fulgence Koffi, Ollo Sib, Adama Bakayoko, Karidia Traoré, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(3), 10-22, September 2025.

Extreme rainfall variability and trends in the district of Ouedeme, municipality of Glazoue (Benin)

Koumassi Dègla Hervé, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(3), 1-9, September 2025.

Heterosis breeding, general and specific combining ability and stability studies in pearl millet: Current trends

Ram Avtar, Krishan Pal, Kavita Rani, Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Mahendra Kumar Yadav, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 117-124, August 2025.

Combining ability, heterosis and stability for yield and fibre quality traits in cotton: Breeding approaches and future prospects

Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Krishan Pal, R. P. Saharan, Ram Avtar, Mahendra Kumar Yadav, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 109-116, August 2025.

Bridging the COPD awareness gap in marginalized populations: Findings from a multicentre study in Khalilabad, Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

Anupam Pati Tripathi, Jigyasa Pandey, Sakshi Singh, Smita Pathak, Dinesh Chaudhary, Alfiya Mashii, Farheen Fatima, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 97-108, August 2025.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Pleurotus citrinopileatus Singer and Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer

P. Maheswari, P. Madhanraj, V. Ambikapathy, P. Prakash, A. Panneerselvam, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 90-96, August 2025.

Mangrove abundance, diversity, and productivity in effluent-rich estuarine portion of Butuanon River, Mandaue City, Cebu

John Michael B. Genterolizo, Miguelito A. Ruelan, Laarlyn N. Abalos, Kathleen Kay M. Buendia, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 77-89, August 2025.

Cytogenetic and pathological investigations in maize × teosinte hybrids: Chromosome behaviour, spore identification, and inheritance of maydis leaf blight resistance

Krishan Pal, Ravi Kishan Soni, Devraj, Rohit Kumar Tiwari, Ram Avtar, J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 27(2), 70-76, August 2025.