Comparative study on litter production and nutrient return to soil in Tarai and Hill Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) forests of eastern Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. P. Bhattarai ◽  
T. N. Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Litter Fall ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
Sal Forest

Litter production and nutrient return to soil through litter fall is important pathway for the regulation of nutrient cycling and primary production of the forest. Litter fall dynamics is generally influenced by phenology of tree species, seasons and altitude of the forest stand. As most of the information on litter production are from temperate and dry tropical region. A comparative study on litter production and nutrient return were conducted in Terai Sal forest (TSF) and Hill Sal forest (HSF) located in moist tropical region of eastern Nepal. Litter samples were collected from the litter traps (1m × 1m size) placed randomly in the forest. Collection was done at two months interval for one year. Annual litterfall in TSF (8.82 Mg ha-1y-1) was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than in HSF (7.18 Mg ha-1y-1).There was distinct seasonality in litter production. In TSF and HSF, litterfall was maximum in the summer (6.57 Mg ha-1 and 5.05 Mg ha-1, respectively) and minimum in winter season (0.86 Mg ha-1 and 0.72 Mg ha-1, respectively). Amount of nutrient return to forest soil through litter fall (kg ha-1 y-1) was higher in TSF (72.44 N, 6.80 P and 33.23 K) than HSF (54.31 N, 4.84 P and 22.23 K). The difference in litter production between these two forests was influenced by the phenology of dominant tree species, variation in altitude and seasons. Nutrient return through litter fall is a great input of nutrients in soil which is required for production process. Thus, litter constitutes a significant role in forest management.Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for NepalVol. 28, No. 1, 2018, page: 11-19

scholarly journals Comparative Study on Soil Microbial Biomass in Tarai and Hill Sal (Shorearobusta Gaertn.) Forests of Tropical Region in Eastern Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai ◽  
Tej Narayan Mandal
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Soil Microbial Biomass ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Sal Forest

A comparative study was conducted to investigate the effect of altitudinal variation and seasonality on soil microbial biomass carbon (MB-C), nitrogen (MB-N), and phosphorus (MB-P) between Tarai Sal forest (TSF) and Hill Sal forest (HSF) of the tropical region in eastern Nepal. Soil microbial biomass was estimated by chloroform fumigation - extraction method in summer, rainy and winter seasons in the upper (0-15 cm) soil depth in both forests. Pre-conditioned soil samples were saturated with purified liquid chloroform, represented fumigated sample. Another set of soil samples without using chloroform, represented unfumigated samples and soil biomass was estimated from these samples. MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P were higher by 66%, 31%, and 9%, respectively, in HSF than TSF. Distinct seasonality was observed in soil microbial biomass. It was maximum in summer and minimum in rainy season in both the forest stands. The value decreased from summer to rainy season by 46 to 67% in HSF and by 32 to 80% in TSF. Higher soil microbial biomass in the summer season may be due to its accumulation in soil when the plant growth and nutrient demand are minimal. Analysis of variance suggested that MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P were significantly different for both sites and seasons (P < 0.001). Soil organic carbon, TN, and TP were positively correlated with MB-C, MB-N, and MB-P in both the forests. In conclusion, the higher value of soil microbial biomass in HSF may be due to the higher concentration of soil organic matter and decreasing turnover rate of microbial biomass due to higher altitude. On the other hand, the lower value of microbial biomass at TSF may indicate its fast turnover rate due to lowland tropics to enhance the nutrient cycling process.

scholarly journals Pattern of litterfall and return of nutrients in five Oak species of mixed Oak forest of Manipur, North-East India

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ng. Lamnganbi Devi ◽  
E. Jadu Singh
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
North East India ◽  
North East ◽  
Leaf Litterfall

Litterfall and its nutrient return in five oak species were studied in the mixed Oak forest in Senapati District, Manipur .Litter production was measured by litter trap method. The total annual litterfall was 958.9 g m-2yr-1.Leaf and non leaf litterfall comprises 76.7 % and 23.3 % of the total litterfall. Maximum litterfall was found in the month of April (193.5 g m-2) and minimum in the month of July (23.7 g m-2).About 70% of the forest floor was replaced each year with turnover time of 1.42 yr.The amount of nutrient return through leaf litter was found to be maximum in Q.polystachya and minimum in C.indica. Nutrients (NPK) concentration of leaf litter of five different tree species was varied among different tree species.

Nutrient Cycling in a Eucalyptus obliqua (L'hérit.) Forest. I. Litter Production and Nutrient Return

1978 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
PM Attiwill ◽  
HB Guthrie ◽  
R Leuning
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Phosphorus Content ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Litter Fall ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
Major Significance ◽  
Low Phosphorus ◽  
Warm Temperate Forest ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
Warm Temperate

Total litter fall in mature Eucalyptus obliqua forest is typical for warm temperate forest, in the range 3.6-5.5 t ha-1 yr-1. Fifty per cent of the litter fall occurs in the summer months, and the seasonal rate of litter fall is dependent primarily on temperature. The concentration of nutrients in litter fall varies significantly throughout the year. Prior to litter fall, about 70% of the phosphorus is withdrawn from that portion of the biomass which is to fall as litter and the amount of phosphorus cycled in the litter is therefore very small. At the other extreme, calcium is immobilized in large quantities immediately prior to litter fall. The internal, or 'biochemical', cycling of phosphorus is probably of major significance in the functioning of eucalypt forests on Australian soils characterized by a low phosphorus content.

scholarly journals Comparative Dynamics of Above-Ground Litter Production and Decomposition from Eucalyptus Grandis Hill ex Maiden and Pinus Taeda L., and Their Contribution to Soil Organic Carbon

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Andrés Baietto ◽  
Jorge Hernández ◽  
Amabelia del Pino
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Taeda ◽  
Decomposition Rate ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Eucalyptus Grandis ◽  
Isotopic Analysis ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
First Year ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Pinus Taeda L

The replacement of native pasture by exotic commercial forest species is an infrequent situation worldwide. In these systems, a new component is introduced, forest litter, which constitutes one of the main ways of incorporating carbon into the soil–plant system. The present work seeks to establish a methodological approach to study the dynamics of litter production and decomposition in an integrated way. The general objective was to characterize and compare the litter production dynamics in 14-year-old Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and Pinus taeda L. commercial plantations. During two years, seasonal evaluations of fall, decomposition and accumulation of litter were carried out in stands of both species. In turn, the contribution of carbon from forest species to the soil through isotopic analysis techniques was quantified. Litterfall in E. grandis showed maximums during the spring of the first year and in the spring and summer of the second. In P. taeda, the maximums occurred in summer of the first year and in autumn of the second. In relation to the decomposition rate, the results based on short periods of evaluation between 15 and 21 months did not show differences between species, nor for the different moments of beginning of the evaluation, obtaining average values of 0.0369 month−1 for E. grandis and 0.0357 month−1 for P. taeda. In turn, both the decomposition rate of the material as a whole and the estimates of accumulated biomass in equilibrium state did not show significant differences between the species. Additionally, there was a relevant incorporation of carbon into the soil by forest species, fundamentally in the first few centimeters, substituting an important proportion of the carbon inherited by the original cover of native pastures. Finally, it is necessary to specify that the scope of the findings obtained is greatly limited by the sample size used in this study.

Structure and Regeneration of Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.) Forests in Shiwalik Region of Kumaun Himalaya, India

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Bhawna Adhikari ◽  
◽  
Bhawana Kapkoti ◽  
Neelu Lodhiyal ◽  
L.S. Lodhiyal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Canopy Density ◽  
Kumaun Himalaya ◽  
Shorea Robusta ◽  
Canopy Trees ◽  
Dense Forest ◽  
Open Forest ◽  
Sal Forest

Present study was carried out to assess the structure and regeneration of Sal forests in Shiwalik region of Kumaun Himalaya. Vegetation analysis and tree canopy density was determined by using quadrat and densitometer, respectively. Density of seedlings, saplings and trees was 490-14067, 37-1233, and 273-863 ind.ha-1 respectively. The basal area was 0.12-5.44 m2 ha-1 reported for saplings and 25.4-77.6 m2 ha-1 for trees. Regeneration of Sal was found good in Sal mixed dense forest followed by Sal open forest and Sal dense forest, respectively. Regeneration of Sal was assisted by the presence of associated tree species as well as the sufficient sunlight availability on ground due to adequate opening of canopy trees in Sal forest. Thus it is concluded that the density of tree canopy, sunlight availability and also associated tree species impacted the regeneration of Sal in the region.

scholarly journals The influence of forest-forming tree species on diversity and spatial distribution of algae in forest litter

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yevhen Maltsev ◽  
Irina Maltseva
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Green Algae ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Equal Distribution ◽  
Blue Green Algae ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The forest litter plays a significant role in forest ecosystems. The composition of the litter biota comprises micro- and mesofauna, and a great diversity of microorganisms, including unrecognized algae (eukaryotic representatives and Cyanoprokaryota). The aim of this work was to study the diversity of algae in the different types of forest litters and to clarify the relationship between the algae composition and the forest-forming tree species. Our results show that the pine forest litter is the most appropriate habitat for the development of green and yellow-green algae and that this litter type limits the variety of blue-green ones. The admixture of deciduous leaf litter to pine litter caused an increase in the species richness of blue-green algae and diatoms. The algae were unevenly distributed across the sub-horizons of pine litter. The highest species richness of algae was identified in the enzymatic sub-horizon of litter. The peculiarity of the composition of leaf litter algae was a significant variety of green, yellow-green and blue-green algae. The spatial organization of algae communities in the leaf litter was characterized by equal distribution of algae species in the litter-subhorizons.

scholarly journals Integrating forest-pasture: Spatial analysis and delineation of zones of litter production and nutrient return

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (6Supl2) ◽  
pp. 4377
Author(s):  
Sabino Pereira da Silva Neto ◽  
Antonio Clementino dos Santos ◽  
Raimundo Laerton de Lima Leite ◽  
José Expedito Cavalcante da Silva ◽  
Durval Nolasco Neves Neto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Nutrient Accumulation ◽  
Nutrient Return ◽  
Forest Strata ◽  
Equidistant Points

This study aimed to quantify, describe, and identify plant litter production and nutrient accumulation zones in different forest-pasture integration (FPI) systems and forest strata of the Cerrado-Amazon transition on typical orthic Quartzarenic Neosol using spatial analysis, principal component analysis, and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-mean clustering logic techniques. The evaluations were performed at two FPI systems comprising a combination of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu and thinned native vegetation with 50 and 75% (FPI-I and FPI-II, respectively) shade in an original thinned forest (NFI) and in an original intact forest (NF-II) with 80 and 95% shade, respectively. An area of 4,000 m² (40 x 100 m) that contained 32 sampling points arranged in a 4 x 25 m grid was demarcated for each treatment. Plant litter was collected using 32 collectors installed at equidistant points. Twelve nylon bags were placed on the soil surface at each point to evaluate the plant litter decomposition, totaling 384 bags per treatment. It was possible to quantify, describe, and define plant litter production and nutrient accumulation zones in different FPI systems and forest strata of the Cerrado-Amazon transition on orthic Quartzarenic Neosol using geostatistical analysis, principal components, and non-hierarchical fuzzy k-mean clustering logic procedures.

scholarly journals Leaf trait variation and field spectroscopy of generalist tree species on contrasting soil types

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus Henrique Nunes ◽  
Matthew P. Davey ◽  
David Anthony Coomes
Keyword(s):  
Soil Type ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Field Spectroscopy ◽  
Specific Variation ◽  
Foliar Traits

Abstract. Understanding the causes of variation in plant functional traits is a central issue in ecology, particularly in the context of global change. Analyses of the drivers of traits variation based on thousands of tree species are starting to unravel patterns of variation at the global scale, but these studies tend to focus on interspecific variation, and the contribution of intraspecific changes remains less well understood. Hyperspectroscopy is a recently developed technology for estimating the traits of fresh leaves. Few studies have evaluated its potential for assessing inter- and intra-specific trait variability in community ecology. Working with 24 leaf traits for European tree species on contrasting soil types, found growing on deep alluvial soils and nearby shallow chalk soils, we ask: (i) What contribution do soil type and species identity make to trait variation? (ii) When traits are clustered into three functional groups (light capture and growth, leaf structure and defence, as well as rock-derived nutrients), are some groups more affected by soil than others? (iii) What traits can be estimated precisely using field spectroscopy? (iv) Can leaf spectra be used to detect inter-soil as well as inter-specific variation in traits? The contribution of species and soil-type effects to variation in traits were evaluated using statistical analyses. Foliar traits were predicted from spectral reflectance using partial least square regression, and so inter- and intra-specific variation. Most leaf traits varied greatly among species. The effects of soil type were generally weak by comparison. Macronutrient concentrations were greater on alluvial than chalk soils while micronutrient concentration showed the opposite trend. However, structural traits, as well as most pigments and phenolic concentrations varied little with soil type. Field spectroscopy provided accurate estimates of species-level trait values, but was less effective at detecting subtle variation of rock-derived nutrients between soil types. Field spectroscopy was a powerful technique for estimating cross-species variation in foliar traits and Si predictions using spectroscopy appear to be promising. However, it was unable to detect subtle within-species variation of traits associated with soil type.

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