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

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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.

Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences-JBES is an open-access scholarly research journal, published by International Network for Natural Sciences-INNSPUB. JBES published original scientific articles in different field of Environmental Sciences and Biodiversity. JBES published 2 Volume and 12 issue per calendar year.