Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T04:38:26.895Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Litter dynamics of recently harvested and mature bamboo savannas in a dry tropical region in India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

S. K. Tripathi  and
K. P. Singh
S. K. Tripathi
Affiliation:
Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi – 221005, India
K. P. Singh
Affiliation:
Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi – 221005, India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Analysis of litterfall, nutrient return and floor mass dynamics was made in mature and recently harvested bamboo savanna sites in a dry tropical region in India. The total annual litterfall was 590 and 267 g m–2 in mature and harvested sites, respectively. Of the total litterfall, 58–77% by weight was contributed by leaf litter. Although litterfall occurred throughout the year, as much as 72–83% of the leaf litterfall was recorded during winter (December–February). Seasonal distribution of total litterfall was: rainy 12–22% of annual, winter 64–65% and summer 13–22%. Nutrient concentrations in bamboo leaf litter were low compared with the other species growing in the same region. Annual nutrient return through litterfall amounted to: 28–49 kg N ha–1, 1.32.9 kg P ha–1, 33–85 kg Ca ha–1, 12–32 kg K ha–1 and 1.4–2.8 kg Na ha–1. While maximum accumulations of fresh litter on the ground occurred in summer, the partly decayed and particulate litter categories peaked in the rainy season. Decaying litter categories showed 1.5–3 times greater nutrient concentrations than the concentrations in fresh leaf litter. Marked immobilization of N and P occurred in decomposing leaf and particulate litter. The mean annual nutrient content of the floor was (kg ha–1): N 29–40, P 1.0–1.9, Ca 13.8–23.9, K 14.6–15.3 and Na 0.85–0.99. The annual turnover in litter layer was: 63–81% for dry mass and 64–90% for different nutrients.

Keywords

bamboo savannadry tropicsfloor masslitterfallnutrient returnturnover
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , August 1995 , pp. 403 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

LITERATURE CITED

Allen, S. E., Grimshaw, H. M., Parkinson, J. A. & Quaramby, C. 1974. Chemical analysis of ecological materials. Blackwell, Oxford, England.Google Scholar
Bray, J. R. & Gorham, E. 1964. Litter production in the forests of the world. Advances in Ecological Research 2:101–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Champion, H. G. & Seth, S. K. 1968. A revised survey of the forest types of India. Government of India Publications, New Delhi.Google Scholar
Facelli, J. M. & Pickett, S. T. A. 1991. Plant litter: its dynamics and effects on plant community structure. Botanical Review 57:1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grubb, P. J. 1989. The role of mineral nutrients in the tropics: a plant ecologist view. Pp. 153–159 in Proctor, J. (ed.). Mineral nutrients in tropical forest and savanna ecosystems.Google Scholar
Jenny, H., Gessel, S. P. & Bingham, F. T. 1949. Comparative study of decomposition rates of organic matter in temperate and tropical regions. Soil Science 68:419–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordon, C. F. 1983. Productivity of tropical rain forest ecosystems and the implications for their use as future wood and energy sources. Pp. 117–136 in Golley, F. B. (ed.). Tropical rain forests ecosystems – structure and function. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Oxford. 381 pp.Google Scholar
Lam, P. K. S. & Dudgeon, D. 1985. Seasonal effects on litterfall in a Hong Kong forest, Journal of Tropical Ecology 1:46–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lonsdale, W. M. 1988. Predicting the amount of litterfall in forests of the world. Annals of Botany 61:312–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meentemeyer, V., Box, E. O. & Thompson, R. 1982. World patterns and amounts of terrestrial plant litter production. Bioscience 32:125–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murphy, P. G. & Lugo, A. E. 1986. Ecology of tropical dry forest. Annual Review of Ecology and Systemalics 17:67–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Neill, R. V. & De Angelis, D. L. 1980. Comparative productivity and biomass relations of forest ecosystems. Pp. 411–449 in Reichle, D. E. (ed.). Dynamic properties of forest ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, Malta.Google Scholar
Pandey, O. N. & Singh, K. P. 1994. Nutrient cycling in a dry tropical forest. Forest Ecology and Management. In press.Google Scholar
Rao, K. S. & Ramakrishnan, P. S. 1989. Role of bamboos in conservation during secondary succession following slash and burn agriculture (Jhum) in North East India. Journal of Applied Ecology 26:625–633.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, J. S., Raghubanshi, A. S., Singh, R. S. & Srivastava, S. C. 1989. Microbial biomass acts as a source of plant nutrients in dry tropical forests and savanna. Nature 338:499–500.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Songwe, N. C., Fasehun, F. E. & Okali, D. U. U. 1988. Litterfall and productivity in a tropical rain forest, Southern Bakundu Forest, Cameroon. Journal of Tropical Ecology 4:25–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swift, M. J., Heal, O. W. & Anderson, J. M. 1979. Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Studies in ecology, Vol. 5. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.Google Scholar
Taylor, A. H. & Zisheng, O. 1987. Culm dynamics and dry matter production of bamboos in the Wolong and Tangjiahe giant panda reserves, Sichuan, China. Journal of Applied Ecology 24:419–433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toky, O. P. & Ramakrishnan, P. S. 1983. Secondary succession following slash and burn agriculture in North-Eastern India. I. Biomass, litterfall and productivity. Journal of Ecology 71:735–745.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripathi, S. K. 1991. Biomass, production and nutrient dynamics in a dry tropical bamboo savanna ecosystem. PhD thesis, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.Google Scholar
Tripathi, S. K. & Singh, K. P. 1992a. Abiotic and litter quality control during the decomposition of different plant parts in dry tropical bamboo savanna in India. Pedobiologia 36:241–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripathi, S. K. & Singh, K. P. 1992b. Nutrient immobilization and release patterns during plant decomposition in a dry tropical bamboo savanna, India. Biology and Fertility of Soils 14:191–199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tripathi, S. K. & Singh, K. P. 1994. Productivity and nutrient cycling in recently harvested and mature bamboo savannas in the dry tropics. Journal of Applied Ecology 31:109–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ueda, K. & Numata, M. 1961. Silvicultural and ecological studies of a natural bamboo forest in Japan. Bulletin of Kyoto University, Forests, No. 33:27–54.Google Scholar
Upadhyay, M. D. & Srivastava, S. C. N. 1980. Forest Working Plan, East Mirzapur Forest Division, Circle Varanasi II from 1981–82 to 1990–91, State Forest Department, Nainital.Google Scholar
Veblen, T. T., Schlegel, F. M. & Escobar, B. R. 1980. Dry matter production of two species of bamboo (Chusquea culeou and C. tenuiflora) in South-Central Chile. Journal of Ecology 68:397–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vitousek, P. M. 1984. Litterfall, nutrient cycling, and nutrient limitation in tropical forests. Ecology 65:285–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vogt, K. A., Grier, C. C. & Vogt, D. J. 1986. Production, turnover and nutrient dynamics of above- and below-ground detritus of world forests. Advances in Ecological Research 15:303–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar