Research Article
Litter Production, Decomposition, and Nutrient Release in Subalpine Forest Communities of the Northwest Himalaya
Table 1
Geography and soil characteristics of selected stands in subalpine region.
| Parameters | Forest stands | Acer-Rhododendron | Quercus-Quercus | Abies-Quercus | Rhododendron-Sorbus | (PAR) | (PQQ) | (PAQ) | (PRS) |
| Mean elevation (m asl) | 3265 | 3293 | 3304 | 3383 | Location | 30°28′03′′–30°28′08′′ N 79°20′35′′–79°20′46′′ E | 30°28′29′′–30°28′32′′ N 79°21′10′′–79°21′20′′ E | 30°28′25′′–30°28′33′′ N 79°21′30′′–79°21′39′′ E | 30°28′19′′–30°28′25′′ N 79°20′59′′–79°21′01′′ E | Aspect | North | South | South-East | South | Forest type | Moist temperate | Moist temperate | Moist temperate | Moist temperate | Semievergreen | Evergreen | Evergreen | Semievergreen | Species richness | | | | | Woody species | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Herbaceous species | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | | | | | | Density (ha−1) | | | | | Woody species | 750 | 690 | 640 | 1,260 | Herbaceous species | 76,000 | 71,000 | 56,000 | 111,000 | Dominant species* | Acer caesium(54.67), Rhododendron arboreum(37.33) | Quercus floribunda
(96.87)
| Abies spectabilis(47.83), Quercus semecarpifolia (49.27) | Rhododendron campanulatum(79.44), Sorbus microphylla(18.18) | Other associated species | Litsea elongata,Taxus baccata | Quercus semecarpifolia | Quercus floribunda, Taxus baccata | Betula utilis, Taxus baccata | Soil# | | | | | Soil texture | Sandy loam | Loam | Sandy loam | Loam | Soil colour | Reddish brown | Brown | Dark brown | Brown to dark brown | Soil moisture (%) | 55.41 ± 6.07 | 48.78 ± 7.38 | 49.67 ± 6.16 | 51.37 ± 6.80 | WHC (%) | 69.44 ± 5.26 | 66.58 ± 6.87 | 69.47 ± 7.09 | 70.87 ± 6.49 | pH | 6.65 ± 0.29 | 6.66 ± 0.22 | 6.45 ± 0.43 | 6.66 ± 0.15 | N (%) | 0.69 ± 0.13 | 0.58 ± 0.15 | 0.59 ± 0.23 | 0.52 ± 0.15 | P (Kg ha−1) | 13.33 ± 5.79 | 13.47 ± 3.29 | 10.87 ± 2.86 | 10.12 ± 3.73 | K (Kg ha−1) | 245.10 ± 26.66 | 233.00 ± 28.59 | 249.81 ± 25.64 | 251.46 ± 20.73 | OC (%) | 1.99 ± 0.30 | 2.30 ± 0.32 | 2.26 ± 0.44 | 2.19 ± 0.24 |
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Values in parenthesis are percent of total stand density, #±-S.E., = 8.
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