Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest: Research Trends and Emerging Features by J. S. Singh & R.K Chaturvedi

Author:J. S. Singh & R.K Chaturvedi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

5.1.1 Dry Matter Dynamics, Storage and Flux of Nutrients in TDF of India: A Case Study

Singh and Singh (1991a) studied net primary productivity of vegetation on three sites of a TDF located in northern India. Estimates of net production recorded for different components of trees, shrubs and herbs are summarized in Table 5.2. Total net production (average for the two annual cycles) was greater for Site 1, located on the topmost position of the hill (19.2 t ha−1 year−1), followed by the Site 2, located on the slope of the hill (14.8), and Site 3, located at the base of the hill (11.3), and averaged 15.1 t ha−1 year−1. Total above-ground net production of trees on different sites ranged from 2.8 to 7.7 t ha−1 year−1. The contribution of foliage production was 38–57% to the total above-ground net production of trees. Among the perennial aerial parts, the contribution of branches and boles registered 25–38% and 18–26%, respectively. The contribution of roots (coarse + fine root) was substantial and ranged from 29 to 53 t ha−1 year−1. The contribution of fine roots in the study of Singh and Singh (1991a) was 40% of the total input of dry matter to the forest floor, while in various other forests, the contribution of fine root has been reported within the range 20–77% (Vogt et al. 1986). The belowground transfers through the roots (i.e. root turnover) were 0.7 times that of aerial inputs (i.e. litterfall). Perry et al. (1989) observed that plants in TDFs allocate a large proportion of photosynthesised biomass to roots. In other studies, roots and mycorrhizal fungi have been reported to contribute about 70–80% of total net primary production (Vogt et al. 1982; Fogel and Hunt 1983). Therefore, regarding the pathway for carbon and nutrient flux, it is evident that the fine roots are equivalent or may even exceed in importance compared to the above-ground litterfall.Table 5.2Net production in trees, shrubs and herbs and total vegetation on the three study sites

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