A. Arunachalam, Kusum Maithani, A. K. Das, H. N. Pandey And R. S. Tripathi
Abstract
The weight loss pattern during decomposition of Quercus dealbata L. leaf litter was studied over a period of 600 days in two regenerating stands of a subtropical humid forest ecosystem in Meghalaya, northeast India. The differences in soil organic matter and microbial population between stands were significant. The leaf litter decomposed in a two-phased pattern-an initial faster rate of decay, followed by a slow decay phase. A composite exponential model, Y=a+bxl+bx2 showed a good fit for the observed decay pattern, in both the stands. The leaf litter in the 16-year old regrowth decomposed at a faster rate as compared to that in the 13-years old regrowth. The climate, microenvironmental conditions and microbial population had a significant (p <0.01) effect on the decay rate. The daily decay constants (k) of the leaf litter in the 13 and 16-years old regrowths were 0.0024 and 0.0034, respectively.