Litterfall patterns and soil nutrient chemistry in varied tropical deciduous forests

Vegetation affects the nutrient composition of soil through nutrient inputs via litterfall. Nutrient properties and enzyme activities of soils were examined under the influence of litterfall in natural dry miscellaneous forest (DM), natural Sal (Shorea robusta) mixed forest (SM) and a 50-year old commercial Teak (Tectona grandis) plantation forest (TP) in a tropical deciduous forest area of northern India. Annual litterfall was 6.7, 5.9 and 5.0 Mg ha-1 in the DM, SM and TP, respectively. The highest nutrient concentrations (4.46% N, 0.588% P and 0.773% K) were measured in the DM litter and lowest in the TP litter. Soil N, P and K were highest in DM and lowest in the TP forests. Likewise, soil enzyme activity followed the same pattern. In natural forests, higher nutrients might lead to the higher soil nutrient properties and enzyme activities compared to the monoculture commercial plantations.