Abstract

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON LITTER DECOMPOSITION, CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF DIFFERENT TREE CANOPY SOIL

Laya Saju and Suganthi A.*

Abstract

Leaf litter is an important factor that to estimate the quality of fertility of soil. The soils under different tree canopy have different fertility. Leaves, twigs and pieces of bark that have fallen to the ground make up leaf litter. Leaf litter is an important component of healthy soil. Decomposing leaf litter releases nutrients in to the soil and also keeps it moist. Total litter fall is composed of leaf litter and non leaf litter. Litter plays an important role in nutrient turn over and transfer of energy between plants and soil. The most suitable method for analysing the fertility of soil is the physical and chemical parameters. The present study deals with the decomposition of litter of different tree canopies of ten sample soils. The sample of Dillenia indica tree canopy soil shows the highest growth rate for Solanum melongena and other chemical parameters like nitrite and phosphate content. The PH of the soil samples were almost same, and shows neutral and slightly acidic values. The moisture content was highest for Terminalia paniculata. The colour of the samples are dark and medium. Swietienia macrophylla sample shows the least growth for the plat Solanum melongena.

Keywords: plant litter, decomposition,chemical parameters, physical parameters.