Assessment of Nitrogen Status in the Tropical Forest Soils of Narmada Forest Division, Gujarat

Abstract

The present study was completed in tropical forest of Narmada Forest Division (NFD). Study was conducted during summer season. All soil samples were collected through stratified random sampling method by using suitable tools techniques. In the present study, total nitrogen percentage (TN%) is high in upper layer (0-15 cm layer) of soil in inside forest as well as outside of the all studied forest types viz. Dry Deciduous Forest (DDF), Moist Deciduous Forest (MDF) and Riverine Forest (RF). Finding shows inside forest (Bottom) is having maximum TN of DDF are 0.16±0.09 in the bottom followed by slope (0.13±0.05) and hills (0.11 ±0.02) while in outside forest maximum TN is found in front (0.18±0.04) and back side shows 0.13±0.06. Likewise DDF in MDF maximum TN found in bottom (0.20± 0.001) followed by Slope (0.19±0.02) and hills (0.12±0.03). TN percentage of RF is different from DDF and MDF. In RF maximum TN is found in slope 0.20±0.08 followed by hills (0.19±0.08) and bottom (0.12±0.01) while the outside front forest of DDF shows maximum TN in DDF are 0.18±0.04 in front and 0.13±0.06 in back followed by MDF (0.11±0.05 and 0.11±0.02) in both (Front and Back) and RF (0.11±0.03) in front and 0.15±0.03 in back. Findings of 15-30 cm layer show that TN content in inside forest varies in all forest type i.e DDF, MDF and RF. Outside forest is also showing variation in all forest type.