Comparative Analysis of Leguminous and Non-Leguminous Tree species in terms of Leaf Chemistry and Nutrient Cycling

Abstract

The present study aimed to analyse the rhizospheric soils of leguminous ( Dalbergia sissoo, and Tamarindus indica ), and non-leguminous ( Mangifera indica, and Ficus benghalensis ) tree species and their leaf pigment concentration in a natural forest of Ranchi in pre-monsoon (February 2020), and post-monsoon (November 2019) seasons. Soil nutrient status was better during the post-monsoon season, while leaf pigment concentration was higher during the pre-monsoon season. Again, soil nutrient status was better in rhizospheric soils of legumes as compared to the non-legumes. SOC (%) was quite high in the rhizospheric soil of leguminous trees that ranged from 0.75-0.86 % during pre-monsoon, and 0.88-0.92% during post-monsoon seasons. The highest SOC (%) was found in rhizospheric soils of D. sissoo (0.92±0.04), lowest BD (1.08±0.11 gm cm -3 ) in rhizospheric soils of M. indica, while AN (kg ha -1 ), and TKN (%) both were highest in rhizospheric soils of T. indica (AN: 470.68±50.53, TKN: 0.42±0.09) during post-monsoon season. On the other hand, pigment concentration (mg gm -1 ) including chlorophyll a, b, total chl, and total carotenoids were highest in leaves of M. indica (Chl A: 1.15±0.04, Chl B: 0.82±0.01, total Chl: 1.71±0.04, and total carotenoids: 30.61±0.87) in pre-monsoon season. Rhizospheric soil nutrient status of legumes was better during both the pre-and post-monsoon seasons in comparison to non-legumes. Leguminous tree species are very important from an ecological point of view in terms of their nutrient recycling efficiency and photosynthetic ability. Therefore, it can be suggested for afforestation, and social forestry programs for sustainable ecological development as they can easily grow under natural conditions without any extra care.