Abstract
The present paper reports on the leaf litter, wood litter, miscellaneous litter and total litter fall in Quercus leucotrichophora forests of the Kumaun Himalaya. Peak values of leaf, wood and miscellaneous litter fall occurred in May, June and November and December respectively. The total annual litter fall was 538.85 g m-2, of which leaf, wood and miscellaneous litters accounted for 72.35, 23.04 and 4.53% respectively. Monthly leaf litter fall, wood litter fall and total litter fall was positively related to the monthly temperature of the site. Key words: Kumaun Himalaya, leaf Litter fall, wood litter fall, miscellaneous litter fall, total litter fall, seasonal variation.
Highlights
Litter fall because of its intrinsic nature to all vegetation represents an innate part in the organic continuity and the self perpetuating nature of forests, being the major pathway of nutrients return to the soil
Litter on the forest floor plays a significant role in determining the moisture status, runoff pattern and liberation of mineral elements accumulated in the aerial parts of the vegetation
The contribution of leaf litter to total annual litter production was highest during summer months; the leaf litter accounted for 18.47% (May) to 12.53% (June) of the respective total monthly fall (Figure 3)
Summary
Pattern of litter fall and litter decomposition in a Quercus leucotrichophora A. The present paper reports on the leaf litter, wood litter, miscellaneous litter and total litter fall in Quercus leucotrichophora forests of the Kumaun Himalaya. Wood and miscellaneous litter fall occurred in May, June and November and December respectively. The total annual litter fall was 538.85 g m-2, of which leaf, wood and miscellaneous litters accounted for 72.35, 23.04 and 4.53% respectively. Wood litter fall and total litter fall was positively related to the monthly temperature of the site
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