Litter degradation in evergreen forests of southern Western Ghats

Abstract

Litter degradation influences nutrient cycling in the ecosystem. The present study is focused on the rate of leaf litter degradation in the evergreen forests of Pampadum Shola National Park, southern Western Ghats, India. Three different in-situ experiments which started in November (post-monsoon), March (pre-monsoon) and June (monsoon season) were carried out and the litter bag method was used for degradation study. The carbon dioxide evolution rate was also assessed using soil respirometer. The degradation pattern of the major polymers in leaf litter was in the order cellulose > hemicellulose > lignin. The litter degradation rate was high in the initial stages of decomposition than in the successive stages. The identification of major phytochemical compounds and functional groups present in the initial stage and at the end of the experiment were detected using GC–MS and ATR-FTIR respectively. Certain phytochemical compounds and functional groups which were present in the initial stage were degraded and a few daughter compounds were formed at the end of the experiment. The results indicate that the litter degradation and CO2 evolution rate are high in the evergreen forest of Pampadum Shola National Park.