• SAKTHIVEL N
• S.F. Lesley Sounderraj
• Nancy Lesley
• S.F. Wesley Sunderraj

The major input of vegetative C to forest soil is represented by litter; hence changes in litter inputs are likely to have important consequence for soil C dynamics. The present study shows variation in soil organic carbon SOC and litter decomposition across litter diversity. Tropical vegetal cover in dominated by Tectonagrandies, Bambusaarundinacea, Syzygiumcumini, Poongamiyapinnata and Ailanthus excels, were used for the study. SOC was analyzed in the soils up to the depth of 1.25m at different intervals. Litterbag experiment was conducted to understand the process of decay rate in the five types of litter at three different depths, viz top 5 cm , 25 cm and 50 cm,physical fraction was done in the collected soil samples. SOC values from the five different types of vegetal cover showed significant difference. The annual litter fall was maximum in Syzygiumcumini followed by Tectonagrandiee, Bambusaarundinacea, ,Poongamiyapinnataand Ailanthus excelsa . Litterbag experiment showed that all the experimental points,leaf litter get decomposed with in a year on storage . The decomposition was faster in bags kept at the top layers of the soil compared to the subsequent layer. Comparatively there was an increase in SOC of samples from the experimental layer than adjacent layer indicating, that tropical soils shows the high rate of SOC sink potential. Physical fraction of SOC showed uniformity in the proportion of mobile and recalcitrant pools across soil profile of the different vegetal cover.

SOC : Soil Organic Carbon, C: Carbon

"Litter species richness and their decomposition role in variation of soil organic carbon across different tropical vegetal covers", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.862-876, June 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907G20.pdf

"Litter species richness and their decomposition role in variation of soil organic carbon across different tropical vegetal covers", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp862-876, June 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907G20.pdf