Vegetation, biomass and productivity of seral grasslands of Cherrapunji in North-East India

Abstract

This study deals with the composition of vegetation, biomass and productivity of four different grassland types at Cherrapunji, India. Varied levels of degradation of the climax mexed evergreen forest are represented by these grasslands. Where the soil profile is deep, the grasslands are maintained through frequent fire. At each site, belowground production is more than double aboveground production. Annual turnover rates for the belowground biomass in these grasslands are more dynamical than their temperature counterparts. These grasslands are maintained under high stress conditions of thin soil cover, highly leached nutrient-deficient soils, frequent fires, and low soil moisture retention in spite of a high annual rainfall of 10372 mm.