Species structure, dry matter dynamics and carbon flux of a dry tropical forest in India

Abstract

Species composition, plant biomass and net primary productivity were studied on three sites of a dry tropical forest The forest was characterized by small structure with 38-10.4 m² ha⁻¹ tree and 3 1-7 8 m² ha⁻¹ shrub basal cover Species diversity was highest for the mid-slope site while the concentration of dominance was greatest for the hill-top stand The beta diversity was 3 1 Total standing crop of vegetation averaged 66 98 t ha⁻¹ with 46 70 t ha⁻¹ in the tree layer, 13.97 t ha⁻¹ in the shrub layer, 0.35 t ha⁻¹ in the herb layer, 2 83 t ha⁻¹ in the litter layer and 3 13 t ha⁻¹ in fine roots Of the total annual litterfall (4 88-6.71 t ha⁻¹), 69% was accounted for by leaves and 31% by non-leaf matter Net primary production (NPP) ranged between 11 3 and 19 2 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, to which the contributions of trees, shrubs and herbs averaged 72, 22 and 6%, respectively Contribution of roots to NPP was substantial and ranged from 2 9 to 5 3 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ A total of 83% of vegetation carbon was stored in the above-ground plant parts while the above-ground NPP was responsible for 72% of the total carbon input into the system The contribution of foliage, herbaceous vegetation and fine roots to carbon turnover was disproportionately larger compared to their share in the total standing crop Carbon budgeting indicated that the forest was an accumulating system, over at least the short term.