In:
Indian Journal of Forestry, Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, Vol. 28, No. 1 ( 2005-03-01), p. 5-10
Abstract:
The loss of species following disturbances may reduce the resilience of ecosystems to stress. It is thus understood that diversity of plant species may affect the functional processes in a disturbed ecosystem. This paper reports on the biomass accumulation patterns in litter, roots, and microbial biomass across changing community characteristics along a successional gradient in a regrowing broadleaved forest following felling and in a pine forest on abandoned agricultural lands in a subtropical environment of north-eastern India. The species diversity index had a linear relationship with litter, fine roots and microbial biomass accumulation in the broadleaved forest regrowths, while density and basal area of pine trees were negatively correlated to these functional processes. Over all, there were significant positive correlations among litter, fine roots and microbial biomass. These results suggest that woody vegetation characteristics could be an index to explain the biomass dynamics of the three soil biological processes that increased during community development following disturbances. Species evenness index had no relationships with the biological processes. Nevertheless, the usage of community characteristics as an index of biological processes could be ecosystem specific in general and type of successional vegetation in particular.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0971-9431
DOI:
10.54207/bsmps1000-2005-2862U9
DOI:
10.54207/bsmps1000-2005-Z43L3M
Language:
English
Publisher:
Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh
Publication Date:
2005
SSG:
23
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