Litter production in tropical dry evergreen forests of south India in relation to season, plant life-forms and physiognomic groups

The quantity and seasonal patterns in fine litter production and standing crop of litter were investigated at monthly intervals from January to December 2003 in two tropical dry evergreen forest sites, namely Kuzhan-thaikuppam (KK) and Oorani (OR) on the Coromandel coast of south India, following a stone-block lined denuded quadrat technique. Fine litter production amounted to 13.51 and 13.27 t ha(-1) yr(-1) at KK and OR respectively, while the standing crop of total forest floor litter was 4.11 t ha(-1) at KK and 4.86 t ha(-1) at OR. Litter production peaked during summer at both the sites. Leaves formed 71.4% (at KK) and 67.9% (at OR) of the total litter. Leaf production by the two life-forms, trees and lianas respectively, was 71 and 29% at KK and 61 and 39% at OR. The three plant physiognomic groups, viz. evergreen, brevi-deciduous and deciduous species respectively, contributed 42.3, 30.4 and 27.3% of the total leaf production at KK and 36, 29.6 and 34.4% at OR. Results of one-way ANOVA revealed a significant difference in litter production among plant physiognomic groups at both the sites. The t test revealed that there was no significant difference in total litter production between the two study sites, but there was significant difference for standing crop of litter. There was also a significant difference between tree and liana leaf litter production within site OR, but not at KK. In comparison with litter production in various tropical forests of the world, the Indian tropical dry evergreen forest recorded a high production.