Soil physico-chemical characteristics of bryophytic vegetation residing Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The present study was undertaken at eight different sites of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS) of Garhwal Himalaya, India to understand the physico-chemical properties of soils and influence of bryophytic communities on the status of nutrient availability. In the bryophytes dominated sites the values of organic carbon (0.21%) and nitrogen (0.04%) were found to be low as compared to values for forest soils dominated by higher plants which suggests that bryophytes prefer to occupy the barren sites with low organic matter. Mean available phosphorus content in soil of various sites varied between 13.02 Kgha -1 and 16.28 Kgha -1 with estimated mean exchangeable potassium content ranged between 145.60 Kgha -1 and 216.16 Kgha -1. A significant negative correlation between soil temperature and moisture content was observed, whereas organic carbon and available phosphorus exhibited significantly positive correlation. Besides the characteristics of soil underneath the bryophytic vegetation, the study also highlights the kind of bryophytes communities found along altitudinal variation and soil types. © Indian Society for Education and Environment (iSee).