From January 1992 to December 1994 we investigated the litter production and nutrient cycling behavior of Bambusa bambos plantations of different ages. The annual litter production was 15.4 t ha▭ 1, 17 t ha▭ 1, and 20.3 t ha▭ 1 in 4-, 5- and 6-year-old plantations. Litter production was significantly higher compared to other plantations of similar age. Litter fall had a bimodel pattern with a principal peak in the winter and another in the late summer in all ages. Of the total annual litter production, leaf-litter accounted for 58% and twig-litter 42%. With regards to nutrients, the highest concentration of N, P, Ca and Mg was in leaf litter. On an annual basis, 120, 10, 101, 60 and 66 kg/ha (4 year), 141, 13, 121, 72 and 79 kg/ha (5 year) and 184, 16, 183, 91 and 96 kg/ha (6 year) of N, P, K, Ca and Mg were returned through litter fall. The maximum amount of all nutrients was returned through leaf-litter and lowest amount through twig-litter.
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Peddappaiah et al. (2000) studied this question.
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