Hydrological effects of litter and soil water storage under different bamboo species in the Himalayan foothills

The present study evaluated litter hydrological characteristics and associated soil physical properties under seven bamboo species ( Bambusa balcooa, B. bambos, Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa nutans, Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Dendrocalamus stocksii and Dendrocalamus strictus ) at the ICAR-IISWC Research Farm, Dehradun. Litterfall, water-holding characteristics, absorption dynamics, and soil water storage properties were assessed using standard field and laboratory methods. Litterfall varied from 4.35 to 6.85 t ha⁻¹, with higher values in B. balcooa and B. vulgaris . Maximum water-holding rate of litter ranged from 202.7% to 305.8%, with D. hamiltonii showing the highest values. The relationship between water-holding rate and immersion time followed a quadratic trend (R² = 0.91–0.99), while water absorption rate showed a power decay relationship (R² ≈ 0.99), indicating rapid initial absorption followed by saturation. Maximum water-holding capacity (11.4–19.3 t ha⁻¹) and effective water storage capacity (6.3–11.5 t ha⁻¹) further highlighted interspecific variation, with D. hamiltonii performing better. Soils under bamboo showed higher water-holding and soil-water storage characteristics compared to the open control. The capillary water storage contributed maximum to total soil water storage. Species viz., D. strictus, D. hamiltonii and B. vulgaris recorded relatively higher soil-water storage, whereas B. bambos exhibited comparatively lower capillary porosity and water-storage characteristics. Overall, the results revealed interspecies variations in bamboo towards litter hydrological performance and soil-water retention. D. hamiltonii was found to be most efficient species for soil-moisture conservation and soil and water management. However, field-scale monitoring is required to validate their effects on runoff and soil erosion under natural rainfall conditions.