Abstract

Physico-chemical properties and enzyme activities in forest soil

Author(s): R.KaliPrasanna, G.Narasimha

An assessment was made on an impact of forest litter on soil physicchemical, microbial and enzyme activities. The experimental results indicated that, most of the physicochemical properties of soil such as silt, clay, and electrical conductivity, water holding capacity, organic matter and total nitrogen contents, microbial populations including bacterial, fungal Actinomycetes and soil enzymes activities such as protease and cellulase activities were signiûcantly improved in forest litter soil than the normal soil. With increasing in soil incubation period the soil enzyme activities such as protease and cellulases also improved up to 21st intervals there after declined in both test and control soils. Nearly two fold bacterial (210 x 104CFU/g soil) and three fold fungal (12 x 104CFU/g soil)actinomycetes (11 x 104CFU/g soil) populationswere observed in forest litter soil than the normal (113 x 104, 4 x 104,2 x 104CFU/g) Highermicrobial population and enzyme activities is an indication of improvement of soil health in forest soil.