ORIGINAL ARTICLE Patterns of litterfall and return of nutrients across anthropogenic disturbance gradients in three subalpine forests of west Himalaya, India Sanjay Gairola Æ Ranbeer S. Rawal Æ U. Dhar Received: 3 February 2008 / Accepted: 29 October 2008 / Published online: 17 January 2009 Ó The Japanese Forest Society and Springer 2009 Abstract The study was conducted to improve our understanding of the effects of forest disturbance on lit- terfall and patterns of nutrient return in three subalpine forest ecosystems (i.e. Betula utilis-dominated, Abies pindrow-dominated, and Acer mixed broadleaf) of Indian west Himalaya. Total litterfall (t ha -1 yr -1 ) ranged between 2.6–3.6 and 2.1–2.6 for pristine and degraded stands, respectively. Whereas total litterfall decrease from pristine to degraded stand was about 25–30% in B. utilis and Acer mixed-broadleaf forests, the level of disturbance did not affect total litterfall in A. pindrow (coniferous) forest. Nutrient (N, P, and K) concentrations in litter components of the forests studied also varied across forest types and disturbance intensities. For pristine stands, among all the forests, return of total nutrients via litterfall was higher. The study revealed that patterns of litterfall and nutrient return in the forests studied were sensitive to intensity of disturbance, although sensitivity varied among forest types and nutrient contents. Increased intensity of disturbance greatly affected the total annual amount of nutrient return in broadleaf forests. Maximum impact was recorded in B. utilis forest with a significant decline in nutrient return from pristine to degraded stands (i.e. 64% for N, 38% for P, and 67% for K). Corresponding values for decline in Acer mixed forest were 17, 13, and 33% for N, P, and K, respectively, whereas in A. Pindrow forest N return was 15% higher and P return was 33% lower. This study indicates that the litterfall and litter nutrient con- centrations in these forests are sensitive to the intensity of disturbance, which affects the amount of nutrient return. This will have a strong bearing on forest nutrient cycling. Keywords Anthropogenic disturbance Á Himalaya Á Litterfall Á Nutrient return Á Subalpine forest Introduction The amount and seasonal patterns of litterfall play an important role in regulating energy flow and nutrient cycling, and maintaining the soil fertility of forest ecosys- tems (Maguire 1994; Yang et al. 2003; Tripathi et al. 2006). Both quantity and pattern of litterfall vary across species, their growth-pattern, age, and density, and tree canopy characteristics (Bray and Gorham 1964). The variations in litterfall in turn determine the amounts of nutrients recycled, the composition of soil microbial and faunal communities, and the resulting availability of nutrients (Faber-Langendon 1992; Gonzalez and Zak 1994; Prescott 2002). A plethora of information is available about the amount and patterns of litterfall in different parts of the world, and the data have been used to predict litterfall patterns in different forests using climate and other variables (Meentemeyer et al. 1982; Lonsdale 1988; Facelli and Pickett 1991). However, there is a lack of knowledge about litter production and dynamics in many forest ecosystems having significant ecological function but located in remote areas (Yang et al. 2005); this limits our understanding of nutrient dynamics and sub- sequent processes in these forests. The subalpine forests in west Himalaya represent a transition between alpine grassland and temperate forest S. Gairola (&) School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, Westville, Private Bag x54001, Durban, South Africa e-mail: gsanjay_indian@rediffmail.com R. S. Rawal Á U. Dhar G. B. Plant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Uttarakhand, India 123 J For Res (2009) 14:73–80 DOI 10.1007/s10310-008-0104-6