Effect of young woody plantations on carbon and nutrient accretion rates in a redeveloping soil on coalmine spoil in a dry tropical environment, India

We compared the effects of young high‐density plantations of three native trees (legumes: Albizia lebbeck , A. procera and a non‐legume: Tectona grandis ) and one fast growing woody grass species ( Dendrocalamus strictus ) on carbon and nutrients stock and their accretion rates in a redeveloping soil. This soil was the early phase of mine spoil restoration in a dry tropical environment. The soil bulk density and accumulation rates of C, N and P at 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depth were determined in 4‐ to 5‐year‐old plantations. The total nutrient stock of soil C, N, P significantly varied in redeveloping soil according to plantation type, plantation age and soil depth. A . lebbeck greatly improved C and N content followed by D . strictus , A . procera and T . grandis plantations. However, accretion rates of C and N were substantially high in the D . strictus plantation. Therefore, D . strictus , contributed significantly to the redevelopment of mine spoil soils. In the case of total P nutrient, A . procera showed the greatest amount among the plantations but the accretion rate was also high for T . grandis followed by A . procera , A . lebbeck and D . strictus . This study indicates that all N‐fixing species may not be equally efficient in improving soil qualities especially N in the soil. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.