Variation of soil nutrients of Aesculus indica at different altitudes of Kashmir

Soil is one of the most important factor for the survival of plants since they get water supply and nutrients besides their dependency anchorage. Not only has this, plants in turn indirectly affected their neighbors in many ways one of the most important by altering the biotic, physical and chemical characteristics of soils. The altitudinal gradient of mountain is characterized by variable temperature and different precipitation records. Fertility of soil is determined by the presence or absence of nutrients which have agronomic importance. Kashmir a temperate Himalayan region were Aesculus indica grows at different altitudes and is depleting at an alarming rate. Variations’ were observed at higher and lower altitudes of soil nutrients of Aesculus indica in the present study. Lower altitudes have more soil nutrients as compared to the higher altitudes in all the study sites. . Generally cooler, wetter condition at higher altitude reduces biological activity and increase leaching. Steeper profile encourage run off and subsurface movement of water down slope. This manifests in the reduction of nutrients susceptible to weathering such as potassium (K). Associated with the loss of alkaline metal ion like (K+) from the soil is a decrease in soil pH. This is the reason behind pH significant decrease with increasing altitude.