Abstract

A major portion of organic matter(OM) is constituted by carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur apart from oxygen and hydrogen and the relative proportions of these elements vary depending upon the stage of decomposition. 98 percent of N, 60 percent of P and 80 percent of S were associated within organic compounds in soils. Depending upon the environmental conditions, this proportion varied which in turn affected the availability of any one of these nutrients and their ratios provide information on the rate of mineralisation. An attempt was made to determine the organic carbon, N, organic P and organic S and their inter-relationships in the tropical and subtropical forest soils