Comparative growth response of two contrasting species of Central Himalayain relation to light and nutrient availability.

Performance of Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.), an early successional sp ecies and banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus), a late successional species of Central Himalayan Forest have been compared on single factor gr adient of light and nutrient. For this, seedlings of both species were kept under four light (25%, 50%, 70% and 100% of sunlight) and five nutrient (0 , 144, 264, 384, 504 mg NPK per Kg soil) levels. Dry mass of both species i ncreased with increasing light availability upto 70% light level and then d eclined at 100% light level. On nutrient gradient dry mass of both species increased with increasing nutrient level. The root : shoot ratios were high er for banj oak while leaf: weight ratios were higher for chir pine. Respon se breaths were slightly broader for early successional chir pine than late successional banj oak.