Chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, proline, amino acids, total soluble carbohydrates and pigment contents were examined during the summer period in seedlings of seven multipurpose tree species, specificallyAlnus nepalensis, Boehmeria rugulosa, Celtis austra-lis, Dalbergia sissoo, Ficus glomerata, Grewia optivaandSapium se-biferum, grown in abandoned agricultural and degraded lands. All species invariably showed lower photochemical efficiency of photosys-tem II measured as Fv/Fm ratio in degraded land as compared to abandoned agricultural land exceptS. sebiferum, which exhibited identical efficiency at both sites. However, differences in percent reduction were observed among the species, withB. rugulosaexhibiting maximum reduction in Fv/Fm ratio in degraded land, whereas minimum reduction was observed inG. optivaandD. sissoo.Plants grown in degraded land also showed significant reduction in leaf area and total leaf number per