An experiment was conducted at Malakabad (Gadera) Dargai Malak and KPK to study the effect of different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus on the yield of maize varieties in randomize complete block design with split plot arrangement.

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The forests of Pakistan replicate plentiful climatic, physiographic and edaphic differences in the country and these forests face a serious problem of deforestation. Geographic information system (GIS) techniques and remote sensing (RS) from satellite platforms offer a best way to identify those areas of deforestation, and thus a GIS and RS based study was conducted in tehsil Barawal, district Dir (U) to analyze forest cover change. The main objectives of the study were to: 1) identify different classes of land use and land cover, and its spatial distribution in the study area; 2) determine the trend, nature, location and magnitude of forest cover change; and 3) prepare maps of forest-cover change in different time periods in the study area. To assess the objectives remote sensing and GIS techniques were utilized. A supervised image classification technique was applied on Landsat 5 satellite images of 2000 and 2012. Five main classes such as agriculture, forest, barren land, snow and water were identified. The results showed that the area of forest, barren land, agriculture, water and snow in year 2000 was 49.54%, 43.38%, 5.19%, 1.40% and 0.49% and the area in 2012 was 37.17%, 41.36%, 12.69%, 5.05% and 3.72% respectively. Furthermore 2.02% decrease in barren land, 12.37% decrease in forest and 7.5% increase in agriculture land were identified. Due to high deforestation rate and increased agricultural activities, it is recommended

Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb) has been planted extensively in different parts of China for timber production and habitat restoration. The effects of stand age and management of these plantations on biomass, carbon storage, and soil physicochemical properties are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated biomass, carbon storage, and soil physicochemical properties of Masson pine plantations. The plantations were divided into four age groups (9, 18, 28, and 48 years), and into managed (MS) and unmanaged stands (UMS) in Hubei province, Central China. Tree biomass increased with stand age. A growth model indicated that maximum tree growth occurred when the plantations were 17 years old, and the average growth rate occurred when plantations were 23 years old. Tree biomass in managed stands was 9.75% greater than that in unmanaged ones. Total biomass carbon was estimated at 27.4, 86.0, 112.7, and 142.2 Mg ha−1, whereas soil organic carbon was 116.4, 135.0, 147.4, and 138.1 Mg ha−1 in 9-, 18-, 28-, and 48-year-old plantations, respectively. Total carbon content was 122.6 and 106.5 Mg ha−1, whereas soil organic carbon content was 104.9 and 115.4 Mg ha−1 in MS and UMS, respectively. Total carbon storage in the plantations studied averaged 143.7, 220.4, 260.1, and 280.3 Mg ha−1 in 9-,18-, 28-, and 48-year-old stands, and 227.3 and 222.4 Mg ha−1 in MS and UMS, respectively. The results of our study provide a sound basis for estimating ecosystem carbon as it relates to forest management activity and stand age.

Liupan Mountains are an important region in China in the context of forest cover and vegetation due to huge afforestation and plantation practices, which brought changes in soil physio-chemical properties, soil stocks, and soil stoichiometries are rarely been understood. The study aims to explore the distribution of soil nutrients at 1-m soil depth in the plantation forest region. The soil samples at five depth increments (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 60-80, and 80-100 cm) were collected and analyzed for different soil physio-chemical characteristics. The results showed a significant variation in soil bulk density (BD), soil porosity, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and electric conductivity (EC) values. More soil BD (1.41 g cm-3) and pH (6.97) were noticed in the deep soil layer (80-100 cm), while the highest values of porosity (60.6%), EC (0.09 mS cm-1), and CEC (32.9 c mol kg-1) were reflected in the uppermost soil layer (0-20 cm). Similarly, the highest contents of soil organic carbon (SOC), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), total nitrogen (TN), and available potassium (AK) were calculated in the surface soil layer (0-20 cm). With increasing soil depth increment a decreasing trend in the SOC and other nutrient concentration were found, whereas the soil total potassium (TK) produced a negative correlation with soil layer depth. The entire results produced the distribution of SOCs and TNs (stocks) at various soil depths in forestland patterns were 0→20cm > 20→40cm > 40→60cm ≥ 60→80cm ≥ 80→100 cm. Furthermore, the stoichiometric ratios of C, N, and P, the C/P, and N/P ratios showed maximum values (66.49 and 5.46) in 0-20 cm and lowest values (23.78 and 1.91) in 80-100 cm soil layer depth. Though the C/N ratio was statistically similar across the whole soil profile (0-100 cm). These results highlighted that the soil depth increments might largely be attributed to fluctuations in soil physio-chemical properties, soil stocks, and soil stoichiometries. Further study is needed to draw more conclusions on nutrient dynamics, soil stocks, and soil stoichiometry in these forests.