Nine heavy metals were estimated in lichen, Phaeophyscia hispidula (Ach.) Moberg, collected from 12 different sites of Dehradun, capital city, to analyze the air quality of Uttarakhand. Total metal concentration was the highest at Mohkampur Railway Crossing, Hardwar Road (42,505 lg g -1 ). Dela Ram Chowk, located in the center of the city, also had higher metal concentration, 34,317 lg g -1 , with maximum concentration of Pb at 12,433 lg g -1 , while Nalapani forest area had minimum total metal concentration (1,873 lg g -1 ) as well as minimum Pb level at 66.6 lg g -1 , indicating anthropogenic activity, mainly vehicular activity, responsible for the increase in metal concentration in the ambient environment. In comparison with the earlier years 2004 and 2006, air pollution as indicated by similar lichen shows a considerable increase in the total metal concentration (especially Pb) in the ambient air of Dehradun city, which may be attributed to exponential rise in the traffic activity in the last 5 years.
The study was carried out in two different forest types viz., Banj oak and Chir pine forests to assess the variation in forest species composition and soil properties along altitudinal gradients in the Garhwal Himalayas. The results of the study showed that between the forests soil moisture was higher in Banj oak forest because of closed canopy and dense forest compared to Chir pine forest. The sand particles were reported higher in Banj oak forest which might be due to the addition of organic matter favouring coarse structure of soil, helping in holding maximum water in soils. However in the Chir pine forest low amount of soil organic matter and presence of clayey soil, develops soil compactness which reduces the penetration of water resulting in high soil bulk density. The higher accumulation of litter and presence of moisture in Banj oak forest favours higher nutrient level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to Chir pine forest. The soil organic carbon also reduced with increasing altitude at both gradients. While bulk density has reverse trend with soil organic carbon in both the forests at different peaks of same region. In Banj oak forest, the highest density and total basal cover was reported 1,100 tree ha -1 and 58.86 m 2 ha -1 respectively. However, the highest values of density and total basal cover of Chir pine forest was 560 tree ha -1 and 56.94 m 2 ha -1 respectively.The total density and basal cover of both the forests reduced with increasing altitude. The study concludes that Banj oak forest has better nutrient cycling ability, well developed forest floor and has a greater protective and productive features compared to the Chir pine forest which is without lower vegetation cover and having only pine litter accumulation which does not allow any other species to grow.
The biomass and productivity of a montane grassland of Garhwal Himalaya were estimated with the objectives to compare these values of the dominant exotic species, Eupatorium glandulosum HBK. (Asteraceae) with other species, and to compare the sites more dominated by this species with other study sites. The effect of dominance of this species on other species was undertaken because of its continuous spread in the grasslands of the Garhwal Himalaya causing replacement of some native grasses and economically important herbaceous plants. Out of six study sites, SW 1 , SW 2 , and NE 1 were more dominated by Eupatorium glandulosum. Total net primary productivity (TNP) ranged from 1528.5 to 2163.4 g m −2 yr −1 . Eupatorium glandulosum showed individual highest biomass on all the study sites, and the sites more dominated by this species showed higher values of primary productivity, thereby reducing the biomass and production of other species on these sites.
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