In Kumaun Himalaya, the shrublands dominated by Coriaria nepalensis are present in patches and due to their facilitative nature enhance the restoration of degraded hills.This study deals with the dry matter dynamics of C. nepalensis shrublands. The equation for C. nepalensis was developed to measure the biomass and to understand the dry matter dynamics through compartmental models. Total biomass of tree, shrub and herb varied from 71.66 to 217.40 t ha À1 , 43.65 to 77.55 t ha À1 and 11.11 to 64.55 t ha À1 , respectively. The biomass of herbs was higher during monsoon and lowest during the summer season. Litter fall varied from 1.02-1.70 t ha À1 yr À1 and the highest value of litter fall was recorded during winter (52%) followed by rainy (29%) and summer season (19%). Order of contribution of different components to total litter fall was: foliage (45.32%-50.33%) > twigs (36.80%-42.22%) > miscellaneous litter (4.62%-6.97%) > Bark (3.56%-5.47%) > reproductive parts (2.13%-3.57%). Shrub floor biomass was recorded maximum during the rainy season (11.32-37.55 t ha À1 ) followed by the winter season (13.03-25.36 t ha À1 ) and minimum in the summer season (6.83-12.80 t ha À1 ). Net primary productivity in trees, shrubs and sapling was ranged from 0.94 to 11.01, 1.83 to 4.88 and 0.55 to 0.87, respectively. Due to less canopy cover, the litter fall was less than from the majority of the forest types of the region. Thus, proper conservation and management measures must be designed to improve the structural components and functional traits of the shrubland ecosystem to enhance the ecological services on sustained basis.

Vigna is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae with worldwide distribution. In the present study, effect of salt stress was investigated in four species of Vigna viz. V. mungo (urd), V. angularis (rais), V. radiata (moong) and V. aconitifolia (moth) at germination and seedling growth stages in a glasshouse experiment. Seeds of selected crops were surface sterilized and placed under three salt stress levels of 0 (control), 50mM and 100mM using NaCl solutions. Three replicates for each treatment was used for this experiment. The results indicated that increase in salt stress levels caused a reduction in germination percentage, germination rate, shoot length, root length and seedling dry weight of each Vigna species. The overall results indicated that among the four species, V. aconitifolia was the most sensitive, whereas V. mungo was the least sensitive species to the salinity in almost every aspect of growth.

Kumaun Himalaya is one of the unique systems rich in indigenous traditional knowledge and culturally strong. In the present study, qualitative and quantitative data were on agro-biodiversity through field and literature survey. Altogether, 160 plant species belonging to 117 genera and 57 families were recorded. In addition, a large number of land races, varieties and wild relatives are also being used. Cultivation of these crops is mainly of subsistence in nature rather than for commercial purposes. Due to a number of reasons, the area under traditional crops is declining in Kumaun Himalayan region but many of the crop varieties are still conserved because of their socio-cultural and religious values. The human population has increased over time forcing farmers to change their cropping patterns, for example, replacement of mixed cropping to mono-cropping and switching over to cash crops. This has adverse implications on traditional agro-biodiversity of the region. There are both local and global advantages in supporting a dynamic traditional system of agro-biodiversity management. Therefore, promotion and conservation of agro-biodiversity should be done through sustainable use and on- farm and off- farm management.

Coriaria nepalensis is one of the shrubs which have the ability to mitigate the frequency of perilous natural events or natural calamities. This paper elucidates the nutrient dynamics of C. nepalensis shrublands in degraded hills of Kumaun Himalaya. The average nutrient concentration (N, P, and K) in aboveground components of C. nepalensis was in the following order: Foliage > Twigs > Branches > Bole wood, whereas in belowground components the order was: Fine roots > Lateral roots > Stump root. The order of contribution to total nutrient storage in vegetation was: Tree > Herbs > Shrubs. The proportion of nutrients stored in the shrub layer was in the order: N > K > P. The soil stored a maximum proportion of nutrients at each site (79.48–87.54% N, 70.47–87.88% P, 74.33–88.27% K). Maximum nutrient storage in soil and vegetation was recorded for site 3 (Barapatthar) and minimum for site 1 (Pines). The uptake of N, P, and K by vegetation ranged from 428 to 1,353 kg ha–1 yr–1, 32–102 kg ha–1 yr–1, and 109–479 kg ha–1 yr–1, respectively. In the present study, the turnover time was 1.06–1.33 years for N, 1.03–1.15 years for P, and 1.02–1.13 years for K. Compartment models reflect the distribution of nutrients and net annual flux that will help to develop the management plan to maintain the fertility and productiveness of the degraded sites.

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