Scientific forest management is an emerging need for managing existing natural forests of Nepal on the basis of silvicultural intervention. The study was carried out in Lumbini Collaborative Forest at Rupandehi District of Nepal, where Sal (Shorea robusta) forests are being managed under Irregular Shelterwood System with eighty years of cutting cycle since 2011-2012. The study was purposed to find out the intial effects of silvicultural intervention on plant species diversity and regeneration of Sal forest. The vegetative sampling was done using quadrate method based on the principle of simple random sampling both in the managed as well as the unmanaged parts of forest. The study found out remarkable increase in regeneration as well as decrease in plant diversity in the managed first and second-year stands (Block I and Block II respectively) as compared to the unmanaged stand (Block III) at its initial level of implementation. The mean value of diversity, richness, evenness, dominance index and regeneration of S. robusta varied significantly (p≤0.05) between the managed blocks (stands). The seedling density of S. robusta was found higher in the managed blocks (Block I and Block II) as compared to the unmanaged one (Block III) in terms of height class. The study recommends implementation of Irregular Shelterwood System for managing the existing degraded Sal forests of the Terai region of Nepal, however, its long term effects on plant species diversity should be further studied in detail.

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Community forestry is the most popular programme of forestry sector in Nepal. Previously community forest management was protection oriented and nowadays it has become production oriented due to implementation of scientific forest management plan. Recent forest policy promotes the application of scientific management of all productive forests and now it becomes a novel programme in forestry sector. This study highlights the outputs of the first year of implementation of scientific forest management plan in seven community forests (CF) of Rupandehi district, Nepal. Both bio-physical and socio-economic data were collected and analyzed. Regeneration survey was carried out before and after one year of regeneration felling. Similarly data related to income generation and employment opportunities were collected and analyzed. The results showed that 6.4 times increase in seedlings and 3.4 times increase in saplings after one year of regeneration felling operation. Similarly, the average production of timber and fuel wood was 1,086 cft and 4.5 chatta per ha. during regeneration felling in studied CFs. Average income from the intensive managed area of CF was found to be NRs. 884,059.8 and local employment generation of 910 man-days per ha. This indicates scientific forest management is one of the best options for improving forest condition through promoting regeneration of the forest for future generation and generating income and employment opportunities for the users.

Quantification of carbon in any vegetation and soil type is a basic step for evaluating the carbon sequestration potential of an ecosystem. For quantification, soil samples from varying depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60-80 and 80–100 cm) of each soil profile were collected for each sample plot laid out in Jarneldhara and Lipindevi Thulopakho Community Forests (CFs) of Palpa district. Individual trees in the sample plots of both CFs were measured. Biomass of standing trees, poles and saplings were estimated indirectly from diameter at breast height (dbh) and total height by using allometric relationships, while the biomass of grass, herb and litter were calculated directly from field measurements. Above-ground and below-ground (root) carbon pools in Jarneldhara CF were found to be 36.6 ± 3.4 t ha-1 and 10.5 ± 1.0 t ha-1 , respectively; while those on Lipindevi Thulopakho CF were 40.2 ± 4 and 11.4 ± 1.1 t ha-1, respectively. Soil organic carbon pool in Jarneldhara and Lipindevi Thulopakho CF were 121.4 ± 7.4 and 94.6 ± 4.4 t ha-1, respectively. This indicates that CFs have high potential to offset large portion of carbon emission through sequestration into both soil and vegetation, and act as a natural carbon sink. Key words: Carbon pool; community forest; soil organic carbon; vegetation carbon; biomass DOI: 10.3126/banko.v20i2.4800 Banko Janakari Vol.20(2) 2010 pp.34-40

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