Developmental dynamics following selective logging of an evergreen oak forest in the Eastern Himalaya, Bhutan: Structure, composition, and spatial pattern

Covey, Kristofer; Carroll, Charles J. W.; Duguid, Marlyse C.; Dorji, Kuenzang; Dorji, Tsewang; Tashi, Sonam; Wangdi, Thinley; Ashton, Mark S.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2014.10.006

Cited by 16 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The occurrence of a large number of plant species in the study area is presumably because of the prevalence of many micro-habitats in the mountainous terrain. The density of trees and shrubs reported from the study site is similar to that of the broad-leaf forests of Dagana Dzongkhag, Bhutan (662 individuals ha −1 ; Tenzin and Hasenauer, 2016) and the stand basal area similar to that of the logged over plots of Chimithanka within Gidakom Forest Management Unit, Bhutan (29.77 m 2 ha −1 ; Covey et al, 2015). The stand basal area, however, was less than that of a humid mixed conifer forest at Dochula Ridge Top, Bhutan (66.4 m 2 ha −1 ; Wangda and Ohsawa, 2006).…”

Section: Discussion Floristic Attributessupporting

confidence: 63%

Medicinal Plants in the Broad-Leaf Mixed Coniferous Forest of Tshothang Chiwog, Bhutan: Floristic Attributes, Vegetation Structure, Ethnobotany, and Socioeconomic Aspects

Jamba

Kumar

2018

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, located in one of the global biodiversity hotspots, is endowed with abundant floral wealth, including a wide array of medicinal plants (MPs). However, over-exploitation of these resources is widespread, and only a few studies have assessed the richness and diversity of Bhutanese forests and in particular about the MP resources. A vegetation survey was conducted in Tshothang Chiwog, south-eastern Bhutan to characterize the floristic structure of the broad-leaf mixed coniferous forests with a special focus on MPs. A questionnaire survey involving 40 farmers was also conducted to assess the ethnobotanical and socioeconomic aspects of MP extraction. A total of 157 plant species (38 trees, 19 shrubs, 85 herbs and ferns, and 15 climbers), representing 74 families and 137 genera were identified from the study area, of which 69 species (14 trees, 10 shrubs, 38 herbs and ferns, and seven climbers), belonging to 41 families and 69 genera were medicinally important. The most species-rich families of medicinal plants were: Asteraceae (eight spp.), Apiaceae (four spp.), Polygonaceae, Brassicaceae, Zingiberaceae, and Urticaceae (three species each). Herbaceous flora exhibited the highest diversity (Simpson diversity index, D = 0.97 and Shannon-Weiner index, H ′ = 5.82), followed by trees and shrubs (D = 0.95 and 0.92 and H ′ = 4.86 and 3.97, respectively). All but one herb showed abundance-to-frequency ratio (A/F) ≥0.05, signifying a contagious distribution pattern (large aggregated distribution). Girth class distribution of trees followed an inverse J-shaped pattern. Results of the ethnobotanic study documented 55 MPs. MP collection, as reported by the interviewees, generally improved the socioeconomic status of the people of Tshothang Chiwog. Apart from improving the livelihood security of the local people, aspects relating to health care and culture are also important. Respondents were also concerned about the declining MP wealth of the Chiwog over the years, due to over-exploitation. Monitoring the plant resources and adopting conservation programmes in the Chiwog, in their opinion, may improve the MP wealth of the locality. The lessons learned from the study may have applicability over the south-eastern part of Bhutan and other regions with similar eco-climatic features.

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Section: Discussion Floristic Attributessupporting

confidence: 63%

Medicinal Plants in the Broad-Leaf Mixed Coniferous Forest of Tshothang Chiwog, Bhutan: Floristic Attributes, Vegetation Structure, Ethnobotany, and Socioeconomic Aspects

Jamba

Kumar

2018

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…In forest ecosystems, land use histories are important determinants of both community structure and function, with far-reaching effects on both plants and microbes (Goodale & Aber, 2001;Foster et al, 2003;Fraterrigo et al, 2006). In multi-host stands, disturbance events such as fire, disease and logging can facilitate the asymmetric removal of a given host species (Metz et al, 2012;Hollingsworth et al, 2013;Covey et al, 2015), which may open new niche space for existing hosts as well as put significant pressure on hostspecific fungi to associate with nonprimary host trees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ectomycorrhizal host specificity in a changing world: can legacy effects explain anomalous current associations?

2018

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Despite the importance of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi in forest ecosystems, knowledge about the ecological and co-evolutionary mechanisms underlying ECM host associations remains limited. Using a widely distributed group of ECM fungi known to form tight associations with trees in the family Pinaceae, we characterized host specificity among three unique Suillus-host species pairs using a combination of field root tip sampling and experimental bioassays. We demonstrate that the ECM fungus S. subaureus can successfully colonize Quercus hosts in both field and glasshouse settings, making this species unique in an otherwise Pinaceae-specific clade. Importantly, however, we found that the colonization of Quercus by S. subaureus required co-planting with a Pinaceae host. While our experimental results indicate that gymnosperms are required for the establishment of new S. subaureus colonies, Pineaceae hosts are locally absent at both our field sites. Given the historical presence of Pineaceae hosts before human alteration, it appears the current S. subaureus-Quercus associations represent carryover from past host presence. Collectively, our results suggest that patterns of ECM specificity should be viewed not only in light of current forest community composition, but also as a legacy effect of host community change over time.

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“…Today, the three important components of a watershed (land, water, and vegetation) are increasingly degraded (Sundriyal & Sharma 1996), leading to a loss in biodiversity (Pereira et al 2010;Rands et al 2010;Haddad et al 2015). The relationship between biodiversity and disturbances (natural and anthropogenic) has been studied extensively (Connell 1978;Khan et al 1987;Sundriyal & Sharma 1996;Cannon et al 1998;Masaki et al 1999;Bengtsson et al 2000;Peltzer et al 2000;McKinney 2002;Lorimer & White 2003;Hitimana et al 2004;Kumar & Ram 2005;Rahman et al 2009;Seidl et al 2011;Wangchuk et al 2014;Covey et al 2015;Haddad et al 2015;Pedro et al 2015;Thom & Seidl 2015). All these studies report a strong impact on biodiversity by influencing forest conditions and forests succession dynamics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The impact may vary by region due to the species composition and the applied silvicultural concept (Fredericksen & Mostacedo 2000). Any harvesting or silvicultural operations may lead to a decrease (Cannon et al 1998;Wangda et al 2009), an increase (Magnusson et al 1999;Paillet et al 2010;Covey et al 2015), limited (Pelissier et al 1998) or no effect (Hall et al 2003;Moktan et al 2009b;Schweitzer & Dey 2011) on species richness, biodiversity or any other ecosystem service.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our study we will focus on broad-leaved forests which are widely distributed in the Eastern Himalayas (Davidson 2000;Ohsawa 2002), including Southern and Eastern Bhutan (Norbu 2002), spreading along the major river basins (MoAF 2010). While previous studies focused on forest composition and regeneration in broad-leaved forests of dry valley slopes in Western Bhutan (Wangda & Ohsawa 2002, 2006a, 2006b, and the effects of grazing and logging on tree regeneration and diversity in mixed species forest areas (Van Ijssel 1990;Davidson 2000;Norbu 2002;Buffum et al 2009;Covey et al 2015), there are very limited or no studies focusing on species diversity and composition in relation to 'natural' and 'disturbed forests' due to anthropogenic utilization. The mission of this study is to investigate and assess management effects on forest biodiversity and timber species abundance in the broad-leaved forests within the watershed 144a in Dagana, Bhutan.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tree species composition and diversity in relation to anthropogenic disturbances in broad-leaved forests of Bhutan

Tenzin

Hasenauer

2016

International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Servic

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We assessed the impact of anthropogenic activities such as selective felling and resource extraction on plant diversity and forest structure in the broad-leaved forests of Bhutan. The forest area was grouped into three zones according to human influence: settlement-agriculture, semi-disturbed, and natural forest. A total of 140 plant species were identified. Maximum species richness of trees (8 species/plot) was recorded in natural forests and least in the settlement-agriculture zone (3 species/plot). Shannon (1.73 ± 0.62) and Simpson diversity (5.49 ± 2.97) indices were highest for the natural forest zone as compared to the semidisturbed (0.92 ± 0.74, 2.70 ± 2.05) and settlement-agriculture zones (0.74 ± 0.74, 2.24 ± 2.13). The density and basal area of trees decreased from 373 N ha −1 and 37.9 m 2 ha −1 in the natural forest zone to 114 N ha −1 and 5.7 m 2 ha −1 in the settlement-agriculture zone. The diameter distribution revealed a lack of commercial tree species in the higher dbh classes from the settlement-agriculture and semi-disturbed zones due to selective felling. Increasing accessibility and anthropogenic activities caused the reduction in biodiversity of the watershed. Selective felling and resource extraction created gaps which were colonized by non-timber species and this may change the forest structure.

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Developmental dynamics following selective logging of an evergreen oak forest in the Eastern Himalaya, Bhutan: Structure, composition, and spatial pattern

Cited by 16 publications

References 60 publications

Medicinal Plants in the Broad-Leaf Mixed Coniferous Forest of Tshothang Chiwog, Bhutan: Floristic Attributes, Vegetation Structure, Ethnobotany, and Socioeconomic Aspects

Medicinal Plants in the Broad-Leaf Mixed Coniferous Forest of Tshothang Chiwog, Bhutan: Floristic Attributes, Vegetation Structure, Ethnobotany, and Socioeconomic Aspects

Ectomycorrhizal host specificity in a changing world: can legacy effects explain anomalous current associations?

Tree species composition and diversity in relation to anthropogenic disturbances in broad-leaved forests of Bhutan

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