Reflecting on species diversity and regeneration dynamics of scientific forest management practices in Nepal

Assessment of Productivity and Profitability through Scientific Forest Management in Sal (Shorea robusta) Forest of Nepal: A Case Study from Patela Community Forest, Kailali District, Nepal

“…Mohammadi et al (2008) and Awasthi et al (2015) also found a decrease in the species diversity where Shelterwood Silvicultural System was practiced in the natural forest stands, similar to the results obtained. The species composition and diversity are related to the intensity of logging and type of management practices (de Avila et al 2015), which means the higher the harvesting intensity the lower the species diversity in SciFM practices (Shima et al 2018;Awasthi et al 2020). Halpern and Spies (1995) also found other management activities (fertilization, herbicide application, grazing) could affect the species composition of vegetation in addition to the initial effect of logging and site preparation.…”

“…As such, the utmost need for scientific and silvicultural intervention at the policy and field-level was realized to promote regeneration in the old-growth forest and ensure replacement of old stock with a new one in the future ensuring good future productivity and profitability. SciFM is an emerging and popular approach of Nepal for managing existing productive forests based on silvicultural intervention, as it follows a silvicultural system and helps in maintaining better forest health and vitality as well as improving the sustainable flow of forest products, environmental services, and revenues for the nation (Awasthi et al 2015;Khanal and Adhikari 2018;Awasthi et al 2020).…”

“…Maintaining the productive capacity and biological diversity of any forest area is an important criterion for sustainable forest management that can be predicted by measuring and analyzing the regeneration (Lutze et al 2004). The productive character and dynamics of the forest are determined by the presence of different age-group and diversity in seedling, sapling, and tree (Chauhan et al 2008;Awasthi et al 2020). The forest regeneration will guarantee its future to produce wood and other forest service continuously; we need permanence in productivity of the forest.…”

Regeneration Status and Carbon Accumulation Potential in Community Managed Sal (Shorea robusta) Forests of Far-Western Terai Region, Nepal

“…It can be further used to determine whether forest management leads to productive capacity as well as biological diversity of forests are maintained (Awasthi et al 2015;Malik & Bhatt, 2016;Lutze et al 2004). The intensity of management interventions applied differentiates the regeneration dynamics and species composition in forests which brings out the necessity of regular monitoring and examination of silvicultural interventions to ensure effective forest management on regeneration structure and composition as well as species diversity ( Awasthi et al 2020;Awasthi et al 2015;Figueroa Rangel & Olvera-Vargas, 2000;Nguyen & Baker, 2016). Foresters and ecologists see inadequate forest regeneration as a backdrop (Ceccon et al 2004) which is generally influenced by locality factors and later changes viability of forest population (Condit et al 1996;Stork, 2010;Mishra et al 2013), local habitat characters (Chaturvedi et al 2012), community composition, insects, disease, herbivores and competing vegetation (Sagar et.…”

Regeneration status and species diversity of major tree species under scientific forest management in Kapilbastu district, Nepal

“…30. Awasthi et al (2020) also concluded that the silvicultural practices under SciFM decreases plant diversity as the species diversity index was found to have decreased in all the managed blocks than in the unmanaged ones. The Shannon-Wiener Index was found to be between 0.…”