Structure and Function of Shisham Forests in Central Himalaya, India: Dry Matter Dynamics

Abstract

The biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) of 5- to 15-year-old Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) forests growing in central Himalaya were estimated. Allometric equations were developed for all above- and below-ground components of trees and shrubs for each stand. Understorey forest floor biomass and litter fall were also estimated in forest stands. The biomass (dry matter), forest floor biomass (standing crop litter), tree litter fall and NPP of trees and shrubs increased with increasing age of the forest stand, whereas the dry matter and herb NPP decreased significantly (P < 0.001) with increasing age of the forest. Total forest biomass and NPP ranged from 58.7 (5-year-old stand) to 136.1 t ha(-1) (15-year-old stand) and 12.6 (5-year-old stand) to 20.3 t ha(-1) year(-1) (15-year-old stand), respectively. Of these values, tree biomass accounted for 85.7 (5-year-old stand) to 90.1% (15-year-old) of total forest biomass, and tree NPP for 72.2 (5-year-old) to 82.3% (15-year-old) of total forest NPP. The biomass accumulation ratio (BAR) of the bole component (bole wood + bole bark) increased with increasing age of the forest stand. The bole BAR was 5.8 (5-year-old stand) to 7.9 (15-year-old stand). However, total BAR of the forest stand ranged from 5.5 (5-year-old) to 7.5 (15-year-old).

Cutting Management Versus Biomass and Carbon Stock of Oak Under High Density Plantation in Central Himalaya, India

“…Total tree biomass including aboveground and belowground biomass, ranged from 192.6 to 793.2 Mg ha -1 ( (Lodhiyal et al, 2002), which is quite low than this study. …”

Estimation of carbon sequestration in reclaimed coalmine degraded land dominated by Albizia lebbeck, Dalbergia sissoo and Bambusa arundinacea plantation: a case study from Jharia Coalfields, India

“…Dutta and Agarwal (2003) estimated overall litterfall rate in the range of 1.2-3.6 Mg ha -1 year -1 in reclaimed coalmine site (Singraulli, India), whereas range 1-5.9 Mg ha -1 year -1 was reported in established bamboo ecosystem of the same site (Tripathi and Singh 1996;Singh and Singh1999). Litterfall rate in Indian shisham forest (5-15 yrs age) was estimated in similar range of 2.2-5.1 Mg ha -1 year -1 (Lodhiyal et al 2002). In the present study, carbon stored in the understorey vegetation and litter components was 0.98 Mg C ha -1 , which is lower than other reported values.…”

“…In India, several authors have published biomass estimations through destructive sampling methods and developed allometric equations for a few tree species [10 cm DBH in reclaimed minesoils and forests (Singh and Singh 1995;Lodhiyal et al 2002). Amichev et al (2008) also derived allometric equations for the estimation of biomass in reclaimed minesoil of Midwestern and Appalachian coalfields of USA.…”

Analysis of carbon and nutrient storage of dry tropical forest of chhattisgarh using satellite data

“…44%, 67.48-91.16% and 73.85-87.11%, understorey between 12.14-29.95 %, 8.46-31.30% and 8.82-15.87% and groundstorey between 3.41-7.86 %, 4.06-10.37% and 0.37-0.88% for total vegetation uptake of (Table 3,4). Lodhiyal et al (2002) studied that the net uptake of nutrients was 64-117 kg ha -1 yr -1 for N, 6-11 kg ha -1 yr -1 for P and 29-54 kg ha -1 yr -1 for K. An estimate for net uptake of N, P, K and C accretion in the present study is compared with certain other forests. Estimates of nutrient uptake for tropical humid forests (Golley et al, 1975) are 136-430 for N, 11-25 for P and 94-255 kg ha -1 yr -1 for K. The mean uptake of nutrients in the present study for N and P is towards the lower end of the above range while K uptake is distinctly lower compared to values cited above.…”