Research Article | Published: 01 August 2021

Forest status under fire regime: A case study from Upper Kosi watershed in Almora district, Uttarakhand, India

Deepa Bisht, Prakash Singh and Rakesh Chandra Sundriyal

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 43 | Issue: 3 | Page No. 206-211 | 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2021-89G23K | Cite this article

Abstract

The ever-increasing incidents of forest fire in the Himalayan region cause a threat to flora, fauna, livelihoods, and the environment. The Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forests are especially susceptible to forest fires due to their resin-rich leaf litter. This study investigates forest structure, regeneration, biomass-carbon dynamics, leaf-litter, and soil physio-chemical properties in two Chir pine stands in the Upper-Kosi watershed, Almora district, Uttarakhand. Both stands exhibited lower tree density, good regeneration potential, biomass-carbon, and litter mass due to intense biotic pressure. Although, stand 2 has been subjected to oak-plantation in recent years and showed an improving status. The study revealed that Chir pine stands are subjected to fodder collection, grazing, and resin extraction, while its litter is susceptible to fire which leads to the release of a significant flux of biogenic carbon back to the atmosphere. This highlights the need to manage Chir pine stands on a priority basis. Recommendations for improving Chir pine stands with the support of village panchayats (i.e. Van panchayats) have been given.

Keywords

Biomass-carbon dynamics, Chir pine, Forest structure, Implications for management, Leaf-litter, Regeneration

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Fig. 1

Girth class structure of chir pine trees at two forest stands

Table. 1

Tree density, total basal area (TBA), and Importance Value Index (IVI) of two Chir pine forest stands in upper Kosi watershed, Almora, Uttarakhand

Table. 2

Regeneration status of studied Chir pine forest stands

Table. 3

Above ground and below ground tree biomass (t ha^-1) and organic carbon (t ha^-1) of investigated forest stands

Table. 4

Litterfall (g/m²) phytomass across different forest stands

Table. 5

N, P, and K concentration (%) in litter biomass of bothstands

Table. 6

Soil parameters across two Chir pine stands

Table. 7

Structural characteristics of some Chir pine forests of the Central Himalayan region

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How to cite

Bisht, D., Singh, P. and Sundriyal, R.C., 2020. Forest status under fire regime: A case study from Upper Kosi watershed in Almora district, Uttarakhand, India. Indian Journal of Forestry, 43(3), pp.206-211. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2021-89G23K

Publication History

Manuscript Received on 22 January 2020

Manuscript Revised on 28 June 2021

Manuscript Accepted on 30 June 2021

Manuscript Published on 01 August 2021

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