Biomass and Carbon Allocation in 8-year-old Poplar (Populus deltoides Marsh) Plantation in Tarai Agroforestry Systems of Central Himalaya, India

ABSTRACT: Carbon management in forests is the global concern to mitigate the increased concentration of green house gases in the atmosphere. Reviving forest cover and finding low cost methods to sequester carbon is emerging as a major international policy goal. However the global forest cover is dwindling fast in view of great biotic pressure, industrialization, urbanization, land use changes and conversion of forests to agricultural land. Agroforestry systems can play an important role in carbon mitigation programmes through carbon sequestration and can reduce the pressure on existing natural forests by providing fuel, fodder, timber and wood products to the farmers. Biomass and carbon allocation in Poplar agroforestry plantation in the Tarai region of central Himalaya, India have been studied and it is found that the Poplar agroforestry plantation in the Tarai region of central Himalaya had a significant amount of biomass and carbon, which acts as an additional carbon sink in the region

VEGETATION STRUCTURE AND REGENERATION OF VAN PANCHAYAT FORESTS IN KUMAUN HIMALAYA, UTTARAKHAND

Study deals with the vegetation structure and regeneration in Van Panchayat forests in Nainital of Kumaun Himalaya. The analysis of forest was done in three sites i.e. hill top, hill slope and hill base forest site. Tree density in Jungalia and Soangaon Van Panchayats ranged from 80-2070 and 50-5270 individual ha-1 respectively. Importance value index was 8.11-137.29 in Jungalia gaon Van Panchayat while 15.65-143.04 in Soangaon Van Panchayat. Species diversity ranged from 0.09-1.97 in Jungalia gaon and 0.17-0.44 in Soangaon Van Panchayat. The occurrence of higher number of seedlings in both the Van Panchayat showed good regeneration potential of tree species. International Journal of EnvironmentVolume-4, Issue-3, June-August 2015Page: 69-80</p

Unique Characteristic of Ecotourism

Abstract: The Nainital High Altitude Zoo one and only Zoo in the newly born state of Uttarakhand is situated at an elevation of 2100 m above mean on the hill of Sher-Ka-Danda. Zoo ecotourism is regarded as being more than tourism to natural areas and should be viewed as a means of combining the goals of resource conservation and local development through tourism in a synergistic fashion

Dinâmica sazonal da produção e decomposição de serrapilheira em floresta tropical de transição Seasonal dynamics of the litterfall production and decomposition in tropical transitional forest

Em função de se analisar a produção, dinâmica e decomposição de serrapilheira em busca da sazonalidade do microclima em uma floresta tropical de transição Amazônia Cerrado, propõe-se estimar a produção de serrapilheira, por meio de caixas de coleta de 1 m² e o acúmulo de serrapilheira sobre o solo por meio de quadrantes de 25 x 25 cm, distribuídos aleatoriamente. Determinaram-se a constante de decaimento (K), o coeficiente de retorno de serrapilheira (K L) e a constante de decomposição (K'). Com o emprego de bolsas de nylon preenchidas com folhas de espécies de relevância na floresta (Tovomita schomburgkki e Brosimium lactescens) estudou-se a decomposição de folhas e se monitaram os fatores ambientais por meio de equipamentos instalados em uma torre micrometeorológica. A produção de serrapilheira não só se apresentou de forma sazonal, com significativa influência da umidade relativa do ar e da precipitação, em uma floresta de transição, mas foi majoritariamente composta de folhas seguidas de galhos e miscelânea (flores e frutos). A decomposição de folhas em florestas tropicais foi acelerada em ambas as estações, seca-úmida e úmida-seca, sendo a velocidade de decomposição das folhas maior na estação úmida-seca.<br>The objective of this study was to analyze the production, dynamics and litter decomposition as a function of the seasonality of the microclimate in a transitional tropical forest of Amazonia Cerrado. Estimate of litterfall was carried out with collection boxes of 1 m² and floor forest mass with quadrants of 25 x 25 cm distributed randomly. The decline constant (K), litter turnover rate (K L) and litter decomposition rate (K') were determined by estimation of litterfall and forest floor litter mass. Leaf decomposition was studied by litter bags with leaves of species of relevance (Tovomita schomburgkki and Brosimium lactescens) in the forest. The analysis of the environmental factors was measured through micrometeorological equipments. The litterfall was seasonal in nature, with significant influence from relative air humidity and rainfall in a transitional forest. Litterfall was mainly composed of leaves, followed by twigs, and miscellany (flowers and fruits). The leaf decomposition in tropical forests was accelerated in seasons, dry-wet and wet-dry, being the leaf decomposition higher in the wet-dry season