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ThesisItem Open Access Provenance evaluation of acacia mangium wild for growth and wood traits(Department of Tree Physiology and Breeding, College of Forestry,Vellanikkara, 2015) Ringyao, Jajo; KAU; Santhoshkumar, A VA provenance evaluation of A. mangium was conducted in 14 year old plantation at Livestock Research Station, Thiruvazhamkunnu, to understand the variation in growth and wood traits among the provenances. Ten provenances and one local seed source was used for the trial. The provenances had high survival percentage (77.44%), but did not differ significantly between provenances. Significant differences between provenances were found in tree height, while they were on par for DBH, volume, tree form and branching habit. The provenances of Kuranda, Arufi Village, Upper Aramia, Oriomo, Balimo and Binaturi were taller than the rest. Heritability of growth attributes was highest for height (63%). Morphometric traits of seeds were found to be significantly different between the provenances. Arufi Village provenance was found to be better than the other provenances for the traits. Seed weight and seed width were found to be strongly correlated with seedling height. Variation in germination energy, germination value and germination period were also significantly different between provenances. Lake Murray provenances showed the best performance in most of the parameters studied for germination. No significant differences between provenances were observed for germination capacity. Germination parameters are under moderate to high genetic control. Significant differences were noticed among the progenies of the provenances in height, while they did not differ in terms of collar girth and RGR. The provenances differed significantly in physical properties of wood, but not in mechanical properties. The provenances differed significantly for heartwood only at the base, while basic density was significantly different at all the height levels. Density was significantly and positively correlated with fiber length and slenderness, but negatively with fiber diameter and fiber wall thickness. The variations in fiber morphology between the provenances were also found to be significant. However, runkel ratio, flexibility and rigidity coefficient did not differ significantly between the provenances. Wood properties of the provenances were under strong genetic control. Based on the study, Tully-Mission Beach, Arufi Village, Kuranda, Upper Aramia, Lake Murray and Binaturi provenances can be recommended for growing under Kerala condition.ThesisItem Open Access Variation in wood physical and anatomical properties of anjily (Artocarpus hirsutus LAM.) grown in different agro-climatic zones of Thrissur district, Kerala(Department of Wood Science, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Swagatika Sahoo; KAU; Anoop, E VA study entitled “Variation in wood physical and anatomical properties of Anjily (Artocarpus hirsutus Lam.) grown in different agro-climatic zones of Thrissur district, Kerala” was conducted in the College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur during the period 2015-2017. The present investigation was conducted with the objective to assess the variation in wood anatomical and physical properties of anjily (Artocarpus hirsutus Lam.) grown in different agro-climatic zones (Coastal sandy, Central mid land and Malayoram) of Thrissur district, Kerala and to compare the anatomical and physical property of wood between plantations and homesteads. Samples from anjily trees were selected from the three agro-climatic zones of Thrissur district following stratified random sampling technique. The experimental materials were collected from three agro-climatic zones (9 Costal sandy + 9 Central midlands + 9 Malayoram) which also include trees from three girth classes viz., 50- 100 cm, 100-150 cm. and more than 150 cm. Wood samples of three trees were collected from each girth class. Wood samples were also collected from three plantations in Thalassery taluk of Kannur district. Analysis revealed that some of the anatomical properties were significantly different between girth classes across three agro-climatic zones. Basic density, moisture content, heartwood colour, vessel frequency, vessel area, vessel diameter, ray width, fibre wall thickness and fibre lumen diameter did not show significant difference across three agro-climatic zones. Ray frequency, ray height, ray width and fibre lumen diameter showed significant difference between three girth classes across the zones. Analysis revealed that there was significant differences in vessel frequency, vessel diameter, vessel length, ray width, fibre length, fibre lumen diameter, moisture content and basic density between homesteads and plantation. Ecoanatomical characters like vulnerability index and vessel mesomorphy were also analysed and vulnerability index was found to be highest in central mid land. Mesomorphy values of anjily wood indicated that it was mesic in nature. Correlation analysis also showed that basic density was positively correlated with moisture content, ray height, fibre length and fibre wall thickness. The wood properties of anjily was also found to be comparable to teak wood in various aspectsThesisItem Open Access Diversity and distribution of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani wildlife sanctuary, Kerala(Department of Forest Management and Utilisation, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Muhammed, Iqbal A; KAU; Vidyasagaran, KThe study entitled “Diversity and distribution of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala” was carried out with the objectives to find out the diversity, distribution and host preference of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary during three different seasons. An attempt has also been made to find out the effect of substrate features like diameter, type and decay class on the diversity and abundance of polypores. Three fixed size permanent sample plots of 100 m×100 m were established in three different locations and these permanent plots were enumerated during three different seasons to collect information on influence of seasonal fluctuation in fruitbody production and details on substratum. Apart from the plot based sampling, opportunistic sampling method was also adopted to maximize the documentation of polypore fungal diversity and distribution. A total of thirty six species were recorded from the sanctuary and among this Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and Datronia mollis were the first report from South India. Out of this, white rot fungi contributed 94.44 per cent and 5.56 per cent were brown rot fungi. The density and frequency of occurrence have been varied significantly during different seasons and the community structure and species composition during monsoon and post monsoon season were distinct from pre-monsoon season. However, fungal diversity analysis showed that species richness was higher during monsoon season and revealed the influence of seasonal variation on fungal diversity. The high species similarity was observed between monsoon and post monsoon season compared to pre-monsoon and monsoon. A total of 17 host tree species were identified in ten different families and Terminalia paniculata was found to be highly preferred by polypores. Polypores like Fulvifomes nilgheriensis and Fuscoporia senex were found to be host specific and were found only on Xylia xylocarpa. The maximum fungal density has been recorded in host trees with 21-<30 cm diameter class. Among the substrate types, maximum number of individuals was observed on trunk and living trees supported only very few polypores. The newly emerged species during monsoon season showed more association with decay class 2 and the decay class association of some species remained unchanged during all the seasons. The conceptual framework on primary ecological strategy revealed that polypores exhibits ruderal, combative and stress tolerant behaviours. The present study concluded that the diversity and distribution of polypores are determined by seasonal fluctuations and substrate features.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of eco-restoration on nutrient balance in eastern Attappady, Kerala(Department of Tree Physiology and Breeding, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Raneesh, C; KAU; Santhoshkumar, A VA study on “Impact of Eco-restoration on nutrient balance in eastern Attappady, Kerala” was carried out with the objective of analyzing the nutrient stock and flow of the ecosystem for evaluating the impact of eco-restoration work in eastern Attappady. The study sample included ten plantations, five biomass conservation areas and five non-eco-restored areas spread over seven locations in eastern Attappady. At each study site, a 50 x 50 m2 quadrat was enumerated for trees (GBH ≥ 10 cm) for analyzing the vegetation structure and species composition. Vegetation, soil and litter samples were collected from each sample plots for estimating the nutrient pool and its flow. Stem, leaves and branches were collected from all the tree species encountered during the study. Soil samples were collected up to a depth of 15 cm from all the sample plots and for litter sample collection, litter traps were placed in each sample plot and were collected four times throughout a year with an interval of three months. Organic C, Total N, Total P, Available P, Available K and CEC were estimated from soil. Carbon, N, P and K were estimated from vegetation and litter. Aboveground Biomass (AGB) of the study site was estimated using the universal allometric equation for tropical dry deciduous forests. Rainfall regimes of the region were found to be the main driving forces for the vegetation structure. The vegetation of plantations and BCAs in the locations Agali, Sambarcode and Palliyara, which fall in the wetter region of the study area had higher tree density compared to drier tracts. Floristic diversity studies revealed that species richness were higher among the BCA’s compared to plantations. The vegetation structure and species composition of plantations in the areas with medium rainfall was better than the BCA in drier tracts. The Aboveground Biomass (AGB) was observed to be higher among the BCAs compared to plantations. The higher AGB were correlated to higher density of larger girth class trees. Nutrient stock in vegetation was proportional to the AGB of the area. The vegetation nutrients were higher among the BCAs compared to plantations due to higher AGB. Species composition and richness was a factor which determined the litter turnover of the ecosystem. Litter turnover was higher among the BCAs compared to plantations. Litter turnover rate was the major factor which determines the litter nutrient stock in the area. Litter nutrient accumulation were higher among the BCAs compared to plantations in general. Soil nutrient stock was dependent on the above ground vegetation and its composition of the study area. Soil nutrients were higher among the BCA’s compared to plantations and non-eco-restored areas except for phosphorous which was higher in soils of non-eco-restored areas since it got absorbed in vegetated areas. The nutrient capital was higher among the BCAs compared to plantations and non-eco-restored areas. The total carbon stock of BCAs (44367.19 kg/ha) were found to be higher compared to plantations (24295.33 kg/ha) and non-eco-restored areas (5372.64 kg/ha) due to better vegetation structure and species composition among them. Nitrogen pool and potassium pool were also higher among the BCAs (3417.7 kg/ha and 344.52 kg/ha) compared to plantations (2075.52 kg/ha and 240.51 kg/ha) and non-eco-restored areas (705.6 kg/ha and 162.4 kg/ha). The only exception was in the phosphorous pool which was higher in non-eco-restored areas (1600.7 kg/ha). However, rate of nutrient flow in plantations and BCAs were similar. The study indicates that the nutrient flow pattern of plantation is similar to BCAs and if plantations are provided with adequate protection and management, it may attain the stock levels of BCA in due course.ThesisItem Open Access Diversity and distribution of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani wildlife sanctuary, Kerala(College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Muhammed, Iqbal A; KAU; Vidyasagaran, KThe study entitled “Diversity and distribution of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala” was carried out with the objectives to find out the diversity, distribution and host preference of polypores in the moist deciduous forests of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary during three different seasons. An attempt has also been made to find out the effect of substrate features like diameter, type and decay class on the diversity and abundance of polypores. Three fixed size permanent sample plots of 100 m×100 m were established in three different locations and these permanent plots were enumerated during three different seasons to collect information on influence of seasonal fluctuation in fruitbody production and details on substratum. Apart from the plot based sampling, opportunistic sampling method was also adopted to maximize the documentation of polypore fungal diversity and distribution. A total of thirty six species were recorded from the sanctuary and among this Pycnoporus cinnabarinus and Datronia mollis were the first report from South India. Out of this, white rot fungi contributed 94.44 per cent and 5.56 per cent were brown rot fungi. The density and frequency of occurrence have been varied significantly during different seasons and the community structure and species composition during monsoon and post monsoon season were distinct from pre-monsoon season. However, fungal diversity analysis showed that species richness was higher during monsoon season and revealed the influence of seasonal variation on fungal diversity. The high species similarity was observed between monsoon and post monsoon season compared to pre-monsoon and monsoon. A total of 17 host tree species were identified in ten different families and Terminalia paniculata was found to be highly preferred by polypores. Polypores like Fulvifomes nilgheriensis and Fuscoporia senex were found to be host specific and were found only on Xylia xylocarpa. The maximum fungal density has been recorded in host trees with 21-<30 cm diameter class. Among the substrate types, maximum number of individuals was observed on trunk and living trees supported only very few polypores. The newly emerged species during monsoon season showed more association with decay class 2 and the decay class association of some species remained unchanged during all the seasons. The conceptual framework on primary ecological strategy revealed that polypores exhibits ruderal, combative and stress tolerant behaviours. The present study concluded that the diversity and distribution of polypores are determined by seasonal fluctuations and substrate features.ThesisItem Open Access Harnessing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for quality seedling stock production of Tectona grandis Linn. and Swietenia macrophylla King(College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2015) Ajeesh, R; KAU; Santhoshkumar, A VA study was conducted to find efficacy of three native species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on Tectona grandis Linn. and Swietenia macrophylla King. at Tree nursery, College of Forestry, Vellanikara, Thrissur, Kerala during 2013-2015. The study assessed the impact of inoculation of selected AMF on growth and quality of seedlings. The native AMF species (Funelliformis mosseae, Glomus intradices, Glomus proliferum) at different levels (10, 20 and 50 g inoculum per seedling) were applied on the seedlings raised in polythene bags. The experiment was laid out in a factorial RBD with control. Seedlings raised in the presence of AMF showed a significant difference in plant growth and quality over those grown in the absence of AMF. The extent of growth and quality enhancement differed among AMF species and levels of inoculation. In general, mycorrhizal symbiosis significantly improved plant growth performance, such as plant height, stem diameter, shoot, root or total dry weight. Mycorrhizal colonization of seedlings ranged from 17.3 per cent to 56.3 per cent in S. macrophylla and 15.0 per cent to 36.0 per cent in T. grandis. The growth observations like LAR, LWR, LAD, SLA, SLW, AGR, RGR and NAR showed a significant difference among the treatments in S. macrophylla and T. grandis seedlings. With a few exceptions, seedling growth observations and physiological parameters improved with AMF inoculation. Mycorrhizal inoculations significantly influenced chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, plant water potential, stomatal conductance, relative water content and leaf temperature in S. macrophylla seedlings. In case of T. grandis seedlings, chlorophyll content, leaf temperature and relative water content were influenced by AMF inoculation. While photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and plant water potential were not influenced by AMF. The Mycorrhizal Efficiency Index (MEI) in S. macrophylla was 66.43 per cent for F. mosseae at higher level (50 g inoculum), while in T. grandis MUE was 89.23 per cent on G. proliferum at higher level (50 g inoculum). Root colonization per cent at lower level (10 g inoculum) was found to range from 15.00 to 24.33 per cent in case of S. macrophylla, while it ranged from 34.33 to 55.67 per cent at higher level (50 g inoculums) of inoculation. In T. grandis, at lower level (10 g inoculum) root colonization was found to range from 17.33 to 33.33 per cent, while it ranged from 22.67 to 56.33 per cent at higher level (50 g inoculum) of inoculation. By looking at overall parameters studied, it can be concluded that F. mosseae at 50 g of inoculum at the time of transplanting @ 10 spores /g confers maximum growth and seedling quality benefits in nursery as compared to all other fungi used in for S. macrophylla. Seedlings of T. grandis with G. proliferum at 50 g inoculums performed better in nursery. This technology has the potential to reduce the nursery period and increase in quality of seedlings produced resulting in considerable economic gains.
