AGROFORESTRY IN THE TRADITIONAL LAND USE PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY OF CHIRGAON IN HIMACHAL PRADESH, A HIGH-HILL WET TEMPERATE AREA
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Date
2020-06
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NAUNI,UHF
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigation entitled “Agroforestry in the traditional land use practices: A
case study of Chirgaon in Himachal Pradesh-a high-hill wet temperate area” was conducted in
Chirgaon tehsil located between the longitude 31º11′ to 31º19′ North and latitude 77º48 to 78º56
East. The area was divided into three different elevation zones E1(1800-2100m), E2 (>2100-2400m)
and E3 (>2400m). Five agroforestry systems viz., agrisilviculture, hortiagriculture,
hortiagrisilviculture, hortisilvipasture and silvipasture were identified to study their floristic
composition, biomass, carbon stock and soil properties. Beside it, forty-nine plants with diverse
ethnobotanical uses were also identified. The common agriculture crops of the area in kharif season
were Amaranthus caudatus, Brassica oleracea, Capsicum annuum, Chenopodium album, Colocasia
esculenta, Eleusine coracana, Fagopyrum esculentum, Oryza sativa, Perilla frutescens, Phaseolus
vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Solanum melongena and Zea mays and in rabi season Hordeum vulgare,
Triticum aestivum and Pisum sativum. Prominent trees in agroforestry systems were Morus serrata,
Picea smithiana, Pinus roxburghii, Pinus wallichiana, Pyrus pashia, Quercus floribunda and Quercus
leucotrichophora whereas, Malus domestica, Prunus armeniaca, Pyrus communis, Prunus domestica
and Prunus persica were major fruit trees in different agroforestry systems. Highest total biomass
(aboveground + belowground) was recorded 225.34 t ha-1 in hortiagrisilviculture agroforestry system
followed by hortisilvipasture (206.94 t ha-1), agrisilviculture (149.34 t ha-1), silvipasture (140.21 t ha1
), hortiagriculture, (41.43 t ha-1). Total carbon stock of agroforestry systems followed the precedence
hortiagrisilviculture (101.40 t C ha-1) > hortisilvipasture (93.12 t C ha-1) > agrisilviculture (67.20 t C
ha-1) > silvipasture (63.10 t C ha-1) > hortiagriculture, (18.64 t C ha-1). Soil organic carbon (%) in
different agroforestry systems varied significantly and highest mean organic carbon (1.54%) was
recorded for silvipasture followed by hortisilvipasture (1.46%), hortiagrisilviculture (1.41%),
hortiagriculture (1.37%) and agrisilviculture (1.32%). Other soil properties viz., pH, EC, BD differed
significantly among agroforestry systems and whereas, PD and PS was non-significant. Elevation
impacted the biomass and carbon stock of vegetation and, soil properties in agroforestry systems.
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