Assessment of carbon pool in relation to forest types, altitudinal gradient and NDVI indices under different forest ecosystems in subtropical parts of Himachal Pradesh”
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Date
2014
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigations entitled “Assessment of carbon poolin relation to forest types, altitudinal gradient and
NDVI indices under different forest ecosystems in subtropical parts of Himachal Pradesh” were carried out through two
different experiments in different forest types and in different NDVIs along different altitudinal gradient in subtropical
conditions of Himachal Pradesh viz., Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan and Sirmaur district during 2013-2014. The present
investigations were conducted to assess the carbon density under subtropical ecosystem of HP in different forest types and
NDVIs along different altitudinal gradient. For conducting the experiment, different forest types: chir pine plantation, dry
shiwalik sal forests, northern mixed dry deciduous forests, lower shiwalik pine forests and upper Himalayan chir forests and
altitudinal ranges: 600-900, 900-1200, 1200-1500 m a.s.l and NDVIs: 0.0-0.1, 0.1-0.2, 0.2-0.3, 0.3-0.4, 0.4-0.5 were
considered as treatments. The results of the experiments in the subtropical ecosystems of HP have revealed that the
maximum vegetation carbon (170.73 t C ha
-1
) was accumulated in dry shiwalik sal forests; whereas maximum carbon density
in various NDVIs along different altitudinal rangesis accumulated in N
4(153.12 t C ha
-1
) NDVI and A3(164.13 t C ha
-1
),
respectively. Vegetation carbon density in different forest types followed the order: dry shiwalik sal> Himalayan chir > chir
plantation > lower shiwalik pine > northern mixed dry deciduous forests. Whereas the trend in relationto altitudinal range
and NDVI was: A3> A
1> A
2and N4> N
1> N
2> N
5> N
3, in decreasing order respectively. Maximum total soil carbon
density (72.49 t C ha
-1
) was accumulated in Northern mixed dry deciduous forests followed by Himalayan chir forests >
lower shiwalik pine forests > chir pine plantation > dry shiwalik sal forest, in decreasing order respectively. In relation to
NDVIs and altitudinal ranges, total soil carbon density followed an increasing trend with increase in altitude and NDVI
value. In subtropical ecosystems of HP, maximum quantity of detritus carbon was recorded in chir pine plantation; whereas
in different NDVIs along different altitudinal ranges it was maximum in A3
altitude and N5
NDVI value. Maximum carbon
storage in subtropical Himalayan ecosystem, which is a sum of vegetation + soil + detritus carbon pool, was recorded in dry
shiwalik sal forest (209.95 t C ha
-1
) followed by Himalayan chir > chir pine plantation> lower shiwalik pine > northern
mixed dry deciduous forests. In case of various NDVIs along different altitudinal ranges, the trend followed was N
4
> N
1
>
N
2
> N
5
> N
3
and A
3
> A
1
> A
2 in decreasing order respectively. Soil physic-chem ical analysis revealed that there is a
significant variation due to forest types, altitudes and NDVIs for soil organic carbn, bulk density, soil nutrients, pH and EC.
Higher values of organic carbon and most soil nutrients were recorded for northern mixed dry deciduous forests. Soil
nutrients and organic carbon increased with increase in altitude and NDVI; whereas bulk density, pH and EC decreased with
increase in altitude and NDVI. All the soil nutrients, organic carbon, and EC decreased with soil layer depth but bulk density
and pH increased with the soil layer depth. The correlation studies revealed that in various forest types, the vegetation carbon
density was positively correlated with average DBH,average height, top height and herb biomass but negatively correlated
with shrub biomass, diversity parameters and soil carbon density. It was also found that NDVI was positively correlated with
diversity parameters and shrub biomass and soil carbon density but non-significantly correlated (negative) with tree biomass
and vegetation carbon density.
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