Study on Impacts of Watershed Management Practices on Forest Phytosociology and Soil Nutrient Status in Micro Watersheds of Sirsi Taluk
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Date
2017-07
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University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad
Abstract
This study was taken up in the Kalve watershed of Uttara Kannada district to assess the impact of watershed management on plant density, diversity and soil nutrients status in forests by College of Forestry, Sirsi. The field works were carried out during 2016-17. The quadrats were laid in randomised block design.
Treated watershed with trenches, vented dams and ponds were compared with a control watershed. The tree density and basal area showed a significant increase over the control plot. Trench- I and trench- II sites showed highest tree density (1500 and 1513 stems per hectare respectively) and basal area (34.13 and 36.75 m2/ha respectively). The lowest density was found under the vented dam site followed by control site. The tree diversity under the various watershed treatments showed that the small pond site had the maximum diversity as expressed by Shannon-Weiner (H=2.88) and Simpson (D=0.079) index followed by the large pond site. The highest regeneration and shrub diversity was found under the trench-II site. Herb diversity and density were maximum under the trench-I site. The control site showed the least herb and shrub density. The soil physico-chemical properties varied significantly with watershed treatment proving the effectiveness of management practices in improving soil properties. The soil bulk density and electrical conductivity varied significantly between the treated and untreated sites while the soil pH remained unaffected by the watershed management practices adopted. The available nitrogen in the soil was significantly highest in the large pond, trench-I and trench-II site (236.6, 231.3 and 226.87 kg/ha respectively). The control plot and vented dam site showed significantly lowest organic carbon (1.54 and 1.04 per cent respectively). Trench-II site showed the significantly highest available phosphorus, potassium and organic carbon.
The study proves the effectiveness of watershed management practices in improving plant diversity and soil nutrients in forests.