GUPTA, B.MASOODI, HASEEB UL RASHID2017-02-142017-02-14201047243http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810000904ABSTRACT Present study was done in ‘Ga3a’ micro-watershed of Giri river located at 30o 50’ to 30o 53’ N latitudes and 77o 08’ to 77o 15’ E longitudes in Solan district of H.P. India”, with the aim to analyse its land use types through GIS and assess phytosociology, biomass and carbon stock of vegetation. Contours on toposheet in the scale 1:50000, acquired from Forest Survey of India, were digitized at 20m interval using CARTALINX 2.1 and the vector data so obtained was rasterised using IDRISI Taiga to produce Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the area. It was stratified into three elevation classes viz. lower elevation (900- 1300m), middle elevation (1300-1600m) and higher elevation (1600m and above). 57.13% area of the watershed falls under lower elevation class, 26.40% under middle elevation class and 16.06% under higher elevation class. Socio-economic data was acquired from each elevation class through field survey. Stock map of the area available with Forest department was also digitized to identify forests at different elevation classes. Structural and functional parameters of trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation in every forest was studied by laying three sample plots of 0.1 ha each. Forests identified at lower elevation were: chir pine, ban-oak and mixed forest. At middle elevation chir pine and mixed forests were recognized and at higher elevation four forests viz., chir pine, ban-oak, mixed and deodar were present. At each elevation one grassland site was also selected to study its vegetation composition. Population density in the microwatershed was 219 km2 which is higher than the average population density of HP. The gender ratio (961 female per thousand male) in the micro-watershed is better than HP, which is good for the society. In all, 79 genera with 87 plant species were recorded in the micro-watershed. The density, basal area and biomass of herbage vegetation under different forests/grasslands at all the elevations increased gradually with the onset of rainfall in July and attained their peak values by August/September. Trees adversely affected the density, basal area and biomass of herbage thus grassland at all elevations exhibited higher values of these parameters as compared to forests. Total biomass under forests/grasslands at lower elevation showed the precedence; mixed forest (252.80 t/ha) > ban-oak forest (223.50 t/ha) > chir pine forest (186.00 t/ha) > grassland (16.26 t/ha). At middle elevation: chir pine (337.90 t/ha) > mixed (224.70 t/ha) > grassland and at higher elevation; ban-oak (421.50 t/ha) > deodar forest (311.80 t/ha) > chir pine forest (301.70 t/ha) > grassland (12.34 t/ha). Carbon stock accumulation in different forests/grassland at lower elevation decreased in the order: mixed forest (223.21t/ha) > ban-oak forest (205.42 t/ha) > chir pine forest (183.17 t/ha) > grassland (70.24 t/ha), at middle elevation: chir pine forest (260.23 t/ha) > mixed forest (205.19 t/ha) > grassland (91.62 t/ha) and at higher elevation: ban-oak forest (312.13 t/ha) > deodar forest (258.58 t/ha) > chir pine forest (244.11 t/ha) > mixed forest (241.66 t/ha) > grassland (85.59 t/ha).ensowing, intercropping, wheats, tillage equipment, seed drilling, crops, mustard, fertilizers, land resources, chickpeasThesis