Dr. O.N. PandeyAnil Kumar Vidyarthy2024-07-042024-07-041998https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810211465Tata Iron and Steel Company located at Jamshedpur is a giant company engaged in making steel. About 13 lakh tonnes slag per annum is generated in different departments of steel plant. The slag is dumped in the periphery of the plant. These slag dumps are major Irritant to the people living nearby. These dumps contained no soil sufficient to sustain vegetation. In 1985-86, Tata Steel Rural Development Society under took a large scale plantation drive on the dumpyards. Pits of size (60 cm)³ were dug on the dumps and they were filled with natural soil brought from outside. Consequently, the barren areas turned into a lush green vegetation. The present study was carried out on this vegetation with the objectives to study the growth of different forest trees existing in pure stand. On slag, mixed stands on the slag and pure stands of the same species outside the slag on natural soll and to compare the growth performance of trees growing in all the three situations. The species that are grown in the plantation are (1) Acacia auriculiformis (11) Dalbergia sissoo (iii) Leucaena leucocephala (Iv) Peltophorum pterocarpum. Pure stands of all the four species and a mixed stand consisting of all the four species in almost equal proportion were raised on the slag. The four species were also raised in pure stands on the natural soils outside the slag. Samples plot were laid as per statistical design in each site. Measurements were made on the trees in sample plots using appropriate scientific methods. Based on the measurements taken, mean girth, top girth, mean height, top height, total basal area, total volume and M.A.I. were computed. Results of the present Investigation showed that the performance of trees species in pure stands I.e. on basic slag and outside the basic slag are much better than the performance In mixed stand. Studies on growth performance of different tree species in each situation indicated that Leucaena leucocephala recorded the best performance In comparision to other species. In all the three situations, maximum volume and Mean Annual Increament was recorded by Leucaena leucocephala followed by Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia auriculiformis and Peltophorum pterocarpum. Studies on growth performance of each tree species in different situations indicated that Acacia auriculiformis and Peltophorum pterocarpum recorded the highest mean girth, mean height, total basal area, total volume and M.A.I. In pure stands on basic slag. Dalbergia sissoo and Leucaena leucocephala recorded the highest values in above parameters in pure stand outside the slag but very closely followed by their growth on the basic slag. Highest top girth and top height were recorded by Leucaena leucocephala in pure stands on the slag. All the four tree species in all the three situations recorded lower values in all the growth parameters in mixed stand than the values recorded in the pure stand. Statistical analysis revealed that the results obtained due to the species are significant in all the parameters. However, the results obtained due to situation are non-significant with the exception being mean girth. Interaction between species and situation also did not show any significant influence on the results obtained. Soil analysis indicated that the basic slag is deficient of nitrogen. Thus the present study suggests to grow leguminous trees on the basic slag in pure stand for better volume M.A.I.EnglishThesis