SHARMA, D.P.INDU, RAJ2017-09-072017-09-072017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810030684FORESTRYABSTRACT The present investigation entitled "Assessment of biomass and Carbon sequestration potential of Shorea robusta (Gaertn.f.)" was carried out in the experimental area between latitude 30 O34’41”N to 30 O34’58”N latitude and the longitude 77 O42’34” E to 77 O44’15” E in the sub-tropical zone of Paonta Forest Division of Himachal Pradesh with an elevation from 300-400 m above mean sea level (a.m.sl.). The pure plantation area of Shorea robusta was selected in Rajban Forest having C-7 and C-8 compartments near Rajban and compartments having C-16 and C-17 compartments near Garibnath of Paonta Range. The observations regarding diameter at breast height and tree height were recorded. Various linear and nonlinear (Compound, Power, Exponential, Sigmoid, cubic, log-linear and quadratic functions were analysed to estimate the volume, biomass and carbon of Shorea robusta. Power function (Y= a(D2H)x) where Y is the dependent variable and D is diameter at breast height and H is tree height) was best fitted for all the selected parameters. To estimate stem volume based on diameter at breast height with adjusted R2 value as (0.98), based on height with adjusted R2 value as (0.72), based on Basal area with adjusted R2 value as (0.98) and based on D2H with adjusted R2 value as (0.999). Similarly for basal area the power function was best fitted with adjusted R2 values as (0.98) based on diameter at breast height, (0.72) based on height, (0.98) based on Basal area and (0.99) based on D2H. Similarly, an adjusted R2 value for biomass carbon with diameter at breast height as independent variable was 0.98, with height as independent variable was 0.72, with Basal area was 0.981 and with D2H was 0.99. However, in this research, model comparison and selection was based on adjusted R2, goodness of fit, Theil’s-U statistics and finally undergone cross-validation to ensure further adequacy. Power function was best fitted among all the linear and non-linear functions. After testing the model, D2H was best variable with the accuracy of 99 percent due to combination of both diameter and height.ennullThesis