Seed Dispersal, Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment in Natural forests of Silver Fir and Spruce I. Seed Dispersal Pattern

Abstract

Studies on seed dispersal were carried out in a mixed forest of sliver fir and spruce in Kotgarh Forest Division, Himachal Pradesh. The number of seeds dispersed per square metre of forest floor area in case of sliver fir and spruce varied from 51.9 to 528.6 and 9.2 to 65.8 respectively. The peak dispersal period for sliver fir was from 13th to 24th November when 85.84 per cent of the total seed (by weight) was dispersed while the same for spruce was from 27th October to 1st December during which period 84.50 per cent of the total seed (by weight) was dispersed. In case of sliver fir the seed dispersed after 13th October to 10th November was slightly 5 heavier than that dispersed in other weeks and there was no such difference discernible in cas of spruce.