Estimating Herbaceous Plant Biomass Carbon under Different Forest Strata of Dachigam National Park

Moieza Ashraf; F. A. Lone; Akhlaq Amin Wani

doi:10.36808/if/2017/v143i7/119025

Estimating Herbaceous Plant Biomass Carbon under Different Forest Strata of Dachigam National Park

Authors

Moieza Ashraf Division of Environmental Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar J&K-190025
F. A. Lone Division of Environmental Sciences, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar J&K-190025
Akhlaq Amin Wani Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Benhama-Watlar Ganderbal J&K-191201

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2017/v143i7/119025

Keywords:

Biomass, Carbon, Dachigam National Park, Herbaceous.

Abstract

Protected areas due to limited anthropogenic disturbance have rich undergrowth in the form of annual and perennial herbs. These herbs besides providing food and shelter to wild animals help store and mitigate carbon from atmosphere under different tree strata. However, their diversity and ability to store carbon varies under different strata depending on the crown canopy conditions and other plant interactions. Keeping its importance in view, the present study was conducted in 2014, to estimate biomass of ground flora under different strata of Dachigam National Park Srinagar. A total of seven different strata based on forests and land use, namely Oak (S1), Parrotia (S2), Mixed broad leaved (S3), Pine (S4), Agricultural plantation (S5), Horticulture (S6), Grassland (S7), were identified for herb biomass and carbon estimation through destructive sampling method using quadrat size of 1Ã—1 m. Maximum amount of biomass carbon was recorded for grassland and lowest for agricultural plantation. Grasslands with no tree density provided the environment that was conducive for growth of herbs and contributed for enhanced herb biomass carbon. Mixed broad leaved, Pine, Oak and Parrotia strata had a greater tree density and lower temperatures due to closed crown canopy which reduced the growth rate of undergrowth vegetation and reduced biomass carbon compared to grassland strata.

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