Impact of Ban on Green Felling in Chirpine Forests of Uttarakhand
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2018/v144i8/132092Keywords:
Green Felling, Thinning, Regeneration, Phytodiversity, Soil Fertility, Chirpine, Uttarakhand.Abstract
A study was undertaken to assess the impact of the existing ban on green felling of trees in Chirpine (Pinus roxburghii) areas above 1,000 m altitude in Uttarakhand state, India. Crop composition, regeneration status and soil nutrients were studied for 374 sample plots in eleven forest divisions representing the entire ban-affected area of the species to analyse differences between felled coupes and control plots (un-felled forest where the prescribed felling could not be done due to ban).
On the expected lines, the control areas were found to have significantly higher proportion of very dense forests (54 per cent) than in treated areas (38 per cent). The number of total tree species in treated areas was more (34) than in the control areas (23). Chirpine was the dominant species from standpoint of tree density forming 80.96-100 per cent and 71.03-100 per cent of tree population in treated and control stands respectively. However, in Pithoragarh control areas, chirpine component has decreased from 86.27 per cent in treated areas to 71.03 in control areas. Treated areas had greater diversity of shrubs than the control areas. However, significant differences were not observed in IVI values of tree species in treated and control areas, except for Rhododendron arboreum which recorded significantly greater IVI for control area vis-Ã -vis treated area. Shrub species were found to have significantly higher IVI values in the control areas than in the treated areas thereby implying that weed species like Eupatorium spp., Ageratum conyzoides and Berberis asiatica have steadily gained space in the control areas.
Out of the 11 forest divisions where this study was conducted, regeneration in treated areas was good in one and fair in nine forest divisions while in control areas it was poor in eight forest divisions. Regeneration was absent in one forest division. Though seedlings of regeneration were recorded in control areas of seven forest divisions, saplings were absent. Soil fertility in treated areas was generally better than the control, thereby dispelling the fears that opening of canopy might lead to reduction in soil fertility.
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