Effects of slope aspects on forest compositions, community structures and soil properties in natural temperate forests of Garhwal Himalaya

Abstract

The present study was undertaken in seven natural forest types of temperate zone (1500 to 3100 m, a.s.l.) of Garhwal Himalaya to understand the effects of slope aspects viz., north-east (NE), north-west (NW), south-east (SE) and south-west (SW), on the forest structure, composition and soil characteristics of each selected forest type. The sample plots in each forest type were laid out by using stratified random approach. The indices i.e., the Importance Value Index, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson’s concentration of Dominance, Simpson diversity index, Pielou equitability and Margalef species richness index were calculated statistically using standard softwares to elucidate the differences in forest structure and composition of forest types on different slope aspects of the sites. The composite soil samples were taken from each forest stand and the physico-chemical properties of the soil i.e., moisture content (MC), water holding capacity (WHC), pH, organic carbon (OC), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and available nitrogen (N) were analyzed. The results show that the higher values of total basal cover (74.4 m²·ha⁻¹ in Quercus semecarpifolia forest), Concentration of dominance (0.85 in Pinus roxburghii forest) and Tree diversity (1.81 in Quercus floribunda forest) in the forests were recorded in the northern aspects. MC (40.8% in Quercus leucotrichophora forest), WHC (48.9% in Cupressus torulosa forest), OC (3.8% in Cedrus deodara forest), P (31.9 kg·ha⁻¹ in Quercus leucotrichophora forest) and N (1.0% in Pinus roxburghii forest) had also higher values in the soils of northern aspects. Consequently the higher productivity of the forests was also noticed on the northern aspects.

Keywords

diversity / stem density / forest composition / aspects / soil nutrients

References

[1] Baduni N.P., Sharma C.M.. Flexibility fitness compromise in some moist temperate forests of Garhwal Himalaya. Annals of Forestry, 1997, 5: 126-135.

[2] Baduni N.P., Sharma C.M.. Community structure and growing stock variation in Quercus floribunda forest on different aspects of Garhwal Himalaya. Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science, 1999, 28(2): 82-93.

[3] Banerjee S.P., Chand S.. Physico-chemical properties and moisture characteristics of soils as influenced by forest fire. Indian Forester, 1981, 107: 178-182.

[4] Bremner J.M., Mulvaney C.S.. Page A.L., Miller R.H., Kieney D.R.. Nitrogen total. Method of Soil Analysis- Part 2: Chemical and Microbiological methods, 1982 2nd edn. Wisconsin: Soil Science Society of America Inc., 595 624

[5] Champion H.G., Seth S.K.. A Revised Survey of the Forest Types of India. 1968, New Delhi: Manager of Publications, Government of India Press

[6] Curtis J.T., McIntosh R.P.. The interrelations of certain analytic and synthetic phyto sociological characters. Ecology, 1950, 31: 434-455.

[7] Fenn M.E., Poth M.A., Aber J.D., Boron J.S., Bormann B.J., Johnson D.W., Lenly A.D., McNulty S.G., Ryan D.F., Stottlemeyer R.. Nitrogen excess in North American ecosystems: predisposing factors, ecosystem responses and management strategies. Ecological Applications, 1998, 8: 706-733.

[8] Franklin J.F., Perry D.A., Schowaltr M.E., Harmon M.E., Mckee A., Spies T.A.. Perry D.A., Meurisse R., Thomas B., Miller R., Boyle J., Means J., Perry C.R., Powers R.F.. Importance of ecological diversity in maintaining long-term site productivity. Maintaining the long-term productivity of Pacific Northwest forest ecosystems. 1989, Portland OR: Timber Press, 82 97

[9] Gaur R.D.. Flora of the District Garhwal North West Himalaya (with ethnobotanical notes). 1999, Srinagar (Garhwal) India: TransMedia Publication, 48 597

[10] Holland P.G., Steyn D.G.. Vegetational responses to latitudinal variations in slope angle and aspect. Journal of Biogeography, 1975, 2: 179-183.

[11] Huang W., Pohjonen V., Johansson S., Nashanda M., Katigula L.O.. Forest structure, Species composition and diversity of Tanzanian rain forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 2003, 173: 11-24.

[12] Knight D.H.. A distance method for constructing forest profile diagrams and obtaining structural data. Tropical Ecology, 1963, 4: 89-94.

[13] Margalef D.R.. Information theory in ecology. Genetics and Systematics, 1958, 3: 36-71.

[14] Mishra A., Sharma C.M., Sharma S.D., Baduni N.P.. Effect of aspect on the structure of vegetation community of moist Bhavar and Tarai Shorea robusta forest in Central Himalaya. Indian Forester, 2000, 126(6): 634-642.

[15] Mishra R.. Ecology Workbook. 1968, Calcutta: Oxford and IBH Publishing Co., 244.

[16] Mitchell H.L., Chandler R.F.. The nitrogen nutrition and growth of certain deciduous trees of Northeastern United States. Black Rock Forest Bulletin, 1939, 11: 1-94.

[17] Morwin H.D., Peach P.M.. Exchangeability of soil potassium in and, silt and clay fractions as influenced by the nature of complementary exchangeable cations. Proceedings of Soil Science Society of America, 1951, 15: 125-128.

[18] Murphy H.P.. The fertility status of some soils in Ethiopia. 1958, Ethiopian: College of Agriculture Press, 258.

[19] Olsen S.R., Cole C.V., Watanabe F.S., Dean L.A.. Estimation of available phosphorus in soils by extraction with Sodium bicarbonate. 1954, U.S.: Department of Agriculture Circular, 939.

[20] Phillips E.A.. Methods of Vegetation study. 1959, New York: Henry Holt & Co. Inc., 107.

[21] Pielou E.C.. The measurement of diversity in different types of biological collections. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1966, 13: 131-144.

[22] Putman R.J.. Community Ecology. 1994, London: Chapman & Hall

[23] Rahbek C.. The role of spatial scale and the perception of large-scale species-richness patterns. Ecology Letters, 2005, 8: 224-239.

[24] Shank R.E., Noorie E.N.. Microclimate vegetation in a small valley in eastern Tennessee. Ecology, 1950, 11: 531-539.

[25] Shannon C.E., Wiener W.. The mathematical theory of communication. 1963, Urbana, USA: University of Illinois Press, 117.

[26] Sharma C.M., Baduni N.P.. Effect of aspects on the structure of some natural stands of Abies pindrow in Himalayan moist temperate forest. The Environmentalist, 2000, 20(4): 309-317.

[27] Sharma C.M., Suyal S., Gairola S., Ghildiyal S.K.. Species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science, 2009, 5(5): 119-128.

[28] Sharma C.M., Suyal S., Ghildiyal S.K., Gairola S.. Role of Physiographic factors in distribution of Abies pindrow (Silver Fir) along an altitudinal gradient in Himalayan temperate Forests. The Environmentalist, 2009, 30(1): 76-84.

[29] Shivnath S., Gupta K., Rajwar G.S.. Analysis of forest vegetation in a part of Garhwal Himalaya. Recent Research in Ecology, Environment and Pollution, 1993, 6: 47-58.

[30] Simpson E.H.. Measurement of diversity. Nature, 1949, 163 688

[31] Singh A.K., Parsad A., Singh B.. Avalability of Phosphorus and Potassium and its relationship with physico-chemical properties of some forest soils of Pali-range, (Shahodol, M.P.). Indian Forester, 1986, 112: 1094-1104.

[32] Slobodkin L.B., Sanders H.L.. On the contribution of environmental predictability to species diversity. Brookhaven Symposium of Biology, 1969, 22: 82-95.

[33] Soromessa T., Teketay D., Demissew S.. Ecological study of the vegetation in Gamo Gofa zone, Southern Ethopia. Tropical Ecology, 2004, 45(2): 209-221.

[34] Walkley A.. An estimation of methods for determining organic Carbon and Nitrogen in soils. Journal of Agricultural Science, 1947, 25: 598-609.

[35] Whittaker R.H.. Dominance and diversity in land plant communities. Science, 1965, 147: 250-260.

[36] Yadav A.S., Gupta S.K.. Effect of micro-environment and human disturbance on the diversity of woody species in the Sariska Tiger Project in India. Forest Ecology and Management, 2006, 225: 178-189.

[37] Zobel D.B., Mckee A., Hawk G.M., Dyrness C.T.. Relationship of environment to the composition, structure and diversity of forest communities of the central western cascades of Oregon. Ecological Monographs, 1976, 46: 135-156.