The present status and future prospects of forest vegetation in part of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a World Heritage Site), India

Abstract

We studied forest vegetation at Lata–Tolma–Phagti, a protected area and part of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the western Himalaya. We analyzed community composition, population structure, regeneration patterns, and projected development of future compositional patterns. We sampled ten 10 × 10 m quadrat for tree species in each of 30 forest stands. We sampled shrubs in ten 5 × 5 m quadrat, and herbs in twenty 1 × 1 m quadrat within each forest stand. We recorded 248 plant species from 8 forest communities. Broadly the demographic profiles at study sites exhibited progressive structures suggesting long term persistence of the communities/species. Density–diameter distribution revealed greater proportions of seedlings and a significant decline (P < 0.05) in the proportion of trees in older age/size classes. Of the 23 recorded tree species, 13.0 % showed good, 52.2 % fair, 26.1 % poor and 8.7 % no regeneration. Differences in regeneration by species are indicative of future forest structure and dynamics. Assessment of changes in structure of forest types provides baseline data for development of priorities for conservation of other representative landscapes in the reserve as well as in the Himalaya.

Keywords

Regeneration pattern / Population structure / Compositional changes

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