Quantification of carbon in any vegetation and soil type is a basic step for evaluating the carbon sequestration potential of an ecosystem. For quantification, soil samples from varying depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60-80 and 80–100 cm) of each soil profile were collected for each sample plot laid out in Jarneldhara and Lipindevi Thulopakho Community Forests (CFs) of Palpa district. Individual trees in the sample plots of both CFs were measured. Biomass of standing trees, poles and saplings were estimated indirectly from diameter at breast height (dbh) and total height by using allometric relationships, while the biomass of grass, herb and litter were calculated directly from field measurements. Above-ground and below-ground (root) carbon pools in Jarneldhara CF were found to be 36.6 ± 3.4 t ha-1 and 10.5 ± 1.0 t ha-1 , respectively; while those on Lipindevi Thulopakho CF were 40.2 ± 4 and 11.4 ± 1.1 t ha-1, respectively. Soil organic carbon pool in Jarneldhara and Lipindevi Thulopakho CF were 121.4 ± 7.4 and 94.6 ± 4.4 t ha-1, respectively. This indicates that CFs have high potential to offset large portion of carbon emission through sequestration into both soil and vegetation, and act as a natural carbon sink. Key words: Carbon pool; community forest; soil organic carbon; vegetation carbon; biomass DOI: 10.3126/banko.v20i2.4800 Banko Janakari Vol.20(2) 2010 pp.34-40

Apart from physical products, community forests (CF) in Nepal generate various ecosystemservices that could be important not only to the stakeholders at local level, but also to thestakeholders at the regional and the global levels. Water supply from CF would be one ofthe many ecosystem services whose benefits are provided to the stakeholders. Consideringthe economic importance of water supply service from CF, this study aims to assess theeconomic value of the water supply as a service from two CFs and also identify thefactors affecting an individual's willingness to pay (WTP). Contingent valuation methodwas applied to evaluate the water supply service based on the information of users' WTP.Data from 74 households (HH) in Lipindevi Thulopakho and Jarneldhara CFs in Palpadistrict (surveyed during May-June, 2008) were used. Results indicated that the meanWTP of Lipindevi Thulopakho and Jarneldhara CF users were US$ 36.62 and 25.62 HH-1 yr-1, respectively. The economic value of water supply service from Lipindevi Thulopakhoand Jarneldhara CF were US$ 93.54 ha-1 yr-1 and 134.06 ha-1 yr-1, respectively. Factorslike distance of the house from water source, daily water consumption, wealth status andcaste were associated with substantial influences on an individual's WTP. This studyconcludes that there would be a high possibility for generating extra income with thedevelopment of a payment mechanism for water supply service from CF.Key words: Community forest; contingent valuation; economic valuation; water supply;willingness to payDOI: 10.3126/banko.v20i1.3505Banko Janakari, Vol. 20, No. 1 pp.24-29

Tharu communities are rich in indigenous knowledge of managing environmental resources and coping with environmental stress. The dependency pattern of these communities on wild plants and their role in conservation of wild plants should be identified and explored. This study was carried out with the purpose of assessing dependency pattern of these communities on wild plants and understanding their attitude as well as role in conservation. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from concerned stakeholders. Primary data were supplemented and verified from key informants, field observation and secondary sources. Among the four categories of dependency, majority of the respondents were found under category dependent followed by most dependent and somewhat dependent, respectively, but minority of them were found under category not dependent. Almost all of the respondents were found to have played some role in wild plant conservation. Their attitude towards forest and resource conservation was positive, yet they were not satisfied with the traditional mechanism of forest conservation. The traditional approach of managing forest should, therefore, be modified and a new community-oriented approach should be promoted. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/banko.v21i1.9062 Banko Janakari, Vol. 21, No. 1 2011; 35-40

Height of the trees is not only used to estimate the product available from trees and to determine the productive capacity of the particular land but also used in forest management and research activities. In this research, predictability of total height from diameter at breast height for chir-pine (Pinus roxburghii) by using nonlinear models was examined. Total height and diameter at breast height of 180 trees were measured by using Suunto Clinometer and diameter tape respectively. The measured data were subjected to previously developed robust and strong statistical models, and evaluated by using different test statistics. Among those, H = e(-0.276) D0.925 explained the greatest proportion of variations of height (R2adj.=0.910) and minimum root mean square error (RMSE=1.221) and showed desirable behavior of flexibility and robustness. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 14, No. 1 (2013) 147-152 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v14i1.8935