Forest vegetation response to anthropogenic pressures: a case study from Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Himalaya

Bisht, Soni; Rawat, G. S.; Bargali, Surendra Singh; Rawat, Y. S.; Mehta, Archana

doi:10.1007/s10668-023-03130-2

Cited by 23 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…The growing stock volume (GSV) equations (FSI, 1996, Table 1) were used to estimate aboveground biomass (Sharma et al, 2010;Dimri et al, 2017;Bisht et al, 2023) since allometric equations were not available for each species. The estimated GSV (m 3 ha −1 ) was multiplied by the appropriate biomass expansion factor (Brown et al, 1999) to convert into aboveground biomass (AGB), i.e., stems, branches, twigs, and leaves.…”

Section: Growing Stock and Biomass Estimationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry matter dynamics and carbon flux along riverine forests of Gori valley, Western Himalaya

Bisht,

Bargali,

Bargali

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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IntroductionRiverine forests in the Himalaya represent a biodiverse, dynamic, and complex ecosystem that offers numerous ecosystem services to local and downstream communities and also contributes to the regional carbon cycle. However, these forests have not been assessed for their contribution to dry matter dynamics and carbon flux. We studied these parameters along three classes of riverine forests in eastern Uttarakhand, dominated by Macaranga, Alnus, and Quercus-Machilus forest.MethodsUsing volume equations, we assessed tree biomass, carbon storage, and sequestration in the study area.ResultsThe total standing tree biomass in Macaranga, Alnus, and Quercus-Machilus forest ranged from 256.6 to 558.1 Mg ha−1, 460.7 to 485.8 Mg ha−1, and 508.6 to 692.1 Mg ha−1, respectively. A total of 77.6–79.6% of vegetation biomass was stored in the aboveground biomass and 20.4–22.4% in belowground plant parts across the riverine forests. The carbon stock in Macaranga forest ranged from 115.5 to 251.1 Mg ha−1, in Alnus forest from 207.3 to 218.6 Mg ha−1, and in Quercus-Machilus forest from 228.9 to 311.4 Mg ha−1. The mean annual litterfall was accounted maximum for Quercus-Machilus forest (5.94 ± 0.54 Mg ha−1 yr.−1), followed by Alnus (5.57 ± 0.31 Mg ha−1 yr.−1) and Macaranga forest (4.67 ± 0.39 Mg ha−1 yr.−1). The highest value of litterfall was recorded during summer (3.40 ± 0.01 Mg ha−1 yr.−1) and the lowest in winter (0.74 ± 0.01 Mg ha−1 yr.−1). The mean value of net primary productivity and carbon sequestration was estimated to be highest in Quercus-Machilus forest (15.8 ± 0.9 Mg ha−1 yr.−1 and 7.1 ± 0.9 Mg C ha−1 yr.−1, respectively) and lowest in Alnus forest (13.9 ± 0.3 Mg ha−1 yr.−1 and 6.1 ± 0.3 Mg C ha−1 yr.−1, respectively).DiscussionThe results highlight that riverine forests play a critical role in providing a large sink for atmospheric CO2. To improve sustainable ecosystem services and climate change mitigation, riverine forests must be effectively managed and conserved in the region.

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Section: Growing Stock and Biomass Estimationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dry matter dynamics and carbon flux along riverine forests of Gori valley, Western Himalaya

Bisht,

Bargali,

Bargali

et al. 2023

Front. For. Glob. Change

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“…The loss of plant diversity is a major challenge faced by humans in maintaining the stability and functional sustainability of ecosystems ( Hautier et al., 2015 ; Hua et al., 2022 ). Anthropogenic activity such as deforestation and landuse changes causes 30% reduction in C (carbon) stock ( Bargali et al., 2018 ; Awasthi et al., 2022a Manral et al., 2020 ; Manral et al., 2022 ; Bisht et al., 2023 ). Population pressure, agricultural expansion/intensification and development of infrastructure have been considered as major threats to biodiversity ( Davidar et al., 2010 ; Baboo et al., 2017 ; Bargali et al., 2019 ; Bargali et al., 2022 ; Bisht et al., 2022 ) which causes an increase in CO 2 in the atmosphere.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant diversity drives soil carbon sequestration: evidence from 150 years of vegetation restoration in the temperate zone

Tian

Zhang

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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Large-scale afforestation is considered a natural way to address climate challenges (e.g., the greenhouse effect). However, there is a paucity of evidence linking plant diversity to soil carbon sequestration pathways during long-term natural restoration of temperate vegetation. In particular, the carbon sequestration mechanisms and functions of woody plants require further study. Therefore, we conducted a comparative study of plant diversity and soil carbon sequestration characteristics during 150 years of natural vegetation restoration in the temperate zone to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effects of long-term natural vegetation restoration processes on soil organic carbon stocks. The results suggested positive effects of woody plant diversity on carbon sequestration. In addition, fine root biomass and deadfall accumulation were significantly positively correlated with soil organic carbon stocks, and carbon was stored in large grain size aggregates (1–5 mm). Meanwhile, the diversity of Fabaceae and Rosaceae was observed to be important for soil organic carbon accumulation, and the carbon sequestration function of shrubs should not be neglected during vegetation restoration. Finally, we identified three plants that showed high potential for carbon sequestration: Lespedeza bicolor, Sophora davidii, and Cotoneaster multiflorus, which should be considered for inclusion in the construction of local artificial vegetation. Among them, L. bicolor is probably the best choice.

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“…Biodiversity regulates the ecosystem functioning and stability and is essential for human survival and economic wellbeing ( Singh, 2002 ; Htun et al., 2011 ; Biplab et al, 2017 ; Baboo et al., 2017 ). The loss of biodiversity is a major challenge faced by humans in maintaining the stability and functional sustainability of ecosystems ( Hua et al., 2022 ; Bisht et al., 2023 ). Wetland ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic activities ( Bisht et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wetland ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic activities ( Bisht et al., 2022 ). Among these, poverty, human population, agricultural expansion and intensification, and infrastructure development have been suggested as major threats to biodiversity in the tropics ( Davidar et al., 2010 ; Bargali et al., 2019 ; Bargali et al., 2022 ; Bisht et al., 2023 ). Wetland ecosystem and its vegetation provide a wide range of ecosystem goods and services to the inhabitants ( Gosain et al., 2015 ; Fartyal et al., 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) communities in char-lands and water channels across the Swat River Basin: implication for conservation planning

Khan,

Ullah,

Okla

et al. 2023

Front. Plant Sci.

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Recent anthropogenic sources and excess usage have immensely threatened the communities and habitat ecology of this region’s medicinally and economically significant crops. Therefore, our study aims to evaluate the community structure and related environmental characteristics sustaining Nasturtium officinale communities along the river basin (RB) in Northwest Pakistan, using the clustering procedure (Ward’s method) and Redundancy analysis (RDA). From 340 phytosociological plots (34 × 10 = 340), we identified four ecologically distinct assemblages of N. officinale governed by different environmental and anthropogenic factors for the first time. The floristic structure shows the dominance of herbaceous (100%), native (77%), and annual (58.09%) species indicating relatively stable communities; however, the existence of the invasive plants (14%) is perturbing and may cause instability in the future, resulting in the replacement of herbaceous plant species. Likewise, we noticed apparent variations in the environmental factors, i.e., clay percentage (p = 3.1 × 10−5), silt and sand percentage (p< 0.05), organic matter (p< 0.001), phosphorus and potassium (p< 0.05), and heavy metals, i.e., Pb, Zn, and Cd (p< 0.05), indicating their dynamic role in maintaining the structure and composition of these ecologically distinct communities. RDA has also demonstrated the fundamental role of these factors in species–environment correlations and explained the geospatial variability and plants’ ecological amplitudes in the Swat River wetland ecosystem. We concluded from this study that N. officinale communities are relatively stable due to their rapid colonization; however, most recent high anthropogenic interventions especially overharvesting and sand mining activities, apart from natural enemies, water deficit, mega-droughts, and recent flood intensification due to climate change scenario, are robust future threats to these communities. Our research highlights the dire need for the sustainable uses and conservation of these critical communities for aesthetics, as food for aquatic macrobiota and humans, enhancing water quality, breeding habitat, fodder crop, and its most promising medicinal properties in the region.

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Forest vegetation response to anthropogenic pressures: a case study from Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Western Himalaya

Cited by 23 publications

References 61 publications

Dry matter dynamics and carbon flux along riverine forests of Gori valley, Western Himalaya

Dry matter dynamics and carbon flux along riverine forests of Gori valley, Western Himalaya

Plant diversity drives soil carbon sequestration: evidence from 150 years of vegetation restoration in the temperate zone

Environmental and anthropogenic drivers of watercress (Nasturtium officinale) communities in char-lands and water channels across the Swat River Basin: implication for conservation planning

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