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

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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.

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Acknowledgments

Authors are grateful to the Director of the Institute for providing the necessary facilities to carry out this work. We are thankful to In-House Project-08 (2007–2012) for providing the financial facilities throughout the study period. Sincere thanks goes to DST SB/YS/LS-205/2013 and CSIR (09/560 (0015)/2011-EMRI), Govt. of India for the financial support. We also thank the local inhabitants for their generous help during extensive field visits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand, 263643, India

    Balwant Rawat, Sanjay Gairola, K. Chandra Sekar & Ranbeer S. Rawal

  2. Forest Ecology and Environment Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248006, India

    Balwant Rawat

  3. Society for the Conservation of Nature, Parnkuti Anantpur University Road, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Balwant Rawat

Authors
  1. Balwant Rawat
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  2. Sanjay Gairola
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  3. K. Chandra Sekar
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  4. Ranbeer S. Rawal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Balwant Rawat.

Additional information

Project funding: This study was supported by DST SB/YS/LS-205/2013 and CSIR (09/560 (0015)/2011-EMRI), Govt. of India.

The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Corresponding editor: Zhu Hong

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Rawat, B., Gairola, S., Chandra Sekar, K. et al. The present status and future prospects of forest vegetation in part of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a World Heritage Site), India. J. For. Res. 26, 897–904 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-015-0109-x

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