Abstract
Climate change will have a strong influence on vegetation, particularly on the transition zone communities such as the treeline ecotone. The population structure and regeneration dynamics of long-lived treeline species can be utilized as an indicator of climate change and its impacts on forest vegetation. To understand the population dynamics of three dominant treeline species, Abies spectabilis (Himalayan Silver Fir), Pinus wallichiana (Blue Pine), and Betula utilis (Himalayan Birch) from the Nepal Himalayas, this study was conducted at the treeline ecotone of the Makalu Barun National Park, eastern Nepal; Annapurna Conservation Area, central Nepal; and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, western Nepal, respectively. A total of eight study plots of 20 m width and variable length, with three plots each in Makalu and Manang and two in Dhorpatan were established. We enumerated all individuals within the study transects and applied dendroecological techniques to obtain age information. The population age structure was analyzed using a static life table and survivorship curves. All three species showed the reverse J-shaped age distribution indicative of undisturbed forests with sustainable regeneration. Young individuals mostly dominated the age structure, however, their mortality was found to be very high. This could indicate limited possibilities of population densification in the near future or until the seedling mortality rate was checked. However, recruitment of all the species seems to be favored by warmer climate throughout the year, without perturbations accruing from moisture deficits. Thus, the ecotone densification could occur as temperatures continue to rise, thereby potentially decreasing mortality rates.
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Chhetri, P.K., Bista, R., Gaire, N.P., Shrestha, K.B. (2022). Population Structure and Regeneration Dynamics of Three Dominant Treeline Species from Treeline Ecotone of the Nepal Himalayas. In: Saikia, A., Thapa, P. (eds) Environmental Change in South Asia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47660-1_3
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