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Forest biomass density, utilization and production dynamics in a western Himalayan watershed

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Abstract

There is enough evidence to show that the forest biomass has decreased significantly in the Indian Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. The government has responded through restrictive measures to check this decline. Using tree biomass as proxy for degradation, we assessed the current state of biomass within dominant land use types and examined its implications for sustainability. The highest above-ground mean tree biomass density of 1158 t·ha−1 was recorded for the reserved forest followed by 728, 13, 11, 8, 5 and 3 t·ha−1 in the protected forest, fallow land, cultivated-unirrigated land, grassland, orchard land and cultivated-irrigated land respectively. Of the total accessible biomass, only 0.31% was extracted annually by the local people for fuel, fodder and other uses. Though, the current level of extraction may be sustainable in the short run, insufficient regeneration is observed for long term sustainability. Forest biomass production was simulated for the next 30 years with a logistic growth model and the relative significance of input variables in influencing system behaviour was analysed through sensitivity analysis. The model results highlighted the declining forest resources in the long run. Positive response through appropriate government policies can, however, change the scenario for the better.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of life Sciences, Box 5003, 1430, Aas, Norway

    Rakesh Kumar Sharma, Prem Lall Sankhayan & Ole Hofstad

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  1. Rakesh Kumar Sharma
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  2. Prem Lall Sankhayan
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  3. Ole Hofstad
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Correspondence to Rakesh Kumar Sharma.

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Foundation project: This work is financially supported by Norwegian University of life sciences, Aas, Norway (Sub Project Number 1526010, Main Project No. 11526010) and the Integrated Institute of Himalayan Studies (UGC Centre of Excellence), Shimla, India (Project Number 9–3/2005)

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Sharma, R.K., Sankhayan, P.L. & Hofstad, O. Forest biomass density, utilization and production dynamics in a western Himalayan watershed. Journal of Forestry Research 19, 171–180 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-008-0032-5

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