Tree population structure of certain himalayan india forest associations and implications concerning their future composition
Saxena, A.K.; Singh, J.S.
Vegetatio 58(2): 61-69
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-3106 Document Number: 532307
This study deals with the regeneration status of certain tree components of forests in the northwestern catchment of the river Gola in Kumaun Himalaya and explores possible compositional changes in time. Pinus roxburghii, Quercus floribunda and Q. lanuginosa in their respective forest types had a stable population structure with a large percentage of young individuals (seedlings) and relatively few old ones, indicating that these species are frequent reproducers. The girth class distribution of the individuals of Q. leucotrichophora in the Q. leucotrichophora forest suggests that this species is likely to disappear gradually. In this forest, although forest composition will remain unchanged of some time, a complete absence of seedlings of any species shows the possibility of its complete replacement by a scrub or a grassland vegetation. In the mixed forest, the dominant species, i.e., Q. leucotrichophora, Persea odoratissima and Bauhinia retusa did not have saplings/seedlings, indicating a possible change in forest composition in the near future when Sapium insigne, Cocculus laurifolius, Celtis eriocarpa and Acer oblongum are likely to gain dominance. Finally, suggestions are made to explain the poor regeneration Q. leucotrichophora.