Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Regeneration of White Oak (
Quercus
leucotrichophora
) in Two Pine Invaded Forests
in Indian Central Himalaya
Satish Chandra Garkoti
Introduction
A few species of oak found in the Himalaya are some of the largest forests forming
species in the world (Singh et al. 2000). Among the various oak species that occur
in central Himalaya viz.,
Qurecus leucotrichophora
,
Q. fl oribunda
,
Q. glauca
,
Q.
semecarpifolia
and
Q. lanuginosa
(Singh and Singh
1992
),
Q. leucotrichophora
contributes to a greater proportion of ecosystem services than most of other species
in the region (Singh
2002
; Joshi et al. 2011).
In central Himalaya, white oak (
Q. leucotrichophora
), a climax species, is widely
distributed between 1,200 and 2,200 m amsl (Troup
1921
) and occupies approxi-
mately 12.3 % of the total area (24,413.20 km
2
) of forest under the control of state
forest department. White oak shares its dominance in this part of Himalaya with
Chir pine (
Pinus roxburghii
), a successional species (Vishnu-Mittre
1974
) that cov-
ers approximately 16.4 % of the above mentioned total forest area between 900 and
1,700 m amsl in the region. In most of the villages in the central Himalaya, despite
huge socio-economic and infrastructural changes that have taken place in the recent
past, local farming communities still heavily depend on forest resources for their
subsistence. From the forests people collect fuel wood, fodder, forest litter for live-
stock beddings and various species for food and medicine (Singh et al.
2010
; Joshi
and Negi
2011
). Among various species present in the region, oak is preferred most
because it produces quality fuel wood and its leaves are perennial source of fodder.
Leaf litter of white oak is also used as cattle bedding which ultimately after decom-
position reach to crop fi elds for replenishing soil fertility year after year.
Studies show that chronic disturbances resulted in the degradation of white oak
forests in the region and made them susceptible to fi re damages that spread
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