Assessing Biodiversity and Productivity over a Small-scale Gradient in the Protected Forests of Indian Western Himalayas

Abstract

ABSTRACT Biodiversity and productivity are the two most important attributes linked to the functioning of forest ecosystems. Understanding how diversity and productivity of a forest ecosystem change at a regional scale is crucial for conservation priority. We present an investigation of the structural attributes of forest with respect to biodiversity and biomass through a case study of Dachigam National Park (DNP), a protected forest in Indian Kashmir Himalaya. Systematic random sampling was performed in 60 forest stands of five different forest types of the study region. To compare the biodiversity and biomass attributes among forest types, we used Gaussian error distribution followed by the chi-square Wald test. We estimated structural attributes of the forest to visualize how they relate to the changing biodiversity across different forest types within DNP. The highest values of aboveground, below ground and total biomass were found in Pinus wallichiana forest, while it was lowest in scrub forest. Pinus wallichiana and Quercus robur tree species stocked the largest amounts of biomass, 24.83% and 17.20% respectively, and is a dominant carbon sink. The study would assist in evaluating the forested ecosystems by considering two important attributes of forests represented by diversity and productivity.