Changes in Soil Chemistry and Foliar Metabolism of Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodara) and Himalayan Spruce (Picea smithiana) along an Elevational Gradient at Kufri, HP, India: The Potential Roles of Regional Pollution and Localized Grazing

Rakesh Minocha,Stephanie Long,Subhash C Minocha,Alexandra R Contosta,Gregory B Lawrence,Ravinder K Kohli

doi:10.3390/f12040400

Rakesh Minocha, Stephanie Long + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f12040400

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Abstract

We investigated changes in soil chemistry and foliar metabolism of Himalayan cedar [Cedrus deodara (Roxb. Ex Lamb.) G.Don] and Himalayan spruce [Picea smithiana (Wall.) Boiss] trees along a steep elevational gradient in the lower Himalayan Mountains at Kufri, Himachal Pradesh (HP), India. The foliar and soil samples were collected from four locations along a 300 m elevational gradient at ridge, high-, mid-, and low-elevation sites within the forested Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary that provides water for the city of Shimla, HP,. Observations at the time of sampling revealed that the high-elevation site was being heavily grazed. Soils collected at the four sites showed differences in soil chemistry along the gradient. Surface soils (top 10 cm) at the high-elevation site had the highest concentrations of carbon, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic matter, and effective cation exchange capacity, possibly caused by grazing. Mineral soils were slightly acidic at all sites except the mid-elevation site, which was extremely acidic in the upper mineral soil. Similar to surface soil chemistry, foliar metabolism was also comparatively unique for high elevation. In Himalayan cedar foliage, higher concentrations of soluble proteins, polyamines, amino acids, and potassium were observed at the high-elevation site as compared to the ridge, mid and low elevations. No major differences were observed in the metabolic profiles of cedar between the ridge and low elevation ranges. Spruce foliage was sampled only from the ridge and low elevations and its metabolic profiles suggested healthier conditions at the low elevation. The results of the study demonstrate the impact of the interplay between local and regional drivers of forest health on cedar and spruce trees in a forested catchment that acts as a water source for downstream communities.

Highlights

Mountain systems cover approximately one-fifth of the Earth’s continental areas
Loss on ignition (LOI) and Ca concentrations were significantly lower in samples from the ridge than those at high and mid-elevation sites but were not different to those at low-elevation sites (Table 3)
The soils at Kufri Mountain, including those at the ridge site, were higher in pH and Ca than soils of the Northeastern U.S that have been strongly impacted by acidic deposition, with the notable exception of the mid-elevation site

Summary

Introduction

While most mountain systems feature human habitation, the Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, and the Alps all exhibit high biodiversity because of their huge altitudinal range. The Himalayas constitute the youngest mountain system in the world This mountain range plays a vital role in maintaining and controlling the monsoon system over the Asian continent [5]. This study occurred at the Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh in Northern India. The water catchment regulates runoff into the Giri River, a tributary of the river Yamuna, one of the twelve major rivers in India It is located between the geographical coordinates of 31.08◦ to 32.25◦ latitude and 77.2◦ to 77.25◦ longitude, at approximately 1915–2750 m above mean sea level. The average annual maximum and minimum temperatures are 18.8 and 10.4 ◦C, respectively (http://www.imdpune.gov.in/caui/smartcities.html, accessed on 26 March 2021)

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