Growth Characteristics, Biomass and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Variation of Garhwal Himalaya’s Fodder and Fuel Wood Tree Species at the Nursery Stage

Azamal Husen

doi:10.4236/ojf.2013.31003

Abstract

Fodder and fuel wood deficiency in the Himalayan region is well recognized. Rural inhabitants are exploiting these forest resources for their livelihood for generations which leads to severe deforestation. The aim of this study was to identify the fast growing fodder and fuel wood tree species of Garhwal Himalayas at nursery stage with wider relevance and great potential for extensive afforestation programmes. Seed of Bauhinia purpurea L., Bauhinia retusa Roxb., Bauhinia variegate L., Celtis australis L., Ficus nemoralis Wall., Ficus roxburghii Wall., Grewia optiva Drummond, Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, Melia azedarach L., Ougeinia oojeinensis (Roxb.) Hochr., Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus, Terminalia alata Heyne ex Roth. and Toona ciliate M. Roem. were collected from the superior trees and seedlings were raised. After one year and one month of establishment at the nursery, the growth characteristics, biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence (dark-adopted Fv/Fm) of each species were also recorded. G. optiva had shown the highest growth in terms of height, basal diameter increment and number of branches, while production of leaves was more on O. oojeinensis. Biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence (maximum quantum yield or photochemical efficiency of PSII) was found highest in Q. leucotrichophora which indicates photosynthetically this species was most active among the studied fodder and fuel wood tree species. The information in this communication could be utilized for developing various conservation and sustainable strategies in the Garhwal Himalayas to mitigate the<

Highlights

The rural population of the Himalayan region have been exploiting forest resources for their livelihood for generations
For rural inhabitants due to poor connectivity with the urban areas, the alternative sources of fuel wood are not accessible making the population to totally depend on wood resources (Bhatt et al, 2004); and it is evident that most of this demand is met from the adjoining forests almost uninterrupted (Shah, 1982; Khoshoo, 1987), and biomass extraction is the major reason for such depletions (Singh, 1998)
The Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus is located in Doon Valley and is surrounded by Western Lesser Himalayan ranges in the North and Shiwalik ranges in the South

Summary

Introduction

The rural population of the Himalayan region have been exploiting forest resources for their livelihood for generations. Several hilly regions of Garhwal Himalayas, the rural inhabitants, mostly women’s are use to spend about 60 percent of their daytime for collection of fodder and fuel wood, and for this purpose they often travel 5 - 10 km distances per day. It has been remembered that the improvement and preservation of life in the third world will largely depend on the presences of forest and availability of fuel wood (Perschel, 1991) To meet this critical requirement of fodder and fuel wood tree species, and to reduce the pressure on natural forests stand, there is a strong need to screen the fast growing fodder and fuel wood tree species in hilly regions of Garhwal Himalayas. Chlorophyll fluorescence has been used as a diagnostic tool to study the various envi-

Objectives

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Results