Tree Diversity and Timber Resources Richness of Reserve Forests under Pasighat Forest Division, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

A combined study on the tree diversity and timber resources richness was carried out in five reserve forestsof tropical moist and tropical semi evergreen forests under Pasighat forest division, Arunachal Pradesh.Total tree species richness was 92 and varied from 44 to 55. The total stem density ranged from 282.50 to426.25 individuals per ha and basal area from 18.23 to 58.56 m2 ha-1. The Shannon Index of diversity waslow in all reserves ranging from 1.24 to 1.46. Terminalia myriocarpa is a dominant species in three reserveforests while Gmelina arborea in the other two. Based on the Arunachal Pradesh Gazette notification numberNo. FOR.220/IND/2005/ Royalty/4391-4591 dated 8th March 2018 trees were categorised in one of the 7royalty classes or designated unclassed. The highest number of species was found under B2 category in allreserves. Tree density of timber species ranged from 178.33 to 316.25 individuals ha-1 and basal area from14.10 to 55.72 m2 ha-1. Among different timber classes, tree density and basal area per ha were the highestfor A4 timber class in four reserves contributing 33% to 66.49% in terms of basal area. The species includedin the A4 class are Teminalia myriocarpa, Phoebe goalparensis, Gmelina arborea and Mesua ferrea. The studyexhibits that reserve forests of Pasighat division are rich in terms of tree composition and wealth of timberresources. The study is first of a kind to include both ecological information as well as economic wealth offorest communities that can be applied in forest management and conservation.