Cedrus Deodara Research Articles

Age dependent growth response of Cedrus deodara to climate change in temperate zone of Western Himalaya

The recent warming in the mountain regions affect forest productivity in terms of tree growth, especially in the Himalayan region. However, the effects of climate change on the response of radial growth of different age-class trees in the Himalayan region remains unclear. The sensitivity of different age-class trees can differ from younger to old age-class tree growth which create uncertainty in tree-ring calibration against the climatic parameters. In the present study, we assessed the effect of climate change on the radial growth of Cedrus deodara (cedar) from two different age classes; young (age <100 years) and old (age >100 years) in lower temperate zone of Indian Western Himalaya for the period 1950-2015 CE. We modelled basal area increment (BAI) using the Generalized additive model (GAM) which predicted the observed pattern of BAI as a function of year and random effect of tree. The trend of old age stand BAI increased significantly by 0.13 cm2/year whereas it significantly declined by -0.27 cm2/year for young deodar stand. However, from 1990 CE both age classes showed significant decline (p<0.05) in BAI indicating reduction in tree productivity of cedar species which may be due to recent accelerated rise in temperature and decline in precipitation. Correlation analysis between BAI growth and climate revealed that the BAI from both age-class trees were mainly limited by spring season (March-May) climate, moreover, the signal was statistically strong for old age deodar stand. The tree age vs DBH relationship of old age stand forest showed significant positive relationship but no relationship was found for young age stand which indicated more environmental stress condition for young age deodar forest stand. Future efforts are required to identify the factors responsible for decline productivity of young deodar stand by using wide networks of tree-ring data.

Biogenic volatile organic compound emission patterns and secondary pollutant formation potentials of dominant greening trees in Chengdu, southwest China

Integral to the urban ecosystem, greening trees provide many ecological benefits, but the active biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) they release contribute to the production of ozone and secondary organic aerosols, which harm ambient air quality. It is, therefore, necessary to understand the BVOC emission characteristics of dominant greening tree species and their relative contribution to secondary pollutants in various urban contexts. Consequently, this study utilized a dynamic enclosure system to collect BVOC samples of seven dominant greening tree species in urban Chengdu, Southwest China. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to analyze the BVOC components and standardized BVOC emission rates of each tree species were then calculated to assess their relative potential to form secondary pollutants. We found obvious differences in the composition of BVOCs emitted by each species. Ficus virens displayed a high isoprene emission rate at 31.472 μgC/(gdw (g dry weight)•hr), while Cinnamomum camphora emitted high volumes of D-Limonene at 93.574 μgC/(gdw•hr). In terms of the BVOC emission rates by leaf area, C. camphora had the highest emission rate of total BVOCs at 13,782.59 μgC/(m2•hr), followed by Cedrus deodara with 5466.86 μgC/(m2•hr). Ginkgo biloba and Osmanthus fragrans mainly emitted oxygenated VOCs with lower overall emission rates. The high BVOC emitters like F. virens, C. camphora, and Magnolia grandiflora have high potential for significantly contributing to environmental secondary pollutants, so should be cautiously considered for future planting. This study provides important implications for improving urban greening efforts for subtropical Chinese urban contexts, like Chengdu.

Potential of Consortium of Native Microbiota Against Damping-off of Cedrus deodara Seedlings in North-Western Himalayan Region of India

<b>Potential of Consortium of Native Microbiota Against Damping-off of Cedrus deodara Seedlings in North-Western Himalayan Region of India</b>

Biogenic MnO2nanoparticles derived from aCedrus deodarapine needle extract and their composites with polyaniline/activated charcoal as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications

A ternary composite of phytogenic MnO2nanoparticles with polyaniline (PA) and activated charcoal (AC) was designed and fabricated.

Natural Regeneration status of conifers along Altitudinal Gradient in Shopain Forest Range of J&amp;K, India

Natural regeneration of conifers is essential for preservation and maintenance of biodiversity. Therefore present study was conducted to study natural regeneration status of conifers in Shopain Forest Range of J&K. To assess the natural regeneration of conifers, at three elevations along altitudinal gradient (Aj, 1800–2100 m amsl; A2, 2100–2400 m amsl; A3, 2400–2700 m amsl), the vegetation analysis was carried out by stratified random sampling. Quadrates of 2 x 2 m were laid at all the three sites. The regeneration status of the tree species was determined for recruits, un-established regeneration, established regeneration and regeneration success was determined. The maximum number of recruits (3521.58/ha), unestablished (1983.33/ha) and established regeneration (600.00/ha) was recorded for Pinus wallichiana at altitude A2 while as the minimum number of recruits (666.67/ha), unestablished (350.00/ha) and established regeneration (100.00/ha) was recorded for Picea smithiana at altitude A3. The maximum regeneration success percent was recorded for Pinus wallichiana at middle altitude with 41.23% and minimum regeneration success was recorded for cedrus deodara at lower altitude with 4.18% The study conducted revealed that maximum regeneration percentage of Pinus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara was recorded at middle altitude while as that of Abies pindrow and Picea smithiana was at upper altitude. The assessment of natural regeneration of conifers also envisaged that Pinus wallichiana has the highest regeneration percentage and Picea smithiana gave the lowest regeneration success percentage.

Legendary Old Conifer Trees in Western Himalaya: Environmental Chronicles

The Himalayan mountain system is the abode of diverse tree species growing at different elevations from sub-tropical to sub-alpine regions. Many of the tree species growing in the Himalayan region are known to attain several centuries to millennial age. Trees growing in environments with seasonal climate produce annual growth rings, which represent yearly increment in radial growth. The physical and chemical properties of annual wood increments (ring-widths, wood density and isotopic composition) reflect the respective year’s environmental conditions that affected tree growth and physiology. Various parameters of the annual wood increments are used to glean the yearly environmental variations. This makes the trees a unique natural archive of past environmental changes the tree faced over its life time. Tree-ring studies, so far carried out in India have shown over two millennia old trees of Juniperus polycarpos in cold arid Lahaul in the western Himalaya. Other conifer trees spanning over millennium age are of Pinus gerardiana and Cedrus deodara growing in extreme dry environments in the western Himalaya. As in the era of changing global climate the mean temperature of the Earth is continuously increasing and disturbing the regular pattern of climate variables. In the recent decades, the observed changes of climate variables are becoming the cause of societal challenges and responsible for the loss of lives and natural resources. In view of this, the precisely dated growth ring sequences in such old trees have been used to develop climate records (temperature/precipitation) for regions of the origin of tree-ring chronologies. The tree-ring derived climate records from the high-altitude regions of the Himalaya, where instrumental records are limited, are of significant value to understand natural climate variability and associated socioeconomicchallenges in regional and global perspective.

Evaluation of Allelic Variation in Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G. Don to identify Region Specific Nuclear Microsatellite Markers (nSSRs) in Uttarakhand, India

Cedrus deodara is an excellent timber species extensively prone to illicit felling and smuggling of timber. Knowledge of molecular marker techniques can help in tracing the origin of the stolen timber back to the forest area for legal purposes. The present study demonstrates the use of nSSR markers for timber tracking in Cedrus deodara. In this research twentyfive individual trees were randomly selected from two geographically distinct populations Kathiyan and Jageshwar forest of Uttarakhand. Out of 47 nuclear SSR primers, only nine showed positive amplification out of which five (pdms009, pm01, pm05, SSRPtctg4698 and RPTest9) were finally selected to reveal allelic variation. Total of 10 alleles of individuals were detected at all five loci for both populations. For Kathiyan, population effective number of alleles ranged from 1.26 to 2 while for Jageshwar, it ranged from 1.14 to 1.98. Expected heterozygosity (HE) for Chakrata population ranged from 0.21 to 0.51 while for Jageshwar it was between 0.13 to 0.5. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) shows that most of the variations were found within a population (97.81 %) as compared to among the population (2.19 %) with an FST value of 0.02. In this research, we found that the same primer pairs gave a different product length for both geographically distinct populations of C. deodara, for Kathiyan population locus pdms009, pm01, pm05, SSRPtctg4698 and RPTest9 product lengths for both alleles a and b were 197 and 125, 304 and 221,402 and 317,261 and 208, 332 and 246 base pair respectively, while for Jageshwar population, it were 339 and 238, 319 and 203, 456 and 283, 245 and 197, 309 and 235 base pair respectively.

Gastroprotective effect of α-terpineol-loaded polymethyl methacrylate particles on gastric injury model

Terpenes present in essential oils have been promising for studies of gastroprotective activity. A monoterpene constituent of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.F. Blake and Cedrus deodara Roxb. ex D.Don, α-terpineol, has gastric protective activity against models of acute injury in rodents. However, it is a lipophilic compound and has a short half-life in blood flow. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to propose polymeric polymethyl methacrylate particles to be loaded with α-terpineol, in order to improve the stability and half-life of the asset. Polymethyl methacrylate particles containing α-terpineol were synthesized, characterized and evaluated for the gastroprotective effect in models of acute injury in rodents. The formulation used for the gastroprotective activity test showed a diameter of 796.8 ± 88.34 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.532, a zeta potential of −52.5 ± 13.1 mV and an encapsulation rate of 74.07 ± 3.03. The incorporation of monoterpene in polymethyl methacrylate particles increased the gatroprotective efficacy of α-terpineol. The incorporation of α-terpineol in polymethyl methacrylate particles maintains the gastroprotective properties of α-terpineol, with a lower dose administered compared to carbenoxolone, a drug used in the treatment of lesions of the oral mucosa.

Exploration of Phytochemistry and Ethnobotanical Uses of Cedrus deodara: A Review

Cedrus deodara is one of the most useful tree species. Almost every part of the plant has good properties. Cedrus deodara has been an important tree due to its Ethnobotanical uses, Traditional uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. From last decade, there has been a great progress in the medicinal perspectives of Deodara. Deodara has its utility in folklore medicines. Phytochemistry studies showed the presence of various useful compounds in the Deodara tree. Also, the oil of Cedrus deodara has a characteristic fragrance. C. deodara is also having traditional and ethnobotanical uses. Since Vedic period, various parts of this plant are being used for medicinal purposes.It is also believed that various respiratory diseases can be just cured by just sitting under this tree. In present, Deodara is seen as an important tree in point of view of research. It has its applications in Timber too [1]. This paper is focussed on the traditional and medicinal aspects of Cedrus deodara.

A new species of genus Russula subsect. Ilicinae (Russulaceae) from Kashmir Himalaya based on morphology and molecular phylogeny

Russula indoilicis is proposed herein as a new mushroom taxon from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India based on morphological features and ITS‐based molecular phylogeny. This species belongs to Russula subg. Heterophyllidia subsect. Ilicinae. Russula indoilicis is characterized by light grey to greyish orange pileus, white lamellae turning light orange to golden yellow or golden brown to darker with age, basidiospores with isolated spines and small warts that never form any reticulum, ixotrichoderm nature of pileipellis (covered with thick gluten layer), hymenial cystidia mainly with appendiculate apex, and growing under Cedrus deodara dominated coniferous forests. A detailed description accompanied with colour photographs of the basidiomata, illustrations of the main anatomical features, nrITS‐based molecular phylogeny and comprehensive comparisons with similar species is provided.

Pine needle extract from Cedrus deodara: Potential applications on hazardous chemicals and quality of smoked bacon and its mechanism

Effect of pine needle extract from Cedrus deodara (PNE) on the quality and safety of Chinese traditional smoked bacon was observed, and its action mechanism was further investigated. With the treatment of PNE, the quality properties of smoked bacon, including moisture content, pH and titratable acidity values, color, texture and volatile compositions, were all ameliorated. Meanwhile, the peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric acid value (TBARS) and nitrite content of smoked bacon with PNE decreased. In addition, the content of N -nitrosodimethylamine in smoked bacon gradually decreased with the increased concentration of PNE. Moreover, the heavy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were not detected in smoked bacon with PNE, while the types and contents of light PAHs in smoked bacon were both reduced by PNE. With the measurement of fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy, the secondary and tertiary structures of myofibrillar protein in smoked bacon were both changed though the treatment of PNE. Furthermore, according to the analysis of molecular docking, hydrogen bond was the main molecular force between PNE and meat proteins in smoked bacon. All present results suggested that PNE had the potential value to improve the quality and safety of smoked bacon in food industry. • PNE had the ability to improve the quality of smoked bacon. • PNE could decrease the POV, TBARS and nitrite content of smoked bacon. • PNE could reduce the formation of N -nitrosodimethylamine in smoked bacon. • PNE could inhibit the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked bacon. • PNE changed the structure and property of meat proteins by noncovalent interaction.

Regeneration potential of conifers along an elevation gradient under highly disturbed regimes in the western Himalayan region

This paper focuses on growth pattern of seedlings from tree-ring proxies and their performance at different altitudes under high disturbance regime. The disturbance is predominately anthropogenic. Four conifer species found during investigations, namely, Pinus wallichiana, Pinus roxburghii, Cedrus deodara and Abies pindrow. The parameters chosen for assessment of regeneration potential were age and growth rate. In addition, edaphic and topographic characteristics of thirty disturbed forest stands were also determined. The stands were deterministically selected because these were deteriorating with respect to tree population, biodiversity and degradation of soil. Seedling density varied in the order: P. wallichiana > Pinus roxburghii > C. deodara > Abies pindrow while the growth rate was exhibited in the order Pinus roxburghii > P. wallichiana > Abies pindrow > C. deodara. These findings suggest that Pinus roxburghii is the most suitable species (sub tropical species) at lower elevations (~1600–1900 a.s.l.) with regard to its regenerative ability and consequently potentially useful for the conservation of these forests. P. wallichiana showed highly significant (P < 0.01) correlations with PC1 (primarily controlled by total dissolved salts and water holding capacity) only whereas Abies pindrow was highly correlated (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01) with PC1 and PC2 respectively (function of oxidative-reductive potential and water holding capacity) while C. deodara and Pinus roxburghii did not show correlation with any of the PCA components. In the light of current findings, Pinus roxburghii was found to be effectively adapted to the environment of the study area. Growth rate of species steadily decreased in response to unfavorable conditions. The other pine species i.e. P. wallichiana (moist temperate species) also showed some degree of adaptability under the influence of predefined environmental attributes. Hence pines are most likely the species that can be able to retain forest cover in future and are the best choice for restoration of these forests. However, the other conifers i.e. C. deodara and Abies pindrow are also able to withstand the physiographic characteristics and the extent of perturbation and persisting possibly beyond their tolerance limits but they need to be preserved and retained in these forests. Conifers are still giving positive response with respect to growth rate and their adaptive compatibility to such an extent that this forest can recover if management and conservation strategies are implemented. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that seedlings and saplings should be conserved to assure future forest cover.

Evidence for conifer sucrose transporters' functioning in the light-dependent adjustment of sugar allocation.

Sucrose is the central unit of carbon and energy in plants. Active intercellular transport of sucrose is mediated by sucrose transporters (SUTs), genes for which have been found in the genomes of all land plants. However, they have only been assigned functions in angiosperm species. Here, we cloned two types of SUTs from two gymnosperms, the conifers Cedrus deodara (Roxb. G. Don) and Pinus massoniana Lambert, and analyzed their sucrose transport activities. Uptake of the fluorescent sucrose-analog esculin into tobacco epidermis cells expressing the conifer SUT confirmed their transport ability. To determine their function in planta, we investigated their mRNA abundance in relation to photosynthesis and sugar levels in leaves, inner bark, wood and roots. Combined with measurements of protein abundance and immunolocalization of C. deodara SUTs, our results suggest a role for CdSUT1G and CdSUT2 in supporting phloem transport under varying environmental conditions. The implications of these findings regarding conifer physiology and SUT evolution are discussed.

Influence of Aspect and Elevational Gradient on Vegetation Pattern, Tree Characteristics and Ecosystem Carbon Density in Northwestern Himalayas

Himalayan forest has been threatened by rapid anthropogenic activities, resulting in the loss of forest diversity and climate change. The present study was carried out on four aspects (northern, southern, western and eastern), at three different altitudinal ranges, namely, 1000–1300 m above sea level (m a.s.l.), 1300–1600 m a.s.l. and 1600–1900 m a.s.l., and at three diverse mountain ranges (Kalaghat, Barog and Nangali) of sub-temperate forest ecosystems of the mid Himalayan ranges, to elucidate their influence on vegetation, tree characteristics and ecosystem carbon density. The results revealed that Pinus roxburghii is the most dominant forest community of the mid Himalaya’s forest, irrespective of altitudinal gradient and slope. The south-facing slopes are occupied by the xerophytic tree species frequently found in the lower Shiwalik P. roxburghii forest, whereas the north-facing ones are dominated by mesophyllic species, such as Cedrus deodara and Quercus leucotrichophora, which commonly grows in the northwestern Himalayan temperate forest ecosystem. The maximum stem density (211.00 Nha−1) was found at 1000–1300 m a.s.l., and on the northern aspect (211.00 Nha−1). The maximum stem volume (236.50 m3 ha−1) was observed on the northern aspect at 1000–1300 m a.s.l., whereas the minimum (32.167 m3 ha−1) in the southern aspect at 1300–1600 m a.s.l. The maximum carbon density (149.90 Mg ha−1) was found on the northern aspect and declined with increasing elevation from 123.20 to 74.78 Mg ha−1. Overall, the study establishes that the southern and western aspects are very low in carbon density, whereas the northern aspect represents higher biodiversity as well as carbon and nutrient stocks. Therefore, aspect and altitude should be given due importance for efficient managing of biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

Characteristics of airborne particles retained on conifer needles across China in winter and preliminary evaluation of the capacity of trees in haze mitigation

To fully understand the characteristics of particulate matter (PM) retained on plant leaves (PMR) and the effect of vegetation on haze on a large spatial scale, we investigated needle samples collected from 78 parks and campuses in 31 cities (30 provincial cities) of China and developed a comprehensive method to characterise PMR. Both the PMR load (including water-insoluble particulate matter (WIPM), water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIS) and water-soluble organic matter (WSOM)), with a mean value of 554 ± 345 mg m−2 leaf area, and component profiles of PMR showed obvious spatial variation across the cities. Though haze pollution levels vary greatly among the 31 cities, the PM retention capacity of needles does not depend on haze level because PMR generally reaches saturation before precipitation in winter. The water-soluble component (WSC, the sum of WSIS and WSOM) accounted for 52.3% of PMR on average, among which WSIS and WSOM contributed 21.4% and 30.9% to PMR, respectively. The dominant ions of WSIS in PMR in the cities were Ca2+, K+ and NO3−, indicating that raised dust, biomass combustion and traffic exhaust are significant sources of PM in China. Compared with previous reports, the particle size distributions of PMR and PM across China were consistent, with fine PM (PM2.5) constituting a substantial proportion (43.8 ± 17.0%) of PMR. These results prove that trees can effectively remove fine particles from the air, thereby reducing human exposure to inhalable PM. We proposed a method to estimate the annual amount of PMR on Cedrus deodara, with an average value of 11.9 ± 9.6 t km−2 canopy yr−1 in China. Compared with the load of dust fall (atmospheric particles naturally falling on the ground, average of 138 ± 164 t km−2 land area yr−1 in China), we conclude that trees play a significant role in mitigating haze pollution.

Evaluation of Heartwood Extracts Combined with Linseed Oil as Wood Preservatives in Field Tests in Southern Mississippi, USA

Simple SummaryWood is a sustainable building material with a wide range of applications. Being of biological origin, wood is subject to degradation by several organisms, including termites and decay fungi. Chemical preservatives are often used to protect the wood from biodegradation but concerns regarding the overall safety and availability of chemical preservatives has stimulated research into alternative treatment methods. One approach is transferring heartwood extracts of durable wood species to non-durable wood due to their intrinsic antimicrobial properties, renewability, and perceived lower impact on the environment. Although they are not free of limitations, their efficacy can potentially be improved with methods such as co-impregnating wood with other plant-based hydrophobic chemicals. In the current study, we used heartwood extracts of four wood species and linseed oil to impregnate two non-durable wood species. Results show that co-impregnation with individual heartwood species extract, and oil increased the resistance of non-durable wood against termites and decay fungi. However, their effectiveness to protect was less than chemical preservatives. Further research is needed to examine single-extract component isolates combined with oils as well as possible synergists or co-biocides to enhance overall performance.Heartwood extracts of naturally durable wood species are often evaluated as alternatives to chemical wood preservatives, but field data from long-term performance testing are lacking. The current study evaluated the long-term (five-year) performance of two non-durable wood species treated with heartwood extracts of either Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, or Pinus roxburghii alone or combined with linseed oil. Stakes (45.7 × 1.9 × 1.9 cm) and blocks (12.5 × 3.75 × 2.5 cm) cut from the sapwood of cottonwood and southern pine were vacuum-pressure impregnated with the individual heartwood species extract, linseed oil, or a mixture of each individual wood extract and linseed oil. For comparison, solid heartwood stakes and blocks of the wood species used to obtain extracts were also included in the tests. All samples were exposed for five years to decay and termites at a test site in southern Mississippi using ground contact (AWPA E7) and ground proximity (AWPA E26) tests. Results showed that extract-oil mixtures imparted higher termite and decay resistance in cottonwood and southern pine than linseed oil only or the individual heartwood species extract in both tests. However, these treatments were as not effective as to commercially used wood preservatives, copper naphthenate (CuN) or disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) in either test. Moreover, solid heartwood P. roxburghii stakes were completely decayed and attacked by termites after five years in the ground contact test. In contrast, C. deodara stakes were slightly attacked by termites and moderately attacked by decay fungi. However, T. grandis and D. sissoo stakes showed slight to superficial attack by termites and decay fungi in ground contact test. In contrast, T. grandis and D. sissoo blocks showed slight decay fungi attack in above-ground tests. However, termites did not attack T. grandis, D. sissoo, and C. deodara blocks. However, decay fungi moderately attacked C. deodara blocks, and P. roxburghii blocks were severely attacked by decay fungi and termites in the above-ground test.

Forest soil nutrient stocks along altitudinal range of Uttarakhand Himalayas: An aid to Nature Based Climate Solutions

Understating of forest functioning is crucial for ensuring the sustainable flow of forest ecosystem services. Climate regulation service of a forest ecosystem can be ensured through emission reduction by increasing carbon sequestration in forests. However, understanding about the functioning of forests for carbon sequestration is constrained due to lack of information on nutrient stocks and stoichiometry of soils of forests of India. Present study focuses to examine the stoichiometry of major nutrients; nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C) of forest soil to understand the dynamics of the forests of Uttarakhand, India. The study also attempted to supplement the information about the soil carbon sequestration potential of important tree species of the forest. Soil samples were collected randomly for the evaluation of physico-chemical characteristics and stoichiometry of forest soil at four altitudinal ranges i.e., <1000, 1000–1500, 1500–2000, and >2000 m a.s.l in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. The analysis shows that total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and soil organic carbon contents in forest soil were 0.35 ± 0.11%, 0.10 ± 0.04% and 3.36 ± 0.84%, respectively, which increases with altitude. The stoichiometric ratios viz., C:N:P, N:P, C:N, and C:P, and N:P were reported of 51.6:5.4:1, 4.30 ± 2.39, 9.60 ± 1.48, and 41.94 ± 23.35, respectively which were invariant with altitude. The low C:N ratio may be attributed to either increase in the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions with an increase in nitrogen, or low in carbon stock leading to decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions. Moreover, the soil C sequestration potential in the forest tree species follow the order of Abies pindrow > Cedrus deodara > Quercus leucotrichophora > Pinus roxburghii. The information of the study would facilitate for broadening the understanding about the soil properties and stoichiometry of forest ecosystem and would provide an aid to forest management besides contributing to the mitigations strategies of the forests.

Dynamics of carbon storage and status of standing vegetation in temperate coniferous forest ecosystem of north western Himalaya India.

Natural ecosystems, which operate as a sink, play an important role in determining the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and have a large storage capacity, assisting in mitigation of problem that has a negative impact on the human population. Forests are one of the most important carbon sinks in the terrestrial ecosystem, with the best example being the Western Himalaya, where healthy and sustainable vegetation is prized. Standard methodology was adopted for assessing the different parameters of carbon related information to enumerate the status of carbon storage and its trend in sustaining the ecosystem of the area. The current research displays the annual increment and carbon dynamics in various vegetation components and levels. Trees, shrubs, and herbs help to fix atmospheric carbon in a variety of forms, including AGC, BGC, and TC. The concentration of carbon-fixing potential was measured on an annual and seasonal basis, with herbs having the highest mean annual increment, followed by shrubs and trees. Pinus wallichiana had the largest annual carbon stock change among trees, followed by Cedrus deodara, Picea smithiana, and Abies pindrow. P. wallichiana topped the increase percentage with 60.58%, followed by C. deodara 33.35%, P. smithiana 5.61%, and A. pindrow 0.45%. Litter was also investigated as a potential source of mitigation, with the best results observed during the autumn months. Natural coniferous forests provide a regulating ecological service in the region by maintaining carbon dioxide levels in the form of biomass, according to the study.

New record of Geopora sumneriana from Pakistan

A new record of Geopora sumneriana is presented from Pakistan. Specimens were collected under Cedrus deodara trees in Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during 2018. The newly reported specimens are illustrated and described using morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS).

Kirschsteiniothelia shimlaensis sp. nov. from Himachal Pradesh, India

A new species, Kirschsteiniothelia shimlaensis collected on stumps of Cedrus deodara, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by mostly monotretic (rarely polytretic), terminal or intercalary, discrete or integrated conidiogenous cells with solitary conidia that are obovoid, oblong, broadly clavate or cylindrical and dark brown, smooth, and 2–5-septate.