Species Diversity and Tree Carbon Stock Pattern in a Community-Managed Tropical Shorea Forest in Nawalparasi, Nepal.

R. P. Pathak, C. B. Baniya

Abstract


Carbon stocks are a major topic in discussions on climate change and are valued as reserved cash by various nations. Carbon stock in tropical ecosystems is greater than in other ecosystems. Shorea robusta Garten. is one of the major forest components of the tropical ecosystems in Nepal where community forestry is successfully practised. In this study, we document the species diversity in a community-managed semi-natural tropical Shorea forest and its carbon storage. The study was made in the lowland (200 m altitude), Bishnu Nagar Community Forest in Nawalparasi, Nepal. The 197 ha forest was studied by sampling 30 quadrats of 20 × 20 m each, including all management block by Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs). All species encountered in each quadrat were recorded and trees were tagged permanently for a year. Carbon stock for each tree was estimated using allometric formulae. Soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and pH were also determined. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), non metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), correlation and regression methods were applied. A total of 68 vascular plant species belonging to 42 families and 61 genera was recorded. Fabaceae was the most dominant family (6 species). The first axis of DCA explained10% of the total variance in the present study. Strobilanthus dyeriana, Agrostis gigantea and Gmelina arborea were species significant to the NMDS1 representing the grazing indicators. Rhus wallichii and Chromolaena odorata were significant to the NMDS2 representing the openness of the habitat. Soil nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter and species richness were significantly correlated to the NMDS1 but species richness was more significant to the NMDS2. The carbon stock was estimated at 115 Mg ha-1 and tree trunk volume at 225.2 m3 ha-1.

Keywords


Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA); Disturbance; Non-metric Multi Dimensional Scaling; Silviculture.

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