Kaushalendra Kumar Jha

Abstract

In recent years Teak has become a prominent short rotation plantation crop in many tropical countries both within and outside its natural range. Although stand structure, crown attributes and stand productivity are interrelated, data on crown structure and related parameters of teak are scarce. Therefore, a study on chronosequence young plantations aimed at establishing relationships among them. The plantations aged 1, 5, 11, 18, 24 and 30 year were selected in the moist deciduous region of North India where teak was introduced as a viable crop. Sixty four trees, three each in all diameter classes of all stands except where trees were occasionally not available in requisite number for a certain diameter class, were harvested to measure crown and bole dimensions. Forty regression equations using MS-Excel were developed linking crown and bole parameters with age. Most of the equations providing cue to further research or management strategy were found statistically significant. With the help of crown and bole measurements tree silhouettes have been created as two-dimensional figures using Coral Draw 10 to have comparative shape and size of bole and crown at different age in young life of teak. The boles were cylindro-conical while crowns varied from cylindro-elliptical in younger stands to elliptico-parabolloid in older stands. The equations developed in this study provide a means for predicting the variables dependent on crown since they showed strong correlation between crown and other tree parameters. With the help of these equations crown features available from aerial photograph data can be converted into growing stock in terms of density or biomass or volume. Such growing stock assessment will be helpful in crop management decisions. In addition to above basic inventory data like bole diameter may generate crown features. Thus the predicted values can be used as ground truthing in aerial photography interpretation without going through extremely cumbersome direct crown measurement process.

Keywords

Tectona grandis, Chronosequence, Plantation Age

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha

Abstract

Enhancing carhon sink through creation of manmade forests is heing considered as a mitigation option to reduce the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide level. Fixation of carbon occurs through a cyclic process, which was studied in an age series plantations (I, 5, 11, 18, 24 and 30 year) in Tarai forest of Kumaun Himalayan region. Organic carbon concentration in different plant tissues was assessed and multiplied hy the biomass to get total carbon content. Concentration percent was found different in different plant tissues. It ranged from 49.34% to 56.79%. Standing state varied between 1.62 t/ha and 74.38 t/ha. Net uptake after correction of retranslocated amount ranged hetween 0.94 t/ha/year and 5.99 t/hal year. Total carbon return on forest floor through litter fall was hetween 0.90 t/ha/year and 3.36 t/ha/year. Soil pool contained 35.7 t/ha to 43.9 t/ha and total system stored 46 t/ha to 113 t/ha of carhon. Storage and flux of organic carbon in different plant parts of different plantations were assessed and depicted through compartment models. Carhon budgeting indicated that Teak plantation is an accumulating system. Regression equations were developed between girth and total carbon content using y = a + bx equation (where y = total carbon, x = girth at breast height, a and b = equation constants). Except in one year plantation these equations were significant at 1% level.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha

Abstract

Phytosociological studies were carried out in an age series Teak plantation (1, 5, 11, 18, 24 and 30 years). In these stands average basal area increased with growing age. Density had inconsistent relationship but indicated towards a decrease, as the plantations grew older. In the case of shrubs also density had the same trend. Association of certain species with original vegetation was retained while few new ones got introduced during the course of time. Seasonal record of herbs indicated that total number of species was highest in rains followed by summer and winter seasons. An interesting finding of this study was that higher number of species was found in artificially regenerated Teak plantations in comparison to the original natural Sal forests.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha

Abstract

Teak plantations (1, 5,11,18, 24 and 30 year old) growing outside its natural zone in 'Tarai' moist sal forest was selected for studying litter production and leaf litter decomposition dynamics and impact of physical attributes and environmental factors. Litter fall was studied by litter trap method and litter decomposition by litter bag method. Litter input varied from 1.71 ha^-1yr^-1 (one year old) to 6.4 t ha^-1y^-1 (30 year old). Bulk of the litter was in the form of leaf litter (87.7 - 100 %) followed by wood (00 - 15.6 %) and reproductive parts' litter (00 - 3.3 %). Winter was the peak period while rainy season was the lean period of litter fall. Age, density and basal area did not show any definite relationship with litter production independently. Colour alteration in litter and variation in nutritional status were found very distinct. Decay rates indicated that approximately 54%teak litter decomposed in first sixmonths, starting from July. Nitrogen and phosphorus were found to be increased with the advancement of litter degradation.

Keywords

Litter Production, Leaf Litter Decomposition, Tectona grandis, Tarai Sal Forest

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha

Abstract

Foliar dynamics strongly influences the nutrient pool in general and retranslocation enables plants to conserve and reuse nutrients in particular. Therefore, to have the understanding of such functions, patterns of monthly leaf mass changes and leaf area expansion, and annual nutrient retranslocation were studied in 1, 5, 11, 18, 24 and 30 years old teak plantations of moist deciduous forest region at the base of the Himalayas (29°3'-29°12' N and 79°20'-79°23' E). In these stands leaves kept on expanding and gaining mass from April to September. Leaf area and leaf mass varied between 376-473 cm² leaf^-1 and 3.3-5.0 g leaf^-1, respectively. Leaf area index (LAI) ranged from 1.49 to 7.6. Concentration of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) was highest in summer while it was lowest in winter. Nevertheless, nutrient content of leaves was minimum in summer and maximum in rainy season or autumn. Average percent retranslocation values were 45.6 % (N), and 27.51 % (P) and average annual retranslocation were 29.957 kg ha^-1 yr^-1, and 2.186 kg ha^-1 yr^-1, respectively. Non-canopy stand (1 year) showed minimum retranslocation of both N and P. Although the retranslocation of N and P and leaf mass loss (LML) was prominent in all the stands regression relationship of N and P retranslocation with certain parameters like, LML, LAI, leaf area, leaf weight, stand age and basal area were not found significant (>5%). Nevertheless, the retranslocation data suggested that teak growing in tropical moist region is moderately efficient in nutrient conserving mechanism.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha , Chandra Gupta , R. S. Verma , C. B. Chhimwal

Abstract

In search of promising clones suited to tbe Tarai climate a trial of sixty clones imported from five countries was laid in replicated randomised block design. Propagation medium was ETP. D-75, S7C20, S7C8 066, S7C15, S7CI 2502 and 69/5 turned to be the best suited ones. Most of these are American clones. Overall performance of Italian, Australian, Dutch and German clones were inferior. Rotation age of above promising clones should be reduced to 6-8 years if grown for pulp and intercropping.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha , Chandra Gupta

Abstract

With the intention of throwing new clones of Poplars to production population in Terai region Nursery-testing of approximately three hundred exotic and indigenous clones has been done. After screening selected clones have been put on trial for field evaluation. Promising Populus deltoides clones among exotics are S7C4, S7C2, 113324, 3324, and 82-33-3 while indigenous one' are L-12, L-13, L-30, L-34 and L-52. These clones are to be now planted on large scale in monoclonal mosaic block design.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha , Chandra Gupta

Abstract

In taral region Intercropplng of some medicinal plants with Poplar as principal crop as carried out during 1987-89. Out of sixty-four species tried Acorus calamus. Adhatoda rasiea, Aloe barbadense, Artimicia vulgaris, Canabis sativa, Centella asiatica, Curcuma amada. C. longa, Cymhopogon winterianus, Cyperus. Scariosus, mimosa pudica, Piper longum, Solamum indicum, Veliveria zizanoides, Amomum subulatum, Calotropis giganlia, Cymbopogon jwarencusa, Ocimum sanctum, Plantago avataforsk, Valaerina wallichii and Zingiber officinale were found most suitable. The species which showed poor performance are Abrus precatorious, Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Cymbopogon martini, Mentha citrata, Premna latifolia, Salvadora oleoides, Tribules lerrestris. Wilhania somnilera and Woodfordia fruticosa. The growth of different clones of Poplar was found to be improved due to intercropplng operations. During the intercropping trial phenology of different medicinal species wso also studied.

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Kaushalendra Kumar Jha ¹

Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), IN

Abstract

This article is the outcome of author's view on the subject based on his field experience as a professional forester, his research work on the ecology of teak and reviewed literature on the subject. Although short rotation harvesting has its own value, long rotation is beneficial keeping in view GHG mitigation, paragon timber reputation and high value marketing of teak (Tectona grandis). Biological supplementing of the soil would be a useful management intervention to compensate nutrient drain from the soil due to timber harvest. However, delayed harvesting or longer rotation is recommended for two-pronged benefit- lower loss of nutrients and longer locking of Carbon.

Keywords

Wood Quality, Nutrient Harvest, Nutrient Supplement, Carbon Storage, Long Rotation, Tectona Grandis.

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