Identifying the Divergent Underlying Factors Controlling Species Diversity and Ecosystem Carbon Storage in Major Forest Types of North-East Himalaya, India
Forest ecosystems play a critical role in harboring species diversity and the terrestrial carbon pool. However, it remains unclear how ecosystem parameters impact species diversity and carbon storage at the regional scale, specifically in the Indian scenario. In the present study, we investigated the divergent underlying factors controlling species diversity and ecosystem carbon storage in major forest types of North-East Himalaya, India. The vegetation data were collected by establishing 250 m×250 m major plots in each major forest type, and tree biomass was estimated using an allometric equation specifically developed for Northeast Indian forests. We observed that the species diversity was determined by the combined effects of environmental factors, soil nutrients, and plant structural attributes, whereas the forest carbon storage was significantly linked with plant density (r=0.853, p=0.01), basal area (r=0.933, p=0.01), and elevation (r=0.675, p=0.05). It is therefore recommended to include environmental factors, edaphic factors and plant structural attributes for predicting regional diversity; and both plant structural attributes and environmental parameters for predicting ecosystem carbon storage amidst current and future changing climatic scenarios, and also in formulating conservation strategies related to carbon sink management in the study area.
목차
Abstract Introduction Materials and Methods Study area Vegetation and biomass sampling Soil sampling Analysis of the vegetation data Analysis of soil parameters Biomass estimation Estimation of biomass carbon stock Estimation of soil organic carbon stock Estimation of carbon sequestration rate Acquisition of climatic & environmental data Statistical analysis Results The relationship between tree species diversity and ecosystem variables The relationship between forest carbon storage and ecosystem variables Discussion Conclusions Acknowledgements References
Anudip Gogoi [ Department of Forestry, School of Earth Sciences & Natural Resource Management, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India ]
Uttam Kumar Sahoo [ Department of Forestry, School of Earth Sciences & Natural Resource Management, Mizoram University, Aizawl 796004, India ]
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