Earticle

The long term ecological effects have been reported in natural forest ecosystem due to various anthropogenic disturbances, especially in tropics of the world. The present study was carried out in the sanctuary area of central India to assess the changes on litter biomass, litterfall pattern and soil attributes under different disturbance regimes. The study area includes three forest circles i.e., Bhoramdeo, Jamunpani and Salehwara each comprising three disturbances regimes viz., high, medium and low severity of biotic pressure. A noticeable variation and impact were recorded in different sites. The impact varies significantly from least disturbed sites to highly disturbed sites across the circle and among different disturbances level. The seasonal mean total forest floor biomass across the forest circles varied from 2.18 to 3.30 t ha-1. It was found highest under lightly disturbed site and lowest under heavily disturbed site. Total litterfall varied from 5.11 to 7.06 t ha-1 yr-1 across the forest circle. Lowest litterfall was recorded at heavily disturbed site while highest in lightly disturbed site. Annual turnover of litter varied from 69-73% and the turnover time ranged between 1.37-1.45 years. The turn over time was higher for heavily disturbed site and lower for lightly disturbed site. The heavily disturbed site of all the circle showed the sandy loam soil texture, whereas moderately and lightly disturbed site comprised of sandy loam, sandy clay loam and clay soil texture, respectively. The bulk density decreases from heavily disturbed site to lightly disturbed site and the pH of soils ranged from 5.57-6.89 across the circle. Across the circle the total soil nitrogen ranged from 0.12-0.21%, phosphorus from 10.03-24.00 kg and Potassium from 139.88-448.35 kg ha-1, respectively. Our results demonstrate that anthropogenic disturbances regime significantly influences forest floors in terms of mass, composition and dynamics along with litterfall rate and soil properties.

For the control of oak wilt caused by Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, an antifungal microorganism, Streptomyces blastmyceticus, was used as a potential agent. Culture suspension of S. blastmyceticus was injected into Quercus mongolicae in the research forest of Kangwon National University by ChemJetⓇ trunk injection and Macro-infusion at root flare injection. AlamoⓇ (a.i., propiconazole 14.5%), a fungicide currently used for the control of oak wilt in USA, was also treated by both methods to compare the efficacy. For preventive efficacy, culture suspension of the pathogen was inoculated at 1 month after injection of either agent. Tested trees were cut at 3 months after treatment, stained with 1% Fuchsin acid, and then non-conductive area (NCA) and re-isolation frequency (RIF) of oak wilt fungus were compared among treatments. While NCA was the highest as 47.3% in pathogen only treatment, it was the lowest as 16.0% in sterilized water treatment by Macro-infusion. NCAs of Alamo treatment by Macro-infusion and ChemJet injection were 25.3% and 32.1%, respectively. NCA of S.blastmyceticus treatment by ChemJet injection was 32.3%, similar with Alamo treatment’s by ChemJet injection. All treatments by either injection method showed significantly lower NCA compared to the pathogen only treatment. These results indicate that S. blastmyceticus injection shows the preventive efficacy against oak wilt disease by suppressing the growth of pathogen injected. NCA of Macro-infusion injection of sterilized water was lower as 16.0%, compared to 21.3% of ChemJet injection. It means that Macro-infusion is more effective in translocation of sterilized water than ChemJet injection by even distribution. RIF from wood discs of treated trees showed high in pathogen only treatment, but relatively low in S. blastmyceticus treatment. RIF results were correlated with NCA results. From the above results, it was confirmed that S. blastmyceticus showed preventive efficacy against oak wilt disease by ChemJet trunk or Macro-infusion at root flare injection.

Two newly recorded gnaphosid spiders, Haplodrassus pugnans (Simon 1880) and Zelotes longipes (Koch 1866), are taxonomically described and illustrated from Korea. Both species were collected in the mountainous area with a pitfall trap.

An efficient and reproducible protocol for in vitro germination of seeds of Couroupita guianensis has been developed in the present study. Couroupita guianensis is a medicinally important tree and categorized as threatened plant species by the IUCN. The seeds were surface sterilized using 0.1% HgCl2 and inoculated on MS (Murashige and Skoog) and Woody Plants (Llyod and McCown) medium. The seeds with partially removed seed coat responded better (100%) on half strength MS medium as compared to the full (51%), one-fourth strength MS (79%) and the WP medium. Half strength MS medium conjunct with 2.0 mgㆍL-1 indole-3 butyric acid (IBA) was found best among the different types of auxins and cytokinins tested for seed germination, as all the seeds germinated on this medium combination. The seedlings were successfully hardened in the greenhouse and restored in the field with 83% survival rate. The protocol can be used as conservation measure for large scale multiplication of this threatened forest tree species.

Since the mass mortality of Quercus mongolica has been first reported in Gyeonggi province at 2004, the disease spread rapidly over Korean peninsula annually. Ambrosia beetle (Platypus koryoensis) was known as the insect vector of oak wilt fungus, Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae, and control methods of the disease had mainly been focused on eradication of insect vector. However, for the efficient management of the disease, combined control methods for both of the pathogenic fungus and insect vector are strongly required. As one of the efforts to suppress the pathogenic fungus, antifungal activities of Streptomyces isolated from oak forest soil were assayed in this study. Optimum culture condition for the selected isolates was also studied, As a result, Streptomyces blastmyceticus cultured in PDB (Potato Dextrose Broth) at 25oC for 1 week showed the strongest antifungal activity against oak wilt fungus. Mycelial growth inhibition rates (MGIRs) of Streptomyces isolates were compared on culture media supplemented with heated and unheated culture filtrates of S. blastmyceticus. MGIRs on culture media with unheated culture filtrates were generally higher than those on culture media with heated culture filtrates. Antagonistic mechanism to get involved in the inhibition of hyphal growth and spore formation of the pathogen is due to the antifungal metabolites produced by Streptomyces. This study will provide the fundamental information in developing biocontrol agents for the environment-friendly management of oak wilt disease.

Implementation of mitigation options on land is important for realisation of the goals of the Paris Agreement to stabilize temperature at 2°C. In India, the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) targets include a forestry goal of creation of carbon sinks of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes by 2030. There are however, multiple barriers to implementation of forestry mitigation options in India. They include environmental, social, financial, technological and institutional barriers. The barriers are varied not just across land categories but also for a land category depending on its regional location and distribution. In addition to these barriers is the impeding climate change that places at risk realisation of the mitigation potential as rising temperatures, drought, and fires associated with projected climate change may lead to forests becoming a weaker sink or a net carbon source before the end of the century.

Agroforestry is emerged as climate smart agriculture system and known to help in maintaining soil nutrient sustainability but its rate of expansion is still not appreciable. The present paper incorporates the different species under various agroforestry practices its density, growth and growing stock. The most dominated agroforestry practices in Bilaspur district identified as boundary tree based agri- silviculture (32%) followed with inside field tree based agri-silviculture (21%). Agri-horti-silvicultural system found merely in 5% farmer’s field while silvo-pastoral practice in 8% fields. The result depicts that the most prevailing agroforestry tree species in non-forest area of Bilaspur comprises Acacia nilotica 36%, Butea monosperma 22%, Albizia spp 16%, Terminalia arjuna 7%, Azadirachta indica 3.5% and other species 15.5%. More than 90% farmer allows tree species growing naturally in their fields mainly for fuel wood, timber and as source of additional income as these species need not require special attention and care, while only 5% farmer’s has adopted Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo etc commercially for higher future return. The paper also discusses the constraints on agroforestry for enabling development of agroforestry in future.