Earticle

We conducted an analysis of agroforestry system efficiency to conserve biodiversity in the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve (MFR) between March 2018 and June 2018. A synthesis of forest fragmentation data observed on multiple strata and scale satellite imageries over 31 years, between 1987 and 2018 as well as, the use of both a floristic and a faunal surveys, revealed that although 29.28% of natural forests was fragmented and converted to agroforests landscapes, banana and cocoa based agroforest appeared to perform the most relevant records in carbon storage and to attract wild terrestrial and avifauna. Analysis of NDVI, NDWI and Iron Oxyde helped monitor the vegetation cover of the reserve, and differentiate natural and fragmented classes, majority of conserved forest wetlands and agroforestry systems, and a minority of natural dryland forest. Further analysis also revealed significant correlations between NDVI and Shannon Index, and between NDVI and carbon stock. Based on the NDVI value and the equation Y=3.827×X−1.587 (where Y for the carbon stocks and X for NDVI value), we estimated the total carbon stock of the forest reserve at about 99557.6 tonnes, and its mean value at about 8.491 tons/ha. Nevertheless, environmental efforts to sustainably manage agroforestry landscape appear to be a relevant key to conserve wild biodiversity and mitigate climate change at the level of the Mbalmayo Forest Reserve. If anthropogenic activities have deeply changed the reserve’s natural landscape, reduced its carbon sequestration performance, and wildlife conservation status, forest wetlands appear to remain its most conserved places and the best refuge for wild fauna still occurring in diverse strata of the MFR.

The research attempted to analyze the medicinal plant species richness in the vertical gradient from lower to the highest elevation of Makawanpur, focusing on the relationship between species richness and elevation which is very important for conservation and management of species diversity. Inventory was carried out in the study area by taking sampling intensity of 0.5% in the effective area. Altogether, 42 sample plots were laid in the field with the help of GIS software maintaining 50 m altitude difference. High species diversity was found in the herbs species whereas shrubs have comparatively low species diversity. The maximum species richness is found in herbs and poles whereas shrubs and trees have relatively low species richness. Research showed that species richness of medicinal plants increased with altitudinal gradient. While analyzing the species richness from 350 to 2,550 m (msl), the highest species richness was received with the elevation ranges from 1,800 m to 2,300 m. There was a positive relationship between species richness and altitudinal gradient in the study area. In addition, we have recorded the high value medicinal plants after 1,800 m altitude and rarely within 1,000 m. Medicinal plants correlated both positive and negative relationships with the increased altitude. The altitudinal response has positively seen except density (n/ha) of Shrubs. Domestication and cultivation of high value medicinal plants should be promoted in community forest including private lands. Training, workshops and awareness programs should be conducted to make people aware about medicinal plants resource utilization, conservation and commercialization of available medicinal plants.

Predicting carbon distribution of soil aggregates is difficult due to complexity in organo-mineral formation. This limits global warming mitigation through soil carbon sequestration. Therefore, knowledge of land use effect on carbon stabilization requires quantification of soil mineral cations. The study was conducted to quantify carbon and base cations on soil mineral fractions in Natural Forest, Plantation Forest and Farm Land. Five 0.09 ha were demarcated alternately along 500 m long transect with an interval of 50 m in Natural Forest (NF), Plantation Forest (PF) and Farm Land (FL). Soil samples were collected with soil cores at 0-15, 15-30 and 30-45 cm depths in each plot. Soil core samples were oven-dried at 105°C and soil bulk densities were computed. Sample (100 g) of each soil core was separated into ＞2.0, 2.0-1.0, 1.0-0.5, 0.5-0.05 and ＜0.05 mm aggregates using dry sieve procedure and proportion determined. Carbon concentration of soil aggregates was determined using Loss-on-ignition method. Mineral fractions of soil depths were obtained using dispersion, sequential extraction and sedimentation methods of composite soil samples and sieved into ＜0.05 and ＞0.05 mm fractions. Cation exchange capacity of two mineral fractions was measured using spectrophotometry method. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and ANOVA at 0.05. Silt and sand particle size decreased while clay increased with increase in soil depth in NF and PF. Subsoil depth contained highest carbon stock in the PF. Carbon concentration increased with decrease in aggregate size in soil depths of NF and FL. Micro- (1-0.5, 0.5-0.05 and ＜0.05 mm) and macro-aggregates (＞2.0 and 2-1.0 mm) were saturated with soil carbon in NF and FL, respectively. Cation exchange capacity of ＜0.05 mm was higher than ＞0.05 mm in soil depths of PF and FL. Fine silt (＜0.05 mm) determine the cation exchange capacity in soil depths. Land use and mineral size influence the carbon and cation exchange capacity of Gambari Forest Reserve.

Tropical dry forests are one of the most threatened, widely distributed ecosystems in tropics and estimation of forest biomass is a crucial component of global carbon emission estimation. Therefore, the present study was aimed to quantify the biomass and carbon storage in trees on large scale (10, 1 ha plots) in the dry mixed evergreen forest of Javadhu forest of Eastern Ghats. Biomass of adult (≥10 cm DBH) trees was estimated by non-harvest methods. The total biomass of trees in this tropical dry mixed evergreen forest was ranged from 160.02 to 250.8 Mg/ha, with a mean of 202.04±24.64 Mg/ha. Among the 62 tree species enumerated, Memecylon umbellatum accumulated greater biomass and carbon stocks (24.29%) more than the other species in the 10 ha study plots. ANOVA revealed that there existed a significant variation in the total biomass and carbon stock among the three plant types (Evergreen, brevi-deciduous and deciduous (F (2, 17)=15.343, p＜0.001). Basal area and density was significant positively correlated with aboveground biomass (R2 0.980; 0.680) while species richness exhibited negative correlation with above ground biomass (R2 0.167). Finding of present study may be interpreted as most of the trees in this forest are yet to be matured and there is a net addition to standing biomass leading to carbon storage.

An experiment was conducted to observe the effect of polybag size on the growth and quality of Khaya anthotheca seedlings during September 2016 to June 2017 at the nursery of Silvicultural Research Division of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute. Three different polybag size such as T1 (15 cm×23 cm), T2 (13 cm×18 cm) and T3 (11 cm×15 cm) with four replications were used for the experiment. The experiment was designed in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. Different sized polybags showed significant influence on survival percentage (T1-100%, T2-93.5%, T3-88%) and growth parameters (height, root collar diameter, leave number and root length) of the seedlings. The species grown in T1 size polybag was observed to be superior to other bag size. Dickson’s Quality index of seedlings raised in T1 size polybag was observed highest value which is the indicator of best quality seedlings. Therefore, the use of T1 poly bag size can be suggested for seedling production of K. anthotheca in the nursery.

This study was carried out to establish in vitro propagation system influenced by plant growth regulators through organogenesis with three different seed sources (China, Mongolia and Russia) for conservation of genetic resources in Northeast Asia. The experiment compared two different carbon sources (commercial sugar, sucrose), which showed no significant differences in germination rate. Induced adventitious buds from leaf segments were found to be highly effective when supplemented with 1.0 mg/L BA, 1.0 mg/L Kinetin, and 5.0 mg/L IAA, in the case of Chinese origin 96.8%, Russian origin R-1: 95.6%, R-2: 85.6%, and Mongolian origin M-2: 77.8%. It was effective in BA and Kinetin with supplemented with IAA, respectively. Shooting development was also efficient in Woody Plant Media (WPM) supplemented with 1.0 mg/L BA, 1.0 mg/L Kinetin and 5.0 mg/L IAA.

Blueberry, which produces phenolic compounds, is one of the most popular fruits in Korea. During a survey on blueberry diseases, 16 Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from blueberry leaves in Chuncheon and Gosung, Kangwon province, Korea. Using morphological and molecular analyses, the isolates were identified as Colletotrichum aenigma, C. fioriniae, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides, and C. nymphaeae. C. gloeosporioides was the most frequently isolated (11 isolates), and only one or two isolates of the other species were found. After inoculation with all isolates, those leaves and fruits with wounds easily developed anthracnose; whereas, fruits without wounds became infected but leaves without wounds were infected by only two of C. gloeosporioides. Typically, around seven fungicidal agents are used to control anthracnose on blueberries in Korea. Fluzinam and prochloraz manganese complex strongly (over than 80%) inhibited the growth of all Colletotrichum species, while dithianon and mancozeb only weakly (about 80% or less) inhibited their growth.

Mushroom survey and collection were conducted in the Dong Hua Sao National Biodiversity Conservation Area (DHSNBCA), which is located about 30 km east of Pakse and about 10 km south of the town of Paksong, Champasak Province of Lao-PDR, from from at the early July to October in 2019. During this periods, mushroom specimens were collected from 6 different locations, and then they were identified and classified into 103 species, 74 genera, 37 families, 15 orders and 6 classes by morphological and molecular analyses. The mushrooms belongs to Ascomycota were classified into 10 species, 6 genera, 4 families, 3 orders and 2 classes, while those belongs to Basidiomycota were classified into 92 species, 67 genera, 32 families, 11 orders, and 3 classes, respectively. In addition, 1 species of Myxomycota was also identified. Among these mushrooms, the most species-rich families are Marasmiaceae (17.3%), Polyporaceae (13.1%), Mycenaceae (8.9%), Agricaceae (8.3%), Xylariaceae (6.5%), Auriculariaceae (4.8%), Ganodermtaceae (3.6%), Dacrymycetaceae (3.0%), Meruliaceae (3.0%), Russulaceae (3.0%) and comprised 71.4% of the total specimens identified.