Regeneration of Treeline Birch (Betula utilis D. Don) Forest in a Trans-Himalayan Dry Valley in Central Nepal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13907918 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bharat Babu Shrestha (0000-0002-9457-2637, Tribhuvan University), Balkrishna Ghimire (0000-0002-2169-1280, Tribhuvan University, corresponding author), Hari Datta Lekhak, Pramod Kumar Jha (0000-0001-7260-9876, Tribhuvan University) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 259-267 |
| Publication date | 2007-08-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Mountain Research and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0276-4741 • E-ISSN: 1994-7151 |
| Publisher | International Mountain Society (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.1659/mrdd.0784 |
| OpenAlex | W2032327160 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 13 |
Distribution and community structure of treeline birch (Betula utilis D. Don) forest in a trans-Himalayan dry valley was studied in Manang (central Nepal) with the major focus on regeneration. Along 5 vertical transects, a total of 41 square quadrats (10 m x 10 m) were sampled to determine the importance value index (IVI) of tree species, distribution pattern of seedlings and saplings, and soil attributes. Regeneration was assessed by a density–diameter curve. Moisture plays an important role in spatial (horizontal) distribution of Betula utilis. Pure Betula forest forming the treeline was mature, with high basal area (2.3%), but mixed Betula forest at lower elevations was young. This might have developed after large-scale clear cutting of Abies spectabilis. If not severely disturbed, mixed Betula forest may be replaced by Abies spectabilis. In general, Betula utilis was regenerating, as evident from a reverse J-shaped density–diameter curve for both forests. However, the distribution of seedlings and saplings was spatially heterogeneous and appeared to depend on canopy cover. The stands with highest seedling and sapling densities of Betula utilis had no trees. Betula seedlings were absent where the tree density and basal area (BA) exceeded 20 stems/100 m2 and 1.0% respectively. It was apparent that Betula seedlings could not establish under their own closed canopy even if they produced viable seeds. Partial canopy opening may induce seedling establishment and hence continuous regeneration of Betula utilis at mature stands. The tree-line formed by Betula utilis was abrupt—the anthropo-zoogenic type—without the krummholz zone
Basal area · Betula pendula · Betula pubescens · Biology · Botany · Canopy · Crown (dentistry · Quadrat · Seedling · Transect · Tree canopy · Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies · Forest ecology and management · Tree-ring climate responses · Ecology · Horticulture
Forest Aboveground Biomass in the Annapurna Region, Himalaya, Derived From Ground-Based and Spaceborne Laser Scanning
Treeline structure and regeneration pattern in protected and non-protected areas, Indian western Himalaya
Exploration of the ecology and ex-situ conservation of Betula utilis D. Don
Variation of tree diversity, structure and composition in the different forest types of Eastern Himalaya, India
Distribution pattern, population structure and habitat geography of Betula utilis subalpine forests of Kashmir region in the western Himalayas
Altitudinal treeline dynamics of Himalayan pine in western Himalaya, India
Medicinal plant dynamics in indigenous medicines in farwest Nepal
Life History and Population Status of the Endemic Himalayan Aconitum naviculare
Predicting the Suitable Habitat of Treeline Species in the Nepalese Himalayas Under Climate Change
| Citations per year | 0.56 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2010 - 2026 (17) |
| Highly cited | No |