title: Variation of biomass and carbon pool with NDVI and altitude in sub-tropical forests of northwestern Himalaya.
abstract: In the present study, forests at three altitudes, viz., A1(600-900 m), A2(900-1200 m) and A3(1200-1500 m) above mean sea level having normalised differential vegetation index (NDVI) values of N1(0.0-0.1), N2(0.1-0.2), N3(0.2-0.3), N4(0.3-0.4) and N5(0.4-0.5) were selected for studying their relationship with the biomass and carbon pool in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study reported maximum stem density of (928 trees ha-1) at the A2altitude and minimum in the A3and A1with 600 trees ha-1each. The stem densities in relation to NDVIs were observed in the order N5> N3> N4> N1> N2and did not show any definite trend with increasing altitude. Highest stem volume (295.7 m3ha-1) was observed in N1NDVI and minimum (194.1 m3ha-1) in N3index. The trend observed for stem biomass at different altitudes was A3> A1> A2and for NDVIs, it was N5> N1> N4> N2> N3. Maximum aboveground biomass (265.83 t ha-1) was recorded in the 0.0-0.1 NDVI and minimum (169.05 t ha-1) in 0.2-0.3 NDVI index. Significantly, maximum total soil carbon density (90.82 t C ha-1) was observed in 0.4-0.5 NDVI followed by 0.3-0.4 NDVI (77.12 t C ha-1). The relationship between soil carbon and other studied parameters was derived through different functions simultaneously. Cubic function showed highest r2in most cases, followed by power, inverse and exponential function. The relationship with NDVI showed highest r2(0.62) through cubic functions. In relationship between ecosystem carbon with other parameters of different altitudinal gradient and NDVI, only one positively significant relation was formed with total density (0.579) through cubic function. The present study thus reveals that soil carbon density was directly related to altitude and NDVIs, but the vegetation carbon density did not bear any significant relation with altitude and NDVI.
authors: Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. bhardwajdr_uhf@rediffmail.com.
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: Bhardwaj
authors: Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Dr Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors: Muneesa
authors: M
authors: Banday
authors: Department of Forestry, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India.
authors: Nazir A
authors: NA
authors: Pala
authors: College of Forestry & Horticulture, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors: Bhalendra Singh
authors: BS
authors: Rajput
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D018533:Biomass; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D017753:Ecosystem; D065928:Forests; D007194:India; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry; D010944:Plants; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Altitudinal gradient; Carbon stock; Forest biomass; Himalaya; Remote sensing