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Variation in net primary productivity and biomass of forests in the high mountains of Central Himalaya
Author(s) -
Garkoti S.C.,
Singh S.P.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.2307/3236252
Subject(s) - altitude (triangle) , primary production , biomass (ecology) , canopy , productivity , secondary forest , environmental science , vegetation (pathology) , forestry , old growth forest , agroforestry , geography , ecology , ecosystem , biology , medicine , geometry , mathematics , macroeconomics , pathology , economics
Abstract. This study describes the biomass and net primary productivity of the forests of Central Himalaya occurring in areas where vegetation ranges from close‐canopy broad‐leaved forest to stunted open‐canopy timberline vegetation. The forests studied were Acer cappadocicum forest at 2750 m, Betula utilis forest at 3150 m, and Rhododendron campanulatum forest at 3300 m altitude in Central Himalaya. With the rise in altitude the forest biomass decreased from 308.3 ton/ha in Acer forest to 40.5 ton/ha in Rhododendron forest. The decrease in net primary productivity was less steep, from 19.6 ton/ha/yr in Acer forest to 10.0 ton/ha/yr in Rhododendron forest. The production efficiency of leaves (net production per unit leaf weight) in these forests is higher than in low altitude broad‐leaved forests of Central Himalaya, i.e. from 2.89 in Acer forest to 3.41 g net production/g leaf biomass/yr, against 0.81‐1.55 at lower altitudes.