Assessments Of Plant Diversity, Biomass And Carbon Pool In Natural Forests Of Doon Valley Using Geospatial Technology

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation , 2013 , 270 Pages

Biology - Botany

Forests are an important natural ‘brake’ on climate change sequester and store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem. The main carbon pools in forest ecosystems are the living biomass of trees and understorey vegetation and the dead mass of litter, woody debris and soil organic matter. The carbon stored in the aboveground living biomass of trees is typically the largest pool. Thus, estimating aboveground forest biomass carbon is the most critical step in quantifying carbon stocks and fluxes from forests.

India is a large developing country known for its diverse forest ecosystems and is also a mega-biodiversity country. Forest ecosystems in India are critical for biodiversity, watershed protection, and livelihoods of indigenous and rural communities. The National Communication of the Government of India to the UNFCC has reported that the forest sector is a marginal source of CO2 emissions. India has formulated and implemented a number of policies and programmes aimed at forest and biodiversity conservation, afforestation and reforestation. All forest policies and programmes have implications for carbon sink and forest management.

A number of studies highlighting carbon stocks of India forests at macrolevel utilizing Remote Sensing & Geographic Information System techniques have gained momentum. However, Carbon stock at micro level is still lacking and in view of this, the present study is an attempt to assess the vegetation, biomass and carbon stock of three ranges of Dehra Dun Forest Division.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• LIST OF TABLES
• LIST OF FIGURES
• LIST OF PLATES
• Chapter - I INTRODUCTION
• 1.1 INTRODUCTION
• 1.2 CLIMATE CHANGE – THE SCIENTIFIC BASIS
• 1.3 THE INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE POLICY REGIME
• 1.4 ROLE OF FORESTS IN THE GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE
• 1.5 METHODS TO ASSESS CARBON FLOWS OF FORESTS
• 1.6 CARBON AND IT'S CHANGES
• 1.7 CARBON SEQUESTRATION AS A CLIMATE MITIGATION OPTION
• 1.8 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
• 1.9 FOREST BIOMASS
• 1.10 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING
• 1.11 CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND STORAGE IN FORESTS
• 1.12 FOREST AND SOIL ORGANIC CARBON
• 1.13 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
• Chapter II STUDY SITE
• 2.1 INTRODUCTION
• 2.2 DEVELOPMENT OF FORESTS IN DEHRA DUN
• 2.3 GEOLOGY
• 2.4 CLIMATE
• 2.5 SOIL
• 2.6 VEGETATION
• Chapter - III SOIL
• Chapter - IV PLANT DIVERSITY
• 4.1 INTRODUCTION
• 4.2 METHODS
• 4.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• 4.4 SPECIES RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY
• 4.5 SPECIES COMPOSITION AND DISTRIBUTION
• 4.6 FLORISTIC COMPOSITION OF DIFFERENT FOREST TYPES
• 4.7 LIFE FORM SPECTRUM
• 4.8 PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
• 4.9 CONCLUSION
• Chapter - V FOREST STRUCTURE
• 5.1 INTRODUCTION
• 5.2 METHODS
• 5.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• 5.4 FOREST STRUCTURE
• 5.5 CONCLUSION
• Chapter - VI BIOMASS AND CARBON POOL
• 6.1 INTRODUCTION
• 6.2 METHODS
• 6.3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
• 6.4 ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS
• 6.5 CARBON STOCK
• 6.6 CONCLUSION
• Chapter - VII SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
• REFERENCES

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This doctoral thesis aims to assess the plant diversity, biomass, and carbon pool in the natural forests of the Doon Valley, Uttarakhand, India, utilizing geospatial technology. The study focuses on three ranges within the Dehra Dun Forest Division, analyzing the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, plant diversity, forest structure, and carbon sequestration potential of the region.

• Plant Diversity and Species Composition
• Forest Structure and Dynamics
• Biomass Estimation and Carbon Pool Assessment
• Role of Geospatial Technology in Forest Management
• Impact of Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter I provides a comprehensive introduction to the study, outlining the significance of forests in the global carbon cycle, the impact of climate change, and the importance of carbon sequestration. It also reviews existing literature on forest biomass, biodiversity, and carbon storage. Chapter II focuses on the study site, describing the Dehra Dun Forest Division, its geology, climate, soil, and vegetation. Chapter III delves into the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil in the study area, including its organic carbon content. Chapter IV examines the plant diversity of the region, analyzing species richness, diversity, composition, distribution, and life form spectrum. Chapter V explores the forest structure, including the association of plant species and the spatial distribution of trees. Chapter VI focuses on the estimation of biomass and carbon pool in different forest types, utilizing remote sensing and geographic information system techniques. This chapter also presents forest type maps developed through these techniques.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The keywords and focus themes of the text encompass plant diversity, biomass, carbon pool, natural forests, Doon Valley, Uttarakhand, India, geospatial technology, remote sensing, geographic information system, forest structure, soil characteristics, climate change, carbon sequestration, and forest management.

• Course: Doctor of Philosophy
• Authors: Dr. Mohommad Shahid (Author), Dr. S.P. Joshi (Author)
• Publication Year: 2013
• Pages: 270
• Catalog Number: V284629
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668494626
• ISBN (Book): 9783668494633
• Language: English
• Tags: assessments, plant, diversity, biomass, carbon, pool, natural, forests, doon, valley, using, geospatial, technology