Botany

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ADSORPTIVE REMOVAL OF ALUMINIUM (III) USING CHEMICALLY MODIFIED SUGARCANE BAGASSE FROM AQUEOUS SOLUTION
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) NEPAL, DIWASH
A major concern for both humans and aquatic life can result from the presence of several metal ions in an aquatic environment that exceeds the allowed limit. The most efficient way to remove minute levels of hazardous metals from wastewater is through adsorption. The primary goal of this thesis work is to chemically modify sugarcane bagasse in order to create a low-cost, highly effective adsorbent for the removal of Al (III) from an aqueous solution. Both xanthated and charred sugarcane bagasse have been prepared as adsorbents. Adsorbents are characterised using FTIR, EDS, and SEM. For analysis, batch experimental method was carried out. Utilizing both CSB and XSB, the effect of pH, Al (III) concentration and contact time have been investigated using both CSB and XSB adsorbents. For both adsorbents, a 150-minutes maximum duration and a pH of 4 are found to be ideal. The Langmuir isotherm model is best fitted for equilibrium sorption data, and maximum adsorption capacities of CSB and XSB are determined to be 50.9 mg/g and 81.0 mg/g, respectively. Studies on kinetic modelling showed that a pseudo second-order kinetic model best fit the experimental data. These findings show that XSB can be an alternative bio-adsorbent for the elimination of Al(III) from an aqueous solution.
AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX OF SOME FODDER PLANT SPECIES AROUND SONAPUR CEMENT FACTORY IN DANG, WESTERN NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Basnet, Kalpana
The study aims to find out the air pollution tolerant index of some fodder plant species around the Sonapur cement factory in Dang, Nepal. Commonly available and dominant five fodder plant species (Melia azedarach, Leucaena leucocephala, Garuga pinnata, Dalbergia sissoo, Bambusa nutans) were selected from three different distances i.e. (0-300) m, (300- 600) m, (600-1000) m at four directions (east, west, north and south). Matured leaf samples were collected for the biochemical studies of air pollution tolerance index (APTI). The APTI values of different plant leaves were calculated considering the biochemical parameters like relative water content (RWC), total leaf chlorophyll content (TChl), leaf extract pH and ascorbic acid (AA). Additionally, specific leaf area (SLA) was also measured. The correlation of SLA with APTI and different biochemical parameters were also calculated. The highest APTI value of the studied plants ranged from twelve to sixteen, indicating their moderate tolerance to air pollution. The APTI values of fodder plants increased significantly (p=0.05) at the distance near the factory at (0-300) m. Among them the highest APTI was found in L. leucocephala and was followed by G. pinnata in the east direction, M. azedarach in north direction, D. sissoo in south direction and B. nutans in west direction. The value of SLA, total chlorophyll content and pH decreased whereas relative water content and ascorbic acid increased near the cement factory in most of studied plants. SLA of studied plants showed significantly negative correlation (p<0.05) with APTI. This study recommends plants like L. leucocephala, G. pinnata, Melia azedarach, D. sissoo, B. nutans, which scored high APTI value at different directions, for further plantation around the cement factory.
ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX AND LEAF STRUCTURE OF SELECTED PLANT SPECIES AROUND UDAYAPUR CEMENT FACTORY, NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) Prasai, Pooja
Present study investigate the effect of cement dust on plants physiology and morphology around Udayapur Cement Factory. Plants can be both bio-indicator and tolerant in order to control the air pollution in urban and industrial areas. Eight commonly available plant species of tree and shrub were selected from study area. Plant species were collected from four directions and four different radial distances from the factory viz. (0-250 m), (250-500 m), (500-750 m) and (750-1000 m) from the Udayapur Cement Factory. To study the relative tolerance of plants towards air pollutants, four parameters namely ascorbic acid, leaf extract pH, total chlorophyll and relative water content were measured and computed together to calculate air pollution tolerance index (APTI). The characteristics of leaf structure (stomatal length, breadth and density and specific leaf area) were also studied. The APTI values of most of the plant species increased significantly at distance near to the factory at 0-250 m distance. All the tree species showed high APTI values in eastern direction and among the shrub species studied Colebrookea oppositifolia and Clerodendrum viscosum had high APTI values at northern direction, Melastoma melabathricum showed high APTI values in eastern direction and Phoenix acaulis had high APTI values at western direction. Most of the species showed high APTI values in east direction which indicates high air pollution in this direction, which may be due to the presence of road between the forests in order to transport cement from the factory as well as the dust emission from the factory and also the direction of westerly wind. Based on APTI values three tree species (Casearia graveolens, Cassia fistula and Shorea robusta) and two shrub species (Colebrookea oppositifolia and Phoenix acaulis) were found to be tolerant species with APTI values ranging above seventeen. Derris elliptica was considered as intermediate species with APTI value ranging between twelve and sixteen. Likewise, shrub species namely Melastoma melabathricum and Clerodendrum viscosum measured APTI value less than eleven and were kept under sensitive category. The data of stomatal density showed increasing trend and stomatal length and breadth showed decreasing trend while moving near to the cement factory (0-250 m). SLA of all plant species decreased near the cement factory.
Carbon Stock and Regeneration Status of Two Community Forests of Dhangadhi, Nepal
(Amrit Campus, 2022-07-19) Joshi, Gyanu
In Nepal, Shorea robusta dominates the vegetation of the Terai region. This species plays an important role in abating global warming and climate change through conserving atmospheric CO2. Hence, this study is intended to assess the carbon stock and regeneration status of two community forests having different soil moisture condition of Dhangadhi, Nepal. SCF was comparatively dry than MCF. To assess IVI, species diversity, regeneration and carbon stock altogether 40 sample plots (20 plots in each forest) of 20m radii were studied for trees applying stratified random sampling. Within the 20m radii plots, 2 subplots of 5m radii for shrubs and 3 subplots of 2m radii for herbs was laid. Tree biomass was estimated using equation of Chavel et al., (2005) and regeneration was estimated by calculating the density of each species in seedling, sapling and tree phases. Soil samples were collected from the surface up to 20cm depth. Carbon stock of MCF was found higher (92.99t/ha) than in SCF (51.94t/ha) and it increased with increasing soil organic carbon and soil moisture but soil bulk density was found higher in dry SCF (1.43%) than in MCF (1.34%). Similarly, total species diversity was found higher in moist MCF but herbs species diversity was found higher in dry SCF. The index of similarity of shrubs and trees between two forests was found to be quite high. SCF had very good regeneration status with 150625 seedling /ha, 13090 sapling /ha and 649 tree/ha in comparison to MCF. Open canopy of SCF might have favored the regeneration of greater number of seedling, sapling. These result revealed that the ground vegetation and regeneration was high in less dense canopy forest and moist forest had highest carbon stock than dry forest.
COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND REGENERATION OF Abies spectabilis D. Don IN SHAILUNG, CENTRAL NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) JOSHI, ADITYA
Community structure and regeneration of Abies spectabilis (D.Don) was studied in Abies spectabilis forest located in Shailung, Dolakha. Vegetation sampling was done by circular plot (20m diameter) method and the sample plots were located by systematic random sampling method. Two sites, northern and aspect, were selected for the study. Four horizontal transects running parallel to each other of about 200m altitudinal difference were designed for each aspect. Altogether 48 plots, six in each transect were established and the aerial distance between the plot was 50m. Number of woody plant species, number of individuals of each tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH) of each individual tree, number of seedlings and saplings of tree species were recorded in each plot. Various community attributes and population characteristics were analyzed. From each horizontal transect, soil was collected by pairing of plots in each transect from a depth of 30cm and pooled together. Three soil samples of 200 g from each transect were collected and their physicochemical characteristics were analyzed. On the basis of IVI Tsuga dumosa was dominant on lower elevation range on both aspects, while Abies spectabilis, was dominant at elevation range 2650m-2850m and 2850m-3050m, whereas, R. arboreum was dominant at elevation range above 3050m in northern aspect. Similarly, A. spectabilis and T. dumosa showed nearly equal dominance at elevation range 2650m-2850m, while A. spectabilis was dominant at elevation range 2850m-3050m and above 3050m in southern aspect. Altogether 40 plant species (13 tree species and 27 plant species in shrub layer) were found in the study area. The tree density of both sites increased with increase in elevation up to 2850m 3050m and decreased. Similarly, the basal area of tree gradually decreased after elevation range 2650m-2850m in both aspects. Comparatively tree density was higher in northern aspect and basal area was higher in southern aspect. Soil was slightly acidic in nature. The distinct variation in soil parameters were not observed in two sites as well as along altitude. Density-diameter curve of all tree species showed sustainable regeneration. But, density-diameter curve of A. spectabilis in both aspects slightly deviated from reverse J shaped structure and hence did not show sustainable regeneration. Seedling density was higher than sapling density. The distribution of seedlings and saplings were not uniform.
DIVERSITY AND STATUS OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS IN SOUTHERN HILLS OF KAVREPALANCHOK DISTRICT, CENTRAL NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Shrestha, Kusum
This study was carried out in Kalanti Bhumidada and Dada gaun of Kavrepalanchok district to explore and document the knowledge and practices on the use of Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) plants for different purposes by the local community. Three field visits were made during the study period from 2022-2023. During every visit, plant specimens were collected, and information was gathered through interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. The total count of plants utilized by the local community as NTFPs from the study site was documented by directly interviewing 60 participants. Rapid rural appraisal (RRA) was used to gather, confirm, and validate information during the field visit. It was found that the older generation possessed more knowledge about NTFPs compared to the younger generation. Overall, 122 species were found to be NTFPs belonging to 62 families and 105 genera. The highest number of species was recorded in families Asteraceae followed by Rosaceae. The highest numbers of NTFPs are known to be harvested from different plant parts such as leaves, followed by fruits, root and shoot. Largest numbers of species are reported with medicinal use value followed by food and vegetables, fodder and animal medicine, religious and social use, fuel, handicraft and construction. Some of the highly useful NTFP species based on use value index are Achyranthes bidentata, Myrica esculenta, Morus alba and Rhododendron arboreum. Among medicinal plants, the highest informant consensus factor (FIC) value was obtained for Ureo-genital (0.913), Jundice (0.869) and Respiratory problems (0.867) repectively. Fidelity level shows high use of Argentina lineata and Astilbe rivularis to treat menstrual and pregnancy problems. The study highlighted the ecological significance of various NTFP species based on Density, Frequency, Abundance, and IVI analysis. The species with the highest IVI were Tsuga dumosa (38.31), Berberis aristata (29.1) and Trifolium repens (15.06), indicating their dominance among trees, shrubs, and herbs respectively. The high Simpson and Shannon-Wiener index values indicated a diverse and evenly distributed NTFP community in the study area. This research provides information on the importance of NTFPs for the sustenance of local communities and emphasizes the need for their conservation and sustainable management to preserve biodiversity and ecological balance.
DIVERSITY OF PTERIDOPHYTES ALONG THE ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT IN PALPA DISTRICT, WESTERN NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Acharya, Kamana
The present study aims to study the diversity of pteridophytes along the altitudinal gradient in Northern and Southern aspects of Palpa district, Western Nepal. A total of 126 quadrats were laid, with 63 in a Southern and 63 in a Northern aspect and size of plot was 5m×5m for vegetation sampling. 7 plots were laid along horizontal transect at every 100m altitude, with a 20 m differences between each sample plots. Altogether 42 species of pteridophytes belonging to 12 families and 24 genera were recorded in the study area. Pteridaceae was found as largest family on the basis of number of species. Highest species richness was observed at an altitude of 800 m on both aspects. Species diversity was found maximum in the Northern aspect because of the moist habitat than in comparison to Southern aspect. Pteidophytes species like Selaginella fulcrata, Thelypteris dentata, Selaginella pallida were dominant in the Northern aspect, and Selaginella fulcrata, Aleuritopteris bicolor, Dryopteris cochleata, Aleuritopteris dealbata were dominant in southern aspect. The pteridophytes species richness pattern was decline with increase in elevation at both aspects in this study. The mean species richness across elevations in both aspects was also shown statistically significant (p< 0.01) based on one-way ANOVA. Furthermore, 15 species were commonly used by the locals for fodder, medicine, also as vegetables.
Diversity, regeneration....
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Pokharel, Renu
The research aimed to study diversity, regeneration, and carbon stock of tree species in three Buddhist sacred forest in Lumbini, Tilaurakot, and Ramagram of Nepal. Purposive sampling design was carried out with a total of 70 plots, among them 40 plots in Lumbini, 20 in Tilaurakot and 10 in Ramagram sacred forest were sampledfor data collection. Quadrats of 20m X20m, 5m X 5m, and 1m X1 m were laid used for sampling trees, saplings, and seedlings, respectively. A total of 60 tree species, within 45 genera and 19 families were recorded from three sacred sites. The family Fabaceae has been found to exhibit the highest tree diversity representing 47, 23 and 27 tree species in Lumbini, Tilaurakot and Ramagram, respectively. Tree species such as Dalbergia sissoo, Schleichera oleosa and Terminalia arjuna was found to be dominant in Lumbini, Tilaurakot and Ramagram, respectively. Regeneration status of species was determined based on population size of seedlings,saplings and trees. In Lumbini, 85.34% of overall population structure was occupied by trees, 7.78% by saplings and 6.88% by seedlings. In Tilaurakot, 82.55% by trees, 9.66% by saplings and 7.79 % by seedlings. In Ramagram 85.84% by trees, 10.62% by sapling and 3.54% by seedlings. Survival of seedlings and saplings in different forests was found to be very low. Overall density diameter distribution curves of three forest showed different pattern. In Lumbini it was deviated from J-shape, Tilaurakot was bell shaped, and in Ramagram it was also deviated from J-shaped size class indicating poor regenerationin sacred sites. Anthropogenic disturbances and poor management of sacred sites are responsible for poor survival of seedlings and saplings. Very discontinuous regeneration showed that some tree species although dominant at present may be at risk in future. Carbon stock in Lumbini was found to be 24.06 ton/ha (highest contribution by Shorea robusta i.e. 28.30%), 41.41 ton/ha in Tilaurakot (highest contribution by Scheichera oleosa i.e. 51.62%) and 18.86 ton/ha in Ramagram i.e (highest by Terminalia arjuna i.e 26.67%). Carbon storage capacity was greater in Tilaurakot with greater DBH and older trees. Sacred forests are the source of various components e.g., food, fodder, fiber, medicinal, and they are also home to many threatened plant species. Sacred trees, preserved through past years should be respected and conserved for our future generation. Therefore, this research calls for plan to conserve biological diversity of sacred sites.
ECOLOGICAL STATUS AND SOCIO ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF Choerospondias axillaris AT PHALEWAS, PARBAT DISTRICT, NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2022-07-29) Acharya, Pratima
Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) B.L.Burtt & A.W.Hill is one of the important non timber forest products of Nepal belonging to family anacardiaceae. It is grown in hills of 900 to 2000m above sea level. It is a native tree to Nepal. The main objective of the study was to assess ecological status, vegetation structure and socio economic benefits ofC. axillaris in four wards of Phalewas Municipality of Parbat district namely Shankarpokhari, Thapathana, Thanamaula, and Bhangara areas. For ecological study systematic random sampling was applied for vegetation study. Total 72 quadrate were laid. Quadrate of 10 m radii were laid for trees and sub quadrates of 5 m radii were used for sampled of shrubs and sapling ofC. axillaris and quadrates of 1m radii was sampled in each 10 m radii quadrate for sampling of herbs and seedlings of C. axillaris . For socio-economic survey; questionnaire was done with the 61 people from 4 wards including local farmers, local government officials, and small entrepreneurs tradingC. axillaris. Likewise, secondary data were collected from the concerned authorities. Altogether, seventy two quadrates were sampled from 4 different wards. Ninety plants species belonging to 51 families were recorded along with C. axillaris from the study area. The highest density of C. axillaris was recorded from Bhangara area and lowest density was recorded from Thanamaula area. Similarly ecological parameters including frequency, density, and IVI were found highest forC. axillaris among the associate trees in all study sites. Besides C. axillaris major associated tree species were Schima wallichi and Ficus nerifolia. Similarly the biodiversity indices Shannon-Wiener's index (H) was found in between 2.31- 2.53 and Simpson index of diversity (D) of trees was found in between 0.84-0.91. The regeneration pattern ofC. axillaris was found very poor in all study sites. DBH and height class showed irregular distribution of C. axillaris. Economic status showed people sellC. axillaris fruits in raw form while some prepare Achar and Candy to earn money. The trend of the annual production and productive area of C. axillaris over period of 10 years (2067/68-2077/78) in Parbat district was slightly decreasing while that of productivity was increasing.C. axillaris is most important and dominant plant species in study sites with high socio-economic value from which local people were directly benefited
ECOLOGICAL STUDY AND DISTRIBUTION OF PTERIDOPHYTE ALONG THE ELEVATIONAL GRADIENT OF PHULCHOWKI HILL, CENTRAL NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) Madhikarmi, Anita
The present study aims to find the relationship between pteridophyte richness along the elevational gradients of Phulchowki Hill, Central Nepal. The study was carried out in three elevational zones namely lower (1500-1900 masl), middle (1900-2300 masl) and upper elevation (2300- 2700 masl), starting from 1550 masl and ending to 2698 masl of Phulchowki Hill at an interval of 100 m. Random number of quadrats having 5m × 5m sizes were laid at each elevation band. SPSS- Software and Microsoft Excel were used to perform the statistical analysis. All together 46 (39 terrestrials and 7 epiphytic) pteridophyte species belonging to 28 genera and 14 families have been documented. Among the 14 families Polypodiaceae was found to be the largest family having highest number of genera followed by Pteridiaceae. However, Pteridiaceae was found as largest family on the basis of highest number of species followed by Dryopteridaceae and Polypodiaceae. Plant community properties such as species richness, diversity, and composition vary along environmental gradients. Species richness of tree species showed asymmetric hump shaped pattern of distribution with elevational gradients. The pteridophyte species richness significantly differs along the elevational gradients within different sites. Pteridophyte species like Selaginella chrysocaulis, Dryopteris carolohopei were dominant in lower elevational zone; Polystichum squarrosum, Drynaria moliis were dominant in middle and Polypodiodes hendersonii, Drynaria moliis were observed dominant in upper elevational sites. The Spearman's correlation analysis table shows elevational gradient strongly affects the pteridophytes richnes
ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Fleming) H. Karst IN LAPRAK AREA, GORKHA, NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2022-07-19) Subedi, Bishal
Swertia chirayita (Roxb.ex Flem) Karst is one of the highly traded medicinal plants from Nepal. Systematic sampling was done in three different places of the Gorkha district (Laprak-2360- 2825masl, Barpak-2080-2790masl and Kashigaun-1860-2036masl) to understand the existing ecological status of S. chirayita. The soil pH in these sampling sites ranged from 3.2 to 5.9. The soil total nitrogen content (0.01%-0.14%) and total soil organic carbon (0.3%-4.65%) in the sampling sites was low. The phosphorous content of the soil in the sampling sites ranged from 47.84kg/hectors to 85.9kg/hector. The slope angle of the sampling plots ranged from 19.70 to 37.40 . The density of S. chirayita had significant positive correlation with total nitrogen content of soil (0.57), total organic carbon (0.61) which means it grows well in the soil rich in nitrogen and organic carbon and significant negative correlation with phosphorous content of the soil (-0.61), which means the plant doesn’t favors the high amount of phosphorous. The distribution of S. chirayita was not uniform, and was either contagious or random in the study area. The most common associated species were Anaphalis contorta, Osbeckia stellata, Boehmeria platyphylla, Miscanthus nepalensis Artemisia indicia, etc. Invasive plant species like Ageratina adenophora, Bidens pilosa and Oxalis latifolia were also found associated with S. chirayita in the study site.
EFFECT OF DISTURBANCE ON PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY, FOREST STRUCTURE AND REGENERATION IN COMMUNITY FORESTS OF DEUKHURI, DANG, NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Khatri, Rita
Disturbance are the major drivers of forest ecosystem. Disturbance both natural and human disturbances affect forest characteristics and biodiversity of the local area. This study investigated the effect of disturbance in plant species diversity, forest structure and regeneration in Durga community forest (undisturbed) and Mahadewa community forest (disturbed) of Deukhuri, Dang Nepal. Disturbance was estimated by visual observation of the study area on the basis of different disturbance parameters. Altogether 60 plots were laid for the study. Each of 30 quadrats of 20m×20m for tree, 2 sub plots of 5m×5m for shrubs and 3 sub plots of 2m×2m for herbs within each tree plot were laid in disturbed and undisturbed forest. A total of 106 plant species under 44 families were recorded from study area. Among the recorded species, 69 plant species under 35 families were found in undisturbed forest and 81 plant species under 35 families were found in disturbed forest. Whereas, 44 species under 26 families were common to both. Fabaceae was the richest family in undisturbed forest while Poaceae dominated in disturbed forest. Shorea robusta was the dominant tree species in both forests with higher IVI value (i.e, 212.127 in undisturbed and 256.201 in disturbed). The grasses like Cynodon dctylon Eragrostis sp., Cyperus rotundus, Imperata cylindrica etc. dominated disturbed forest while Hemidesmus indicus, Dioscorea alata, Cynodon dactylon etc were found more in undisturbed forest. Some of the herb and shrub species were added up during rainy season. Shrub Clerodendrum infortunatum dominated both forest types. The overall plant biodiversity was higher in disturbed forest. The herb density (per hectare) was higher in disturbed forest while the tree and shrub density was higher in undisturbed forest during both (rainy and dry) season. The Diameter- density relation was reverse J shape i.e, with increase in diameter the number of trees decreases which show that trees are at intermediate stage of growth. Similarly, the height class distribution showed that in disturbed forest highest frequency was at 20-25m with very few young trees while in undisturbed forest there were more frequency at 15-20m height. The regeneration pattern in undisturbed forest was comparatively good as the number of seedlings were higher followed by number of saplings and trees. Whereas, in disturbed forest there were more trees than seedlings and saplings. Shorea robusta had the higher regeneration compared to other species in both forest.
ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY IN KHAS COMMUNITY OF RAMAROSHAN RURAL MUNICIPALITY, ACHHAM, WESTERN NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Neupane, Sanju
Ramaroshan Rural Municipality of Achham district lies in the Sudur Paschim Province in West Nepal. This area is rich in biodiversity. The present study includes documentation of ethnobotanically useful plant species found in this area. Different plant specimens were prepared during field visit. Quantitative parameters like Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Frequency Index (FI), and Used Values (UV) were used during ethnobotanical analysis to find out the important uses of plant species in the study area. A total number of 156 plants belonging to 75 families were recorded from the study area. The grass family (Poaceae) was the most dominant family while the tobacco family (Solanaceae) was the least one. Among the different use categories, 56% of plants were used for single uses and 44% of plants were used for multiple uses. The highest ICF value was obtained for anticancer and antidote use while least ICF value was obtained for skeleton- muscular and cardiovascular disorders. Among 42 species in medicinal category, the frequency index showed that Hymenidium dentatum, Neopicororhiza scrophulariiflora and Hippolytia dolichophylla were most used plant species having a high frequency index. 89% were considered to have a high use value, 7% a moderate value, and 4% a low use value. Among them, highest value for Spinacia oleracea (2.5), and Acorus calamus (2.35), and moderate value for Ficus religiosa (1.87), and Cuscuta reflexa (1.85) and the least use value (1) was known for 103 species such as Aconitum lethale, Zingiber officinale, and so on.
Flora of Shaktikhor V.D.C, Chitwan District (Central Nepal)
(Amrit Campus, 2022-07-19) K.C., Bindu
Shaktikhor is one of the biodiversity pocket areas of Chitwan district. The present study was carried out with an aim to enumerate the flowering plant species within the elevation range of 210-1250 m, of Chitwan District (Central Nepal). Five field visits were made covering all seasons from June 2017 to June 2019. Altogether 145 species (excluding 1 unidentified species) of flowering plants were recorded belonging to 111 genera and 41 families. The study area was found to be dominated by Fabaceae (17 spp.), Poaceae with 14 species (13 genera), followed by Asteraceae (10 spp.), Cyperaeae (9 spp) and Acanthaceae (11 spp. each), etc. One endemic species Oroxylum indicum was recorded from this area.
Forest Structure and Regeneration of Quercus semecarpifolia in Api-Nampa Conservation area, Nepal
(Amrit Campus, 2022-07-19) Joshi, Daya Krishna
Himalayan forest is dominated by different species of Oaks (Quercus spp.) at different altitudes. This work was carried out to study the forest structure and regeneration of Q. semecarpifolia along altitudinal gradient in Api-Nmpa Conservation Area. The vegetation data was collected from a total of 48 number of 20×20 m square quadrat for tree species in which plots were established at lower limit of Q. semecarpifolia i.e. 2489 masl to uppermost limit i.e 3636 masl. The Shrubs and tree saplings including lianas were recorded from the nested plot sized by 25 m2 and herbs and tree seedlings from the quadrat size of 4 m2 . Importance Value Index (IVI) of tree, shrub and herb species, distribution pattern of seedlings and saplings, and soil attributes were analyzed. Regeneration was assessed by density - diameter curve. Fourty eight soil samples were taken for laboratory analysis. A total of 188 species of woody and non woody species belonging to 67 families were recorded. Tree species richness in the forest decreased with increasing elevation. The most frequent and dense tree species in the forest was Q. semecarpifolia with important value index percent of about 19% (IVI=56) and it was present in 80% of the sampling plots. IP of Q. semecarpifolia in the lower elevation range was 8% and in middle and upper range 17% and 41% respectively. Seedling and sapling were present in 30.2% and 75% of sample plot in the forest. The tree density of Q. semecarpifolia in the forest area was 235stem/ha with basal area 42.22 m2 /hectare. Seedling and sapling density of Quercus semecarpifolia in the forest was 4010 stem/ha and 1058 stem/ha. All the tree, sapling and seedling density and basal area of Q. semecarpifolia were higher in the higher elevations. The average maximum DBH of Q. semecarpifolia was 46.72 cm and average maximum height was 18.61 m. Q. semecarpifolia above 2800 m elevation showed sustainable regeneration as evident from reverse J shaped curve. However it below 2800 m elevation showed weak regeneration as evident from bell shaped curve. Altitude was the main factor for unequal distribution of species along the altitude. Soil nutrient such as nitrogen and potassium showed positive but insignificant relationship with seedlings and saplings.
IMPACT OF AGERATUM HOUSTONIANUM MILL. INVASION ON PLANT DIVERSITY AND CROPS IN DIFFERENT LAND USE TYPES OF KANCHANPUR, NEPAL
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) SINGH, SANGITA
Invasive plant species means an alien species which become established in natural or semi-natural ecosystems and threatens native biological diversity. It has high resistant capacity, produce large number of seeds and can grow easily in different types of habitat. It can out-compete native species, reduces wildlife habitat potential, alter ecosystem processes and change soil properties and have great role in land cover change. Ageratum houstonianum is a native species of America that enters to Nepal. It has grown in different land use (agriculture, forest, grassland). Laljhadhi-Mohana Biological corridor (LMBC) is corridor between Suklaphanta national park and Dudhwa national park largest national park of India. Corridor is a pathway of plants and animals so invasive plants species can easily enters. From India to Nepal invasive species can easily enters through corridors and may impact native species diversity. To understand the impact of A. houstoniunum on species diversity, vegetation sampling was done. Altogether 120 plots of size 2m×2m were laid in each sampling site (invaded and non-invaded sites).Different quantitative parameters for vegetation analysis like frequency, density, coverage, IVI, Simpson Index, Shannon Wiener Index were calculated. Results showed that the diversity of non-invaded area was greater than the invaded area. To understand the impact of allelochemical effect of leaf to the crop plant, different concentrations (2, 10, 20, 30, 50%) were prepared. Seed germination of winter and summer crop plant was done in different concentrations of leaf extract and also in control to compare the impact. Germination was significantly inhibited (p=0.05) in higher concentrations (20, 20, 50%) than lower concentrations (2, 10%) of mustard crop. Measurement of radicle and plumule was taken. Growth rate was lower in high concentrations (20, 30, 50%) than low concentrations (2, 10%). Summer crop (maize and paddy) was not affected by allelochemical effect of leaf extract but winter crop (mustard and wheat) was highly affected by allelochemical effect of A. houstonianum.
Impact of Biogas Plant on Forest Community and Carbon Stock in Western Nepal
(Amrit Campus, 2024-01-28) Pandey, Shanti
In Nepal, the rural residential sector is highly dependent on firewood energy, which is the major cause of deforestation. Biogas is one of those and has become an important alternative energy source that reduces rural dependence on fuel-wood consumption and helps in forest conservation. These forests play an important role in reducing global warming and climate change by conserving atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of the biogas plant on fuel consumption in the Kaligandaki rural municipality, Gulmi district, Nepal. Two different community forests users’ groups (CFUGs) were selected for the study namely, Harsa Community Forest (HCF) users’ and Sarsa Community Forest (SCF) users’ group. To assess the Important Value Index (IVI), species diversity, regeneration, and carbon stock, in total 40 sample plots (20 plots in each forest) of 10m radius were sampled using systematic random sampling method. Within the 10m radius plots, 2 subplots of 5m radius were laid for shrubs and 3 subplots of 2m radius for herbs. Tree biomass was estimated using an allometric equation, and regeneration was estimated by calculating the density of each species in seedling, sapling, and tree phases. To know about biogas plant, data were collected from field observation and personal interview. Of 40 households, 20 were selected for each forest user group in the Kaligandaki rural municipality. The carbon stock of HCF was found to be slightly higher (38.46 t/ha) than in SCF (34.46 t/ha) and increased with increasing use of a larger number of biogas plant users’ group. Similarly, total species diversity was found to be higher in HCF, but the diversity of herbs species was higher in SCF. HCF had a very good regeneration status with 12715 seedlings/ha, 6025 saplings/ha and 1230 trees/ha compared to SCF. The open canopy of HCF might have favoured the regeneration of a larger number of seedlings and saplings. This result revealed that the ground vegetation and regeneration was high in the less dense canopy forest and the installation of biogas plants helped in forest conservation.
Impact of Cropping Patterns on seed bank and emergence of Orobanche in infested field.
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) KARN, MAYA
Orobanche is a genus of more than 200 species of parasitic herbaceous plants in the family Orobancheaceae that cause damages to the important vegetables and field crops in many parts of the globe including Nepal. Orobanche is a problematic parasitic weed in tomato and brinjal fields of Lalbandi, a major tomato growing areas in Nepal. Orobanche emergence in the early sown six tomato and one brinjal fields, and in late sown six tomato and one brinjal fields were recorded along with the past history of each fields. The soil samples from these seven early sown and seven late sown fields were collected for the Orobanche seed bank study. The Orobanche seed bank study was conducted using the flotation technique of Ashworth (1976) with some modification (Acharya et al., 2003).From this study on Orobanche emergence at early and late sown tomato and brinjal fields, it can be concluded that the severity of the parasitic weed in a field cannot be ascertain with the Orobanche shoot emergence alone. The Orobanche seed bank study gave the real picture of parasitic weed infestation in the field. In the early sown tomato fields F7,Orobanche seeds/100g soil was significantly lowest, and this filed had a history of only cultivation of cucumber for last 5 years with no winter crops and tomato was grown only after five years as winter crop. This clearly indicates that gapping of tomato cultivation reduces Orobanche seed bank in the fields. Similarly, reduction in Orobanche seed bank was also recorded in early sown fields like F1 and F4, where hand pulling of Orobanche shoot was in practice, as well as have the field history with the intervention of crop rotation with lentil and chickpea, respectively. Among the late sown fields of tomato and brinjal, Orobanche seeds/100gsoil was found to be less than in early sown fields. The Orobanche seeds/100g soil in late sown fields was significantly (P=0,05) low in F5 and F1 which had a history of growing only paddy for last 3 years and 2 years, respectively (with no winter crop), and then tomato was cultivated as winter crop after 3 and 2 years, respectively. This indicated that gapping the cultivation of host plants for some years also helps in reducing the seed bank of parasitic weeds. Beside this when Orobanche seed bank/100 g soil was compared between the paddy and maize fields of early and late sown tomato/brinjal fields, most of the paddy fields were recorded to have less Orobanche seed bank than at the maize fields. From the Orobanche seed bank study of early and late sown tomato and brinjal fields it can be concluded that late sowing helps in reducing the Orobanche seed bank in soil.
Impact of Fire on Plant Diversity, Regeneration, and Carbon Stock in Community Forests at Lamahi, Dang, Nepal
(Amrit Campus, 2023-08-14) Pokhrel, Sita
This study investigated the effects of fire on plant species diversity, biomass, and regeneration at Bakena and Sundabari Community Forests, Lamahi, Dang, Nepal. Altogether 30 quadrats that experienced burnt (Sundabari CF) and 30 quadrats that were not exposed to fire (Bakena CF) were laid for the study. A total of 69 plant species, under 32 families, were recorded in this study from the unburnt Bakena Community forest (BCF), whereas 52 plant species, under 27 families were recorded from burnt Sundabari Community forest (SCF). Among these recorded species, 35 species were herbs, 20 species were trees and 14 species were shrubs in the unburnt forest (BCF), whereas in SCF that experienced fire every year had 22 species of herbs, 16 species of shrubs, and 14 species of trees. Tree species like Bombax ceiba, Ficus benjamina, Ficus racemosa, Madhuca longifolia, Mallotus philippenis, Phyllanthu emblica, etc were not recorded in the SCF that were having a fire every year. Similarly, the shrubs like Jasmine sp. Senna occidental, Smilax sp. and Thysanolaena latifolia and herbs like Acmella paniculata, Acorus sp., Ageratum houstonianum, Anaphalis sp., Asplenium sp., etc were not recorded from the SCF (burnt forest). Some of the shrubs and herbs recorded in burnt forest (BF) but absent at unburnt forest (UBF) were Asparagus racemosa, Dioscorea deltoidea, Phyllanthus sp., Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Adiantum sp., Digitaria sanguinalis, Eulaliopsis binate, Galinsoga sp., etc. The Shannon Weiner diversity index and Simpson diversity index were higher in the non-fire forest (BCF). In the present study, the total density of seedlings, saplings, and trees of all species in UBF were 474.167, 694.167, and 559.167 individuals/ha, respectively whereas in BF seedlings, saplings, and trees were found to be 552.5, 565.83, and 341.667 individuals/ha, respectively. The density of seedlings of Shorea robusta, saplings of Melia azedarach, and trees of Acacia catechu, were found to be higher than other species in BCF i.e unburnt forest. But at SCF, that experience fire every year had the higher density of Acacia catechu seedlings, saplings, and trees than other species. Total Carbon stock in UBF was much higher than at the BF. The total carbon stock in trees of UBF and BF was calculated to be 123.690 t/ha, and 23.133 t/ha respectively. Shorea robusta had the highest biomass in both above and below ground in both forests i.e 72.293 t/ha in above ground and 14.459 t/ha in below ground in NFF (BCF) and 20.439 t/ha above ground and 4.088 t/ha below ground in FF (SCF). Soil organic carbon decreased after a fire. The % of mineralizable N, available P, and extractable K decreased at FF (i.e SCF) but the bulk density increased at the FF (at SCF).
Impact of invasive plant..................
(Amrit Campus, 2022-08-29) Pandey, Rakshya

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