PLANT DIVERSITY AND CARBON STOCK OF TWO COMMUNITY MANAGED FORESTS, KAILALI, WESTERN NEPAL

Abstract

Vegetation study is crucial for the biophysical environment and ecosystem balance. Carbon stock and biodiversity have an intricate relationship. Community forests were functioning to upscale the carbon sequestration as well as the biodiversity. This study is intended to assess the plant diversity and carbon stock of two different types of community forests, Kailali, Western Nepal. Teghari community forest was riverine forest and Durgalaxmi community forest was Sal forest. 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, 3 subplots of 5m radii for shrubs and 3 subplots of 1m radii for herbs were laid. Tree biomass was estimated 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 DCF was found higher 148.75 t/ ha in DCF than 39.30 t/ ha in TCF. The diversity of herbs and shrubs was higher in riverine forest (Teghari community forest) than Sal forest (Durgalaxmi community forest) due to the presence of more open canopy which facilitates understory vegetation like Murraya koenigii and Lantana camara were most common shrub species. Similarly, total species diversity was found higher in riverine Teghari community forest. The index of similarity between two different forests was found to be quite low. The mean value of basal area, DBH, carbon stock was higher in Durgalaxmi community forest compared to Teghari community forest. These results revealed that the ground vegetation and regeneration was high in less dense canopy forest and Sal forest had higher carbon stock than riverine forest.