Assessing carbon stocks in forest ecosystems is essential for the development of effective management strategies. This study was carried out with aim to assess the tree species richness, phytomass carbon stock, and soil organic carbon (SOC) in Barandabhar forest in Chitwan, Bagmati Province, Nepal under four management regimes within forest such as: Buffer Zone Forest (BZ), Buffer Zone Community Forest (BZCF), Community Forest (CF), and Protected Forest (PF) using concentric circular plots of 20 m radius (each of 0.12 ha). Altogether 256 sample plots were employed. Among them, 119 plots were in BZ, 48 plots in BZCF, 56 plots in CF, and 33 plots in PF. All tree species in each plot were recorded and their height and diameter at breast height (DBH ≥ 5cm) were measured to calculate phytomass carbon stock. Soil parameters such as pH, Bulk density, and SOC for soil samples collected from 0–10 cm depth in each plot were also analysed. In total, 30 tree species were recorded in the study, with Shorea robusta contributing the highest phytomass carbon stock. The mean phytomass carbon stock across the study area was 201±5 t/ha, while the mean SOC in the soil was 10.2±0.2 t/ha. Across the regimes, the highest phytomass carbon stock was recorded in the BZCF i.e., 239 ± 14 t/ha, followed by PF (207 ± 12 t/ha), BZ (202 ± 6 t/ha), and CF (162 ± 8 t/ha), respectively. The better predictors of phytomass carbon were soil pH and bulk density including tree basal area. These findings emphasize that forest management practices could have a significant impact on the carbon storage potential of forests.
The Mundhum Trekking Trail (MTT) is a newly revived cultural trail in eastern Nepal, enriching traditional biocultural diversity. MTT shares elevation up to 4165 meters (viewpoint of Silchung Peak) from sea level and encompasses various lakes and mountains with high cultural values. Among them Salpa Pokhari and Silichung Peak (4,155 m asl) are key places. In this communication, we have reviewed the history and the initiatives undertaken to revive this trail, enumerated flowering plants and biocultural diversity and analyzed the ecotourism potentiality of this trail. We reported 264 species of angiosperms, belonging to 84 families and 190 genera, with the maximum number of species and genera belonging to Poaceae followed by Asteraceae. Further, we identified the culturally important plant and animal species used by Kirati people along the trail. Our results indicate that the newly revived historical trail has huge potential both as a cultural and an ecotourism trail. Besides, there has already been a surge of visitors in recent years, there is equally an urgent need to conserve the rich biocultural diversity along the trail to develop and promote it as purely a cultural ecotourism trail.
The study aimed to determine the species composition of the “Nova Sofiyivka” park and assess the appropriateness of plant selection for creating thematic compositions. The analysis of 9 exhibition zones in the “Nova Sofiyivka” park revealed differences in the species composition across the various areas. The dendroflora of the Entrance Zone plot includes 13 taxa from 5 families. The composition of the Entrance Group plot consists of 9 taxa of woody plants, which belong to 5 families. The species diversity of woody plants in the Fountain Square plot includes 19 taxa from 10 families. The dendroflora of the Regular Garden plot includes 16 taxa from 12 families, the Fairytale Garden plot includes 14 taxa from 8 families, and the Japanese Garden plot includes 68 taxa from 12 families. To createthe dendro-compositions in the Ukrainian Homestead plot, 7 taxa from 7 families are used, in the Dragon Garden plot, 7 taxa from 6 families, and in the Lake plot, 11 taxa from 4 families. The plant compositions on the territory of the “Nova Sofiyivka” park include 112 taxa of woody plants: 49 taxa of deciduous tree species, 47 taxa of deciduous shrubs, 8 taxa of coniferous tree species, and 8 taxa of coniferous shrubs. The research results can be used for planning ethno-compositions and creating recreational areas in urbanized environments.
The Red-headed Bunting is considered a vagrant species in Nepal, with very few records from the country. We reported the first observation of this species from the Dang Deukhuri Foothill Forests and west Rapti Wetlands, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) located in Deukhuri, Dang District, southwestern Nepal. A total of seven individuals were observed, with one photographed on 16 April 2024, during a point-count survey of farmland birds. This is the westernmost known record of the species from Nepal. This finding underscores the importance of the IBA as a stopover for migrants using the Central Asian Flyway. The IBA remains largely unexplored, and a thorough survey of the birds and other biodiversity of the IBA is needed. Furthermore, based on data from recent observations of this species in Nepal and the IUCN criteria, we recommend that this species be reclassified from “Vagrant” to “Extant” and “Passage migrant” for Nepal.
The tropical forests of Nepal face significant threats due to disturbances like grazing, human activities, forest fires, deforestation, and construction. This study aimed to assess the impact of disturbances on tree diversity, carbon stock, and regeneration and regeneration in two community forests in Dang, Western Nepal: Pathivara Community Forest (highly disturbed) and Janakalyan Community Forest (less disturbed). In the present study, data from 60 circular sample plots (30 in each forest) were analyzed. Soil samples, collected to a depth of 30 cm, were tested for organic matter, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and pH content. Eighteen tree species across 15 genera and 10 families were recorded, where a higher diversity was observed in the less disturbed forest (LDF) compared to the highly disturbed forest (HDF). Shorea robusta was the dominant species in both forests, contributing significantly tocarbon storage. The mean carbon stock in HDF and LDF was 46.48 Mg/ha and 72.72 Mg/ha, respectively. The overall regeneration was poor in both forests, particularly among saplings compared to standard community forest inventory guidelines. LDF showed higher organic matter, nitrogen, and potassium content, while HDF had greater phosphorus levels. The study highlighted the adverse effects of disturbances on forest quality and regeneration. The less disturbed forest (LDF) exhibits better carbon storage, soil fertility, and species diversity compared to the highly disturbed forest (HDF). To improve forest conditions, it is recommended to enhance conservation efforts, reduce anthropogenic pressures, and implement effective management practices to support natural regeneration, particularly for saplings.
