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A. C. Gupta , D. P. Raturi

Abstract

Distribution of organic matter and plant nutrients in a 10 yearS old Eucalyptus hybrid plantation raised on lateritic soil in Mauza Barihote, Hoomgarh Range, East Midoapore Forest Division, West Bengal have been discussed. It seems that Eucalyptus hybrid is well suited for this tract when growth with adequate manuring. From the growth rate of this species on average type of soil the crop at the end of the first rotation can be expected to yield about 90 tonnes of usable nood per ha which should increase with better inputs and experience in raising these plantations.

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G. S. Puri , A. C. Gupta

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No abstract

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G. S. Puri , A. C. Gupta

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Soil profiles on river alluvia from the chir pine, blue pine, blue pine-deodar communities, and on glacial moraines and alluvia from spruce and silver fir communities were studied from the Parbatti and Kulu valleys. The data show a significant correlation between organic matter, nitrogen and Ca content of the humus. Both nitrogen and CaO tend to increase with an increase in organic matter in these soils. The amounts of organic matter, and nitrogen falls considerably in lower layers of the soil. On the basis of pH, nitrogen, organic matter, and Ca the soils studied have been classed into three categories of skeletal, brown earth and podsolized soils and these three types have been found to bear different forest communities. Ph of the soil also shows relationship with forest communities. Broadly speaking spruce and silver fir communities occurring at higher altitudes are found on brown earth soils of low Ph value, high organic matter, high nitrogen and high amounts of Ca. The blue pine-deodar and deodar occurring in medium altitudes are found on podsolized or old brown earth profiles with medium Ph values, low Ca, medium N and medium organic matter content. The chir pine community occuring on lowest altitudes occupies skeletal soils with high Ph, low organic matter, low nitrogen and medium calcium. The high amounts of nitrogen and organic matter in soils at higher altitudes is probably due to low temperature and high amounts of atmospheric moisture under which conditions the decomposition of plant material in soils is inhibited. On the basis of C/N and CaO content of tree litter of conifer and broad-leaved species growing in these forests explanations have been given for differences in Ph and calcium content of these soils. Some remarks have been offered on the problem of conifer regeneration in this area and the necessity of intensive work on management types of Suri has been stressed for this purpose.

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N. P. Mohan , G. S. Puri , A. C. Gupta

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A number of soil profiles under the main forest communities of the Bashahr Himalayas have been studied. The climax communities are : Quercus semecarpifolia Quercus incana, Quercus ilex. Besides these, mixed oak-conifer communities and pure conifer communities occurring in the areas occupied by the above climatic climaxes have also been studied. The distribution of different layers on horizons have been shown for each forest community. The amount of loss on ignition, moisture, soil relative humidity, pH and exchangeable Ca has been studied. The mean figures of the above constituents for each forest community were determined. These show very interesting differences in different forest communities. The relationship of various constituents of humus with one another was also studied. The paper marks a definite advance in our knowledge of the casual relationship of oak-conifer communities of the Himalayas with the environment.

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A. C. Gupta

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When a land starts developing fast from a primitive stage a planned development is necessary for its well-being, and this is particularly true of a hill area made up mostly of semi-crushed rocks and subject to very heavy rainfall. Such has been the case with the North Bengal hills and Sikkim where lie the catchments of many rivers. Nature had provided these areas with a great deal of rich forest which held the balance between the soil, the rivers and the elements, but with the start of development and advent of prosperity the population grew manifold; and before a realization had dawned on the administrators practically all forests in the areas more favourably situated got depleted, and the delicate soil was subjected to all forms of malpractices. The inevitable followed in course of years, and heavy soil erosion, the silting up of water courses and floods resulted. Now therefore arises a question of remedy, but remedy is difficult in the altered circumstances of human needs. Special slip forestry which is the only known effective means of restoration of soil equilibrium has perforce to be practised, but in order to keep the problem of eviction and rehabilitation of peasants to the minimum only such areas should be trreated under forestry as have completely gone out of hand, the rest being brought under conditional cultivation. The putting up of check dams in the waterways aimed at reducing the velocity of the flow is not considered wise until after sometime when the excessive soil erosion will have been brought under control, and thus the risk of the dams being completely buried removed.

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A. C. Gupta

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The large tidal delta in West Bengal known as the Sundarbans was formed ages ago in the floodplane of two large rivers, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, emanating from the Himalayas and more or less converging in the area formerly occupied by Undivioled Bengal. In the 14th century A.D. the main flow of the Ganges having diverted to the Padma from the Bhagirathi the waterways in the western part of the Sundarbans, the whole of which now lies in West Bengal, started silting up as a result of the back rush of silt from the continental shelf in the bay into the rivers with the flow tide, and the Sundarbans thus gradually turned into a problem area. Except for a limited amount of cultivation on its borders, especially the west and the north, the entire area was wooded with mangrove species, and was an uninhabited waste until the middle of the 19th century when the British Indian Government induced the surrounding population to reclaim areas by granting many concessions. Very large areas were thus leased out to land speculators, who under the terms of the lease cleared the land of forest and put up marginal embankments to check the ingress of the tide water, which was highly saline. The lessees not however being bound to maintain the embankments in a good state of repair the tenants suffered very heavily whenever there was a breach, and breaches were not infrequent. The system not having thus proved a success it was discontinued in 1905 and no further large grants were made to land speculators. Instead, small leases were granted to cultivators and the State took upon itself the burden of putting up embankments and maintaining these. Even the State management has not been an unqualified success for breaches often occur in the embankment and large areas of cultivation are inundated with salt water. The trouble and expense of relief, rehabilitation, resealing and resweetening prove considerable. Besides, the beds of the waterways are steadily rising, particularly for the reason that the areas of normal spill have been to a great extent shut out by the erection of embankments. The result of this has been to expose the reclaimed areas to an increasing degree of risk of inundation with salt water. The remedies suggested include- ( 1 ) The resumption by State of low-lying reclaimed areas by batches, removing the embankment and leaving the areas to nature for a certain number of years so that a vertical growth of land may take place. ( 2) Reconstruction of embankments leaving a marginal strip of land between themselves and the rivers, and the afforestation of the strip. ( 3) Provision of shelter belts of suitable trees within the enclosed areas to keep out saline sprays. ( 4) The control and regulation of siltation in the rivers and the spillways. It is confidently expected that if salt in all forms can be completely kept out of the reclaimed areas the productivity of the land will greatly increase, and besides certain essential crops such as jute, which cannot be grown now, it will then be possible to cultivate.

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A. C. Gupta

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No abstract

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M. A. Waheed Khan , A. C. Gupta

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A phytosociological study of sal (Shorea robusta) regeneration was made in B. 3-High Level Alluvium sal forests of the Dehra Dun valley. The occurrence and condition of sal regeneration was precisely determined with regard to forest stratification and spatial distribution of species. The ecological methods adopted were modified belt transects with thorough cartography of vegetation, involving accurate charting and profile representation. Both favourable and unfavourable communities with regard to sal regeneration have been distinguished and the role of competition is stressed. Favourable associates apparently do not compete with sal seedlings for light, moisture and nutrients, and may. on the contrary produce a congenial and cool atmosphere for rapid growth. This study, therefore, is suggestive of the fact that in practice it is advisable to deal drastically with the unfavourable type of shrubby growth and ground flora, along with adequate canopy manipulation, for obtaining and establishing sal regeneration.

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M. A. Waheed Khan , J. S. P. Yadav , A. C. Gupta

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Fir (Abies pindrow) and spruce (Picea morinda) forests at Deoban suffered abnormal mortality, following the heavy fellings done during 1941 to 1950. The cause of this mortality has been assessed from various angles and it has been concluded that as fir and spruce preferentially require a cool and moist habitat and though can withstand a tolerable amount of shade in early stages are still susceptible to permanent stagnation. Sudden exposure by way of inordinately heavy fellings of a long over-stocked forest may cause death of trees with indiscrimination. The physical and biological balances being upset, the adverse effects are all the more pronounced due to superficial, non-massive ischolar_main systems of these species, and the abnormal reduction in crown length, either due to continued overcongestion or the deterioration set in by sudden excessive exposure. In the Indian forestry literature, this is the first record of mortality caused due to upsetting the physical and biological balances through heavy fellings.

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S. K. Seth , O. N. Kaul , A. C. Gupta

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It is generally believed that pure plantations are usually exacting on soil nutrients and continued rotations of the same species, on the same site, may deteriorate the site conditions considerably. The annual leaf fall, which in most deciduous species commences by about December, continues for a few months and may even linger on till the rains, brings back some proportion of these nutrients to the soil, but the exact quantities so involved are not known for Indian species. The matter needs all the more attention in view of large scale afforestation of degraded areas in the country with fast growing short rotation species. A preliminary investigation in this regard was therefore considered necessary and data were collected from teak (Tectona grandis), sal (Shorea robusta), chir (Pinus roxburghii), Araucaria cunninghamii and bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) plantations at the F.R.I., during the period November, 1960 to June, 1961.

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O. N. Kaul , A. C. Gupta , J. D. S. Negi

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The paper describes the morphological symptoms caused by the deficiency of some macronutrients ou teak (Tectona grandis) seedlings and their effect on growth, dry matter production and nutrient uptake. The results indicate that recognisable deficiency symptoms were caused by the absence of each of the macronutrients. Unlike some other forest species studied so far, deficiency of sulphur caused distinct symptoms of chlorosis, curling of leaves and premature defoliation with restricted shoot growth. The deficiency of all the elements except that of potassium significantly reduced height growth and dry matter production.

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O. N. Kaul , A. C. Gupta , J. D. S. Negi

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The paper describes the morphological symptoms caused by the deficiency of some macro-nutrients on Pinus potula seedlings and their effect on growth and dry matter production. Recognisable symptoms were caused by the deficiency of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur and this was reflected 10 height increment and dry matter production of the seedlings.

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