Get More Info!

Announcement
Announcement

ANNOUNCEMENTS



TERI SAS launches M.Sc. (Energy Studies & Management)
The Potential of Acacia mearnsii plantations to aid in regeneration of native Shola forest in the Upper Palni Hills, South India

Student name: Mr Aalap Dikshit
Guide: Dr Joachim Michael Schmerbeck
Year of completion: 2015
Host Organisation: TERI University, New Delhi and Vattakanal Conservation Trust, Tamil Nadu
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Tanya Balcar
Abstract: The hypothesis that the abundance and diversity of indigenous species increases with increasing stand age was tested by evaluating the natural regeneration of native Shola forest under stands of Acacia mearnsii in the upper Palni Hills, South India. The vegetation composition, diversity, density and basal area were compared on 11 stands by laying down a total number of 46 plots representing young, mid-age and mature Acacia mearnsii plantations. The aim was to know the potential of Acacia mearnsii plantations of different age classes to aid in the regeneration of Shola forest through natural successional processes, determining whether regeneration through natural succession is sufficient to restore Shola forest or some management interventions are needed. The results reveal significant increase in the understory species diversity and composition from young to mature plantations. In addition to that, the density, basal area and species richness increased with the age of plantations. The Bray-Curtis ordination showed a separation between plantations based on species composition. Similarly, the cluster analysis, showed similarity between plantations of similar age class and grouped them together. Furthermore, the results of two-way cluster analysis showed abundant regeneration of Acacia mearnsii seedlings in young plantations while it was almost completely absent in mid-age and mature plantations. In the matured plantations, only few surviving individuals of Acacia mearnsii were found which might indicate that the native forest can be restored through natural succession which eventually takes over the plantations. A long term monitoring of an area without any disturbance would give a clearer picture on the ability of Acacia mearnsii to act as a nurse tree for the regeneration of other species. The results do demonstrate a useful successional process which could be used to achieve specific management objectives at relatively low costs. Keywords: Acacia mearnsii, regeneration, succession, Palni Hills, Shola.