Assistant Professor and PI of the Carbon Sequestration Project Supervisors: Dr Sumit Chakravarty Phone: 09851380707 Address: Department of Forestry, UBKV, Pundibari-736165 (Cooch Behar) West Bengal
The present study was conducted at Chilapatta Reserve Forest under Cooch Behar Wildlife Division ... more The present study was conducted at Chilapatta Reserve Forest under Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in T erai zone of West Bengal. The study was aimed to analyze the carbon stock and its accumulation in different components of various floristic layers including trees, herbs and shrubs based on dominant species/stands. The dominant stands selected were Lagerstroemia parviflora, Shorea robusta, T ectona grandis and Michelia champaca. Aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation was estimated for all these stands. The majority of the contribution to biomass and carbon of the different stands was contributed by the trees (99 %) while a negligible amount was contributed by shrubs (0.25 %) and herbs (0.06 %). Stems were the dominant contributor toward biomass accumulation followed by branches, roots, leaves and foliage in the trees.
The state of West Bengal is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of comm... more The state of West Bengal is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of communities depend. It is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of communities depend for their medicinal needs. The present documentation has gathered information from published literature on pla nt based traditional medicine used by the dependent communities along with their traditional way of treating different stomach related diseases/disorders recorded from different regions of the state. The researchers found a total of 118 plant species which were used to treat different stomach diseases/disorders.Tree species dominat ed the list. Leaves/foliage of 44 species was dominantly used followed by roots.Common stomach diseases/disorders treated were dysentery, ulcer and stomach ache. Administration of medicine was either oral or external in the form of infusion, decoction, paste and latex either as a sole formula tion or in combination with other speci es. The collected evidence/data can be useful to scientific community for further evaluation and recommendat ions to the practicing communities.
Sikkim located in Himalayas, is a part of the Indo-Malayan Biodiversity Hotspot harbors with many... more Sikkim located in Himalayas, is a part of the Indo-Malayan Biodiversity Hotspot harbors with many wild fruit plants of nutritional potential. Fruit samples were collected randomly from different localities of Sikkim India to analyze their chemical properties and physical characteristics. Ficus roxburghii had heaviest fruits and Rubus ellipticus had lightest. Castanopsis hystrix was the least acidic (0.5%) while Elaeocarpus sikkimensis was the most (4.2%). Diploknema butyraceae had maximum TSS with 18 o Brix, while fruits of Machilus edulis had lowest (3.55 o Brix). The fruits of Morus alba were sweetest with total sugar content of twenty percent. The fat and carotenoids were in the range of 0.2-10.0 percent and 0.1-63.0 mg/100 g fresh weights. The analysis of nutritional properties and other bioactive compounds in wild fruits of Sikkim indicate potential to fulfill nutritional requirements locally and can find place in the global markets.
The present study has explored the district-wise relational analysis between the total carbon sto... more The present study has explored the district-wise relational analysis between the total carbon stock in the home gardens and different socio-personal, socioeconomic and socio-psychological and communication related attributes of home gardeners in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling districts of West Bengal. Majority of the respondent belongs to medium utilization of resources category and in age category of 30-50 years with low education, medium level of family education, high educational aspiration, Moreover, the majority of the respondents represented medium risk orientation category. Finally the total C stock was distributed with mean of 101.27, standard deviation of 143.02 and coefficient of variation 141.22 indicating high consistency level of distribution with majority of homegardens had low level of total carbon stock. Pearson's coefficient of correlation clearly shows that educational aspiration is positively and significantly associated with the total carbon stock at 5 % level of significance. The majority group of respondents are the most important stake holder in case of adopting strategies of climate change through managing home garden land use system.
Background: Traditional knowledge on ethnomedicinal plant is slowly eroding. The exploration, ide... more Background: Traditional knowledge on ethnomedicinal plant is slowly eroding. The exploration, identification and documentation on utilization of ethnobotanic resources are essential for restoration and preservation of ethnomedicinal knowledge about the plants and conservation of these species for greater interest of human society. Methods: The study was conducted at fringe areas of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in the foothills of the eastern sub-Himalayan mountain belts of West Bengal, India, from December 2014 to May 2016. Purposive sampling method was used for selection of area. From this area which is inhabited by aboriginal community of Indo-Mongoloid origin, 400 respondents including traditional medicinal practitioners were selected randomly for personal interview schedule through open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire covered aspects like plant species used as ethnomedicines, plant parts used, procedure for dosage and therapy.
The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and othe... more The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and other liver disorder is commonly known among ethnic groups. The present study was carried out among the forest fringe villages of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in foothills of the eastern Sub-Hi-malayan mountain belts of West Bengal. The aim of the study was to document the traditionally used ethno-medicinal plant resources against jaundice and other liver disorders. A total of 19 plant species belonging to 15 families and 17 genera were documented. These 19 species were dominated by trees (07), herbs (05), shrubs (03) and four species of climbers. The plant families dominating the list were Apiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 2 species each. Fruits (08) were the most dominant plant parts used for the treatment followed by leaves of 07 species. The plant parts are employed by the inhabitants in the form of infusion, decoction, paste, juice, etc., either as a sole drug species or in combination with other species. The documented plants and their procedure for utilization can be a useful tool for scientific community for further evaluation and recommendations to the practicing communities.
The present study was conducted at Dzongu area, North Sikkim to ascertain the constraints faced b... more The present study was conducted at Dzongu area, North Sikkim to ascertain the constraints faced by the farmers in adoption of improved techniques rela ted to homestead farming. Nu mber of households wi th homestead garden for the survey were decided by proportionate sampling method. The data was collected from 150 respondents of five villages through personal interview method with the help of structured questionnaire and data was analyzed using appropriate tools/methodologies. Results indicated that the input quality and ava ilability, scientific farming practice and post harvest/value addition were the most serious constraints as they ranked 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd respectively with almost similar response from the respondents. Socio-cultural constraints ranked 4 th and general constraints ranked 5 th as per the farmer's response.
Quantitative information on biomass and available nutrients are essential for developing sustaina... more Quantitative information on biomass and available nutrients are essential for developing sustainable forest management strategies to regulate atmospheric carbon. An attempt was made at Chilapatta Reserve Forest in Duars region of West Bengal to quantify its above and below ground carbon along with available “N”, “P” and “K” in the soil. Stratified random nested quadrats were marked for soil, biomass and litter sampling. Indirect or non-destructive procedures were employed for biomass estimation. The amount of these available nutrients and organic carbon quantified in soil indicates that the forest soil is high in organic carbon and available “K” and medium in phosphorus and nitrogen. The biomass, soil carbon and total carbon (soil C＋C in plant biomass) in the forest was 1,995.98, 75.83 and 973.65 Mg ha-1. More than 90% of the carbon accumulated in the forest was contributed by the trees. The annual litter production of the forest was 5.37 Mg ha-1. Carbon accumulation is intricately linked with site quality factors. The estimated biomass of 1,995.98 Mgㆍha-1 clearly indicates this. The site quality factor i.e. tropical moist deciduous with optimum availability of soil nutrients, heavy precipitation, high mean monthly relative humidity and optimum temperature range supported luxuriant growth which was realized as higher biomass accumulation and hence higher carbon accumulated.
The present study was an effort to document the medicinal plants traditionally utilized by the lo... more The present study was an effort to document the medicinal plants traditionally utilized by the local communities to cure various day to day prevailing ailments. The information on plants parts used, mode of administration, doses and uses in different ailments and disease was gathered from the tribal medicine men including the elders of the community using a well structured questionnaire. The study reported 35 plant species of ethno medicinal importance belonging to 31 genera and 26 families. The species comprised of 16 trees, 10 herbs, 8 shrubs and 1 climber. Of all these collected medicinal plant specimens, fruit was the most important and widely used. Fruits of (15) species were used in medicinal purpose followed by leaves (11), bark (9) and whole plant (5). The plants were used in various ailments in the form of powder, paste and raw form etc. These available plants are used to treat different diseases like body ache, heart problem, stomach disorder, cuts, fracture, gastric, tooth pain, headache, etc. in the localities of the existing communities. The transformation of existing traditional knowledge has kept intact the socio-cultural heritage, spiritual and medicinal arena of the people in the region.
Present study documents the plant diversity, structure and uses of plants of 100 home gardens in ... more Present study documents the plant diversity, structure and uses of plants of 100 home gardens in Gumla district of Jharkhand, India. A total of 116 species representing 50 families and 102 genera were documented. Dominating family recorded in the gardens was Fabaceae with 20 species. The plant species in home garden were classified as four strata in which the first strata consist of annuals and herbaceous plants (vegetables, medicinal and ornamental). Out of the total documented species, leaves of the 44 species were used followed by fruits (31 species), flowers (25 species) and least one species each for bulb, culm, bark, pods and stem. Majority of the plant species were used as vegetables (51 species) followed by traditional medicines (30 species) and least with two species each for house construction, furniture and agricultural implements. This study presented the baseline data about plant diversity in the home gardens, uses of plants and arrangement of the plants in the home gardens.
In present study, distance independent and indirect indices for identification and assessment of ... more In present study, distance independent and indirect indices for identification and assessment of competition and facilitation between species of the Indian temperate forest ecosystem have been developed. We found broken stick rank/abundance model. Humpback relationship was obtained between Importance Value Index and Total Biomass Cover. Based on present approaches, Abies spectibilis, Myrica esculanta, Pyrus pashia and Aesculus indica were identified as potential competitive species. Higher competition index value was recorded between A. spectibilis-M. esculanta followed by Quercus glauca-M. esculanta, while minimum was recorded for Rhododendron arboreum-A. indica. Community Competition Value (CCV) was 1.96, while, Facilitation Index Values ranged from 0.07-0.9. Study provides list of species for enhancing success of habitat restoration and afforestration programmes. Thus, our new approaches have the potential to evaluate interactive mechanisms specifically inhabiting at hilly terrain where position of relative angular placement of different species, height or other parameters are difficult to estimate.
The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomp... more The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomposition and quantify the release of available nutrients and soil physic-ochemical characteristics in plantations of four forest tree species (Lagerstroemia parviflora, Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta and Michelia champaca) in the Chilapatta Reserve Forest of the Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in the Terai zone of West Bengal, India. The most litter (5.61 Mg ha-1) was produced by T. grandis plantation and the least (4.72 Mg ha-1) by L. parviflora. The material turnover rate to the soil through decomposition from total litter was fastest during the first quarter of the year and subsequently decreased during the next two quarters. The material turnover rate was only 1 year, which indicates that more than 90% of the total litter produced decomposed within a year. The available primary nutrient content in litter varied across the four plantations over the year. The plantations generally did not significantly influence the soil physical characteristics but did significantly influence the availability of primary nutrients and organic carbon at two depths (1–15 and 16–30 cm) over the year. The availability of soil primary nutrients in the four plantations also increased gradually from the first quarter of the year to the third quarter and then decreased during the last quarter to the same level as in the first quarter of the year at both depths. The availability for soil organic carbon in the plantations followed a similar trend. The amount of litter produced and the material turnover in the soil in the different plantations differed, influencing the nutrient availability and organic carbon at the plantations. The amount of soil organic carbon was highest for T. grandis (2.52 Mg ha-1) and lowest for L. parviflora (2.12 Mg ha-1). Litter is the source of soil organic matter, and more the litter that is produced by the plantations, the higher will be the content and amount of soil organic carbon in the plantation.
In the present exploration we identified perception of forest dependent communities in relation t... more In the present exploration we identified perception of forest dependent communities in relation to impact of climate change on forest ecosystem in and around Chilapatta reserve forest in northern part of West Bengal, India. Purposive sampling method was used for selection of area and random sampling method was used for selection of respondent. The data collection in this study was through questionnaire based personal in-depth interviews. Almost all the respondents (94%) were farmers and rest had occupation other than farming. Almost all the respondents perceived negative impact of climate change on forest though the level of perception varies from very low to medium (0.23-0.52) based on average perception score after assigning score to individual statements. The level of perception on impact of climate change on forest ecology and forest flora of the community is low and very low as the average perception score is 0.39 and 0.23, respectively while, it is medium (0.52) for forest fauna. Alternately their perception on decreased stream/river flow and quick drying of seasonal streams or water bodies is based on their livelihood experience as they depend on these for their domestic and irrigation water use and fish catch for family diet.
The United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration of September 2009 to improve the global liv... more The United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration of September 2009 to improve the global living conditions through reducing poverty and hunger. However, considerable numbers of people are still living in utter penury and are deprived of a dignified living. In such tough circumstances nature's free gift in the form of wild edible foods are benefiting the vulnerable and dependent communities. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are the species those are neither cultivated nor domesticated however are available in their wild natural habitat and used as sources of these plants have played a significant role in the development and civilization of human history throughout the ages and globe. These wild edible plants have played a significant role in supplying food and nutritional requirements of poor communities in many rural parts of the world. These wild edibles can be popularized only when they are compared for their nutritional and health benefits with major or widely used cultivated plants. The social, cultural, religious , and belief system of the rural communities are incomplete without these wild edible plants. Domestication of these wild edible plants can increase their use and their conservation as well. The present review paper has described the wild edible plants in context of their diversity, traditional knowledge, conservation practices and nutritional composition from the available secondary literature. Authors feel there is still scope to incorporate more con-textual variables for explaining more variations embedded with local people's perception on values and usage of these wild edible fruits.
The present study was conducted at Chilapatta Reserve Forest under Cooch Behar Wildlife Division ... more The present study was conducted at Chilapatta Reserve Forest under Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in T erai zone of West Bengal. The study was aimed to analyze the carbon stock and its accumulation in different components of various floristic layers including trees, herbs and shrubs based on dominant species/stands. The dominant stands selected were Lagerstroemia parviflora, Shorea robusta, T ectona grandis and Michelia champaca. Aboveground biomass and carbon accumulation was estimated for all these stands. The majority of the contribution to biomass and carbon of the different stands was contributed by the trees (99 %) while a negligible amount was contributed by shrubs (0.25 %) and herbs (0.06 %). Stems were the dominant contributor toward biomass accumulation followed by branches, roots, leaves and foliage in the trees.
The state of West Bengal is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of comm... more The state of West Bengal is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of communities depend. It is rich with high value medicinal plants on which a large number of communities depend for their medicinal needs. The present documentation has gathered information from published literature on pla nt based traditional medicine used by the dependent communities along with their traditional way of treating different stomach related diseases/disorders recorded from different regions of the state. The researchers found a total of 118 plant species which were used to treat different stomach diseases/disorders.Tree species dominat ed the list. Leaves/foliage of 44 species was dominantly used followed by roots.Common stomach diseases/disorders treated were dysentery, ulcer and stomach ache. Administration of medicine was either oral or external in the form of infusion, decoction, paste and latex either as a sole formula tion or in combination with other speci es. The collected evidence/data can be useful to scientific community for further evaluation and recommendat ions to the practicing communities.
Sikkim located in Himalayas, is a part of the Indo-Malayan Biodiversity Hotspot harbors with many... more Sikkim located in Himalayas, is a part of the Indo-Malayan Biodiversity Hotspot harbors with many wild fruit plants of nutritional potential. Fruit samples were collected randomly from different localities of Sikkim India to analyze their chemical properties and physical characteristics. Ficus roxburghii had heaviest fruits and Rubus ellipticus had lightest. Castanopsis hystrix was the least acidic (0.5%) while Elaeocarpus sikkimensis was the most (4.2%). Diploknema butyraceae had maximum TSS with 18 o Brix, while fruits of Machilus edulis had lowest (3.55 o Brix). The fruits of Morus alba were sweetest with total sugar content of twenty percent. The fat and carotenoids were in the range of 0.2-10.0 percent and 0.1-63.0 mg/100 g fresh weights. The analysis of nutritional properties and other bioactive compounds in wild fruits of Sikkim indicate potential to fulfill nutritional requirements locally and can find place in the global markets.
The present study has explored the district-wise relational analysis between the total carbon sto... more The present study has explored the district-wise relational analysis between the total carbon stock in the home gardens and different socio-personal, socioeconomic and socio-psychological and communication related attributes of home gardeners in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling districts of West Bengal. Majority of the respondent belongs to medium utilization of resources category and in age category of 30-50 years with low education, medium level of family education, high educational aspiration, Moreover, the majority of the respondents represented medium risk orientation category. Finally the total C stock was distributed with mean of 101.27, standard deviation of 143.02 and coefficient of variation 141.22 indicating high consistency level of distribution with majority of homegardens had low level of total carbon stock. Pearson's coefficient of correlation clearly shows that educational aspiration is positively and significantly associated with the total carbon stock at 5 % level of significance. The majority group of respondents are the most important stake holder in case of adopting strategies of climate change through managing home garden land use system.
Background: Traditional knowledge on ethnomedicinal plant is slowly eroding. The exploration, ide... more Background: Traditional knowledge on ethnomedicinal plant is slowly eroding. The exploration, identification and documentation on utilization of ethnobotanic resources are essential for restoration and preservation of ethnomedicinal knowledge about the plants and conservation of these species for greater interest of human society. Methods: The study was conducted at fringe areas of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in the foothills of the eastern sub-Himalayan mountain belts of West Bengal, India, from December 2014 to May 2016. Purposive sampling method was used for selection of area. From this area which is inhabited by aboriginal community of Indo-Mongoloid origin, 400 respondents including traditional medicinal practitioners were selected randomly for personal interview schedule through open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire covered aspects like plant species used as ethnomedicines, plant parts used, procedure for dosage and therapy.
The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and othe... more The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and other liver disorder is commonly known among ethnic groups. The present study was carried out among the forest fringe villages of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in foothills of the eastern Sub-Hi-malayan mountain belts of West Bengal. The aim of the study was to document the traditionally used ethno-medicinal plant resources against jaundice and other liver disorders. A total of 19 plant species belonging to 15 families and 17 genera were documented. These 19 species were dominated by trees (07), herbs (05), shrubs (03) and four species of climbers. The plant families dominating the list were Apiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 2 species each. Fruits (08) were the most dominant plant parts used for the treatment followed by leaves of 07 species. The plant parts are employed by the inhabitants in the form of infusion, decoction, paste, juice, etc., either as a sole drug species or in combination with other species. The documented plants and their procedure for utilization can be a useful tool for scientific community for further evaluation and recommendations to the practicing communities.
The present study was conducted at Dzongu area, North Sikkim to ascertain the constraints faced b... more The present study was conducted at Dzongu area, North Sikkim to ascertain the constraints faced by the farmers in adoption of improved techniques rela ted to homestead farming. Nu mber of households wi th homestead garden for the survey were decided by proportionate sampling method. The data was collected from 150 respondents of five villages through personal interview method with the help of structured questionnaire and data was analyzed using appropriate tools/methodologies. Results indicated that the input quality and ava ilability, scientific farming practice and post harvest/value addition were the most serious constraints as they ranked 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd respectively with almost similar response from the respondents. Socio-cultural constraints ranked 4 th and general constraints ranked 5 th as per the farmer's response.
Quantitative information on biomass and available nutrients are essential for developing sustaina... more Quantitative information on biomass and available nutrients are essential for developing sustainable forest management strategies to regulate atmospheric carbon. An attempt was made at Chilapatta Reserve Forest in Duars region of West Bengal to quantify its above and below ground carbon along with available “N”, “P” and “K” in the soil. Stratified random nested quadrats were marked for soil, biomass and litter sampling. Indirect or non-destructive procedures were employed for biomass estimation. The amount of these available nutrients and organic carbon quantified in soil indicates that the forest soil is high in organic carbon and available “K” and medium in phosphorus and nitrogen. The biomass, soil carbon and total carbon (soil C＋C in plant biomass) in the forest was 1,995.98, 75.83 and 973.65 Mg ha-1. More than 90% of the carbon accumulated in the forest was contributed by the trees. The annual litter production of the forest was 5.37 Mg ha-1. Carbon accumulation is intricately linked with site quality factors. The estimated biomass of 1,995.98 Mgㆍha-1 clearly indicates this. The site quality factor i.e. tropical moist deciduous with optimum availability of soil nutrients, heavy precipitation, high mean monthly relative humidity and optimum temperature range supported luxuriant growth which was realized as higher biomass accumulation and hence higher carbon accumulated.
The present study was an effort to document the medicinal plants traditionally utilized by the lo... more The present study was an effort to document the medicinal plants traditionally utilized by the local communities to cure various day to day prevailing ailments. The information on plants parts used, mode of administration, doses and uses in different ailments and disease was gathered from the tribal medicine men including the elders of the community using a well structured questionnaire. The study reported 35 plant species of ethno medicinal importance belonging to 31 genera and 26 families. The species comprised of 16 trees, 10 herbs, 8 shrubs and 1 climber. Of all these collected medicinal plant specimens, fruit was the most important and widely used. Fruits of (15) species were used in medicinal purpose followed by leaves (11), bark (9) and whole plant (5). The plants were used in various ailments in the form of powder, paste and raw form etc. These available plants are used to treat different diseases like body ache, heart problem, stomach disorder, cuts, fracture, gastric, tooth pain, headache, etc. in the localities of the existing communities. The transformation of existing traditional knowledge has kept intact the socio-cultural heritage, spiritual and medicinal arena of the people in the region.
Present study documents the plant diversity, structure and uses of plants of 100 home gardens in ... more Present study documents the plant diversity, structure and uses of plants of 100 home gardens in Gumla district of Jharkhand, India. A total of 116 species representing 50 families and 102 genera were documented. Dominating family recorded in the gardens was Fabaceae with 20 species. The plant species in home garden were classified as four strata in which the first strata consist of annuals and herbaceous plants (vegetables, medicinal and ornamental). Out of the total documented species, leaves of the 44 species were used followed by fruits (31 species), flowers (25 species) and least one species each for bulb, culm, bark, pods and stem. Majority of the plant species were used as vegetables (51 species) followed by traditional medicines (30 species) and least with two species each for house construction, furniture and agricultural implements. This study presented the baseline data about plant diversity in the home gardens, uses of plants and arrangement of the plants in the home gardens.
In present study, distance independent and indirect indices for identification and assessment of ... more In present study, distance independent and indirect indices for identification and assessment of competition and facilitation between species of the Indian temperate forest ecosystem have been developed. We found broken stick rank/abundance model. Humpback relationship was obtained between Importance Value Index and Total Biomass Cover. Based on present approaches, Abies spectibilis, Myrica esculanta, Pyrus pashia and Aesculus indica were identified as potential competitive species. Higher competition index value was recorded between A. spectibilis-M. esculanta followed by Quercus glauca-M. esculanta, while minimum was recorded for Rhododendron arboreum-A. indica. Community Competition Value (CCV) was 1.96, while, Facilitation Index Values ranged from 0.07-0.9. Study provides list of species for enhancing success of habitat restoration and afforestration programmes. Thus, our new approaches have the potential to evaluate interactive mechanisms specifically inhabiting at hilly terrain where position of relative angular placement of different species, height or other parameters are difficult to estimate.
The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomp... more The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomposition and quantify the release of available nutrients and soil physic-ochemical characteristics in plantations of four forest tree species (Lagerstroemia parviflora, Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta and Michelia champaca) in the Chilapatta Reserve Forest of the Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in the Terai zone of West Bengal, India. The most litter (5.61 Mg ha-1) was produced by T. grandis plantation and the least (4.72 Mg ha-1) by L. parviflora. The material turnover rate to the soil through decomposition from total litter was fastest during the first quarter of the year and subsequently decreased during the next two quarters. The material turnover rate was only 1 year, which indicates that more than 90% of the total litter produced decomposed within a year. The available primary nutrient content in litter varied across the four plantations over the year. The plantations generally did not significantly influence the soil physical characteristics but did significantly influence the availability of primary nutrients and organic carbon at two depths (1–15 and 16–30 cm) over the year. The availability of soil primary nutrients in the four plantations also increased gradually from the first quarter of the year to the third quarter and then decreased during the last quarter to the same level as in the first quarter of the year at both depths. The availability for soil organic carbon in the plantations followed a similar trend. The amount of litter produced and the material turnover in the soil in the different plantations differed, influencing the nutrient availability and organic carbon at the plantations. The amount of soil organic carbon was highest for T. grandis (2.52 Mg ha-1) and lowest for L. parviflora (2.12 Mg ha-1). Litter is the source of soil organic matter, and more the litter that is produced by the plantations, the higher will be the content and amount of soil organic carbon in the plantation.
In the present exploration we identified perception of forest dependent communities in relation t... more In the present exploration we identified perception of forest dependent communities in relation to impact of climate change on forest ecosystem in and around Chilapatta reserve forest in northern part of West Bengal, India. Purposive sampling method was used for selection of area and random sampling method was used for selection of respondent. The data collection in this study was through questionnaire based personal in-depth interviews. Almost all the respondents (94%) were farmers and rest had occupation other than farming. Almost all the respondents perceived negative impact of climate change on forest though the level of perception varies from very low to medium (0.23-0.52) based on average perception score after assigning score to individual statements. The level of perception on impact of climate change on forest ecology and forest flora of the community is low and very low as the average perception score is 0.39 and 0.23, respectively while, it is medium (0.52) for forest fauna. Alternately their perception on decreased stream/river flow and quick drying of seasonal streams or water bodies is based on their livelihood experience as they depend on these for their domestic and irrigation water use and fish catch for family diet.
The United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration of September 2009 to improve the global liv... more The United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration of September 2009 to improve the global living conditions through reducing poverty and hunger. However, considerable numbers of people are still living in utter penury and are deprived of a dignified living. In such tough circumstances nature's free gift in the form of wild edible foods are benefiting the vulnerable and dependent communities. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are the species those are neither cultivated nor domesticated however are available in their wild natural habitat and used as sources of these plants have played a significant role in the development and civilization of human history throughout the ages and globe. These wild edible plants have played a significant role in supplying food and nutritional requirements of poor communities in many rural parts of the world. These wild edibles can be popularized only when they are compared for their nutritional and health benefits with major or widely used cultivated plants. The social, cultural, religious , and belief system of the rural communities are incomplete without these wild edible plants. Domestication of these wild edible plants can increase their use and their conservation as well. The present review paper has described the wild edible plants in context of their diversity, traditional knowledge, conservation practices and nutritional composition from the available secondary literature. Authors feel there is still scope to incorporate more con-textual variables for explaining more variations embedded with local people's perception on values and usage of these wild edible fruits.
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Papers by Gopal Shukla
West Bengal. The study was aimed to analyze the carbon stock and its accumulation in different components of various
floristic layers including trees, herbs and shrubs based on dominant species/stands. The dominant stands selected
were Lagerstroemia parviflora, Shorea robusta, T ectona grandis and Michelia champaca. Aboveground biomass and
carbon accumulation was estimated for all these stands. The majority of the contribution to biomass and carbon of the
different stands was contributed by the trees (99 %) while a negligible amount was contributed by shrubs (0.25 %) and
herbs (0.06 %). Stems were the dominant contributor toward biomass accumulation followed by branches, roots,
leaves and foliage in the trees.
than 90% of the carbon accumulated in the forest was contributed by the trees. The annual litter production of the forest was 5.37 Mg ha-1. Carbon accumulation is intricately linked with site quality factors. The estimated biomass of 1,995.98 Mgㆍha-1 clearly indicates this. The site quality factor i.e. tropical moist deciduous with optimum availability
of soil nutrients, heavy precipitation, high mean monthly relative humidity and optimum temperature range supported luxuriant growth which was realized as higher biomass accumulation and hence higher carbon accumulated.
West Bengal. The study was aimed to analyze the carbon stock and its accumulation in different components of various
floristic layers including trees, herbs and shrubs based on dominant species/stands. The dominant stands selected
were Lagerstroemia parviflora, Shorea robusta, T ectona grandis and Michelia champaca. Aboveground biomass and
carbon accumulation was estimated for all these stands. The majority of the contribution to biomass and carbon of the
different stands was contributed by the trees (99 %) while a negligible amount was contributed by shrubs (0.25 %) and
herbs (0.06 %). Stems were the dominant contributor toward biomass accumulation followed by branches, roots,
leaves and foliage in the trees.
than 90% of the carbon accumulated in the forest was contributed by the trees. The annual litter production of the forest was 5.37 Mg ha-1. Carbon accumulation is intricately linked with site quality factors. The estimated biomass of 1,995.98 Mgㆍha-1 clearly indicates this. The site quality factor i.e. tropical moist deciduous with optimum availability
of soil nutrients, heavy precipitation, high mean monthly relative humidity and optimum temperature range supported luxuriant growth which was realized as higher biomass accumulation and hence higher carbon accumulated.