India
Changes in litter decomposition and soil organic carbon in a reforested tropical deciduous cover (India)BackgroundSoil organic carbon is built over time by vegetative decomposition. This study explores potential changes in soil organic carbon in India due to changing patterns of vegetation, such as deforestation, agricultural use, and reforestation with novel species compositions and disturbance cycles. Open access copy available |
Afforestation for Reclaiming Degraded Village Common Land: A Case StudybackgroundIn India, population growth and agriculture put a strain on natural resources, often resulting in "wastelands" where the soil is no longer productive - often either affected by either salt or alkilinity. Using soil amendments to restore these lands to productivity can be cost-prohibitive for the small villages that own these lands. Afforestation is one possible method for restoring the health of these in a cost-effective and scalable way. Available with subscription or purchase |
Drivers of Regrowth in South Asia's Human-Impacted ForestsbackgroundThis study is an assessment of institutional factors and human drivers that impact forest management and cover change in developing countries, focusing on Nepal and India. research goals & methodsThe study uses United Nations Food & Agriculture Association (UN FAO) forest cover change datasets that begin in 1980 to examine the validity of forest transition theories in a tropical context. Open access copy available |
The Rain–Runoff Response of Tropical Humid Forest Ecosystems to Use and Reforestation in the Western Ghats of IndiaBackgroundThis study expands on a previous study in the Western Ghats of India (Uttar Kannada, Karnataka State), that suggested a greater occurrence of infiltration-excess and potentially higher streamflow in degraded and reforested areas. Analyzing rainfall–streamflow data, the authors attempt to determine the impacts of different land cover types on stream discharge hydrograph components (viz, total flow, quickflow and delayed flow), the dominant stormflow pathways, and the impact of reforestation efforts on these processes. Available with subscription or purchase |
Reforestation of Bauxite Mine Spoils with Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. Seedlings Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal FungibackgroundIn the Yercaud hills of the Salem Distict, Tamil Nadu, India, the authors investigated the feasibility of using trees inoculated with beneficial mycorrhizae as an alternative to the traditional and more expensive method of spreading topsoil before planting Open access copy available |
The Role of Revegetation for Rehabilitation of Sodic soils in Semiarid Subtropical Forest, IndiabackgroundThis study relies on a case study evaluate the rehabilitation of barren land within a larger forest ecosystem. The article indicates that restoration opportunities exist even with severely degraded land where natural succession does not occur without management practices. Available with subscription or purchase |
Nitrogen Dynamics of Actinorhizal Casuarina Forest Stands and its Comparison with Alnus and Leucaena ForestsBackgroundNitrogen plays a key role in soil fertility and plant productivity. Therefore, in regions in which deforestation has increasingly led to savannization and desertification, afforestation by fast-growing, n-fixing tree species is preferable. This study examines the characteristics of nitrogen fixing trees. Research Goals & MethodsThe nitrogen retention rates of three dry tropical forest tree species were measured, by examining rates of N cycling through vegetation, litter and soil pools. Available with subscription or purchase |
The Horseradish Tree, Moringa pterygosperma (Moringaceae)— A boon to Arid Lands?BackgroundThe horseradish tree (Moringa pterygosperma) is being introduced into drought-ridden lands t o augment the local food and fodder supply.This study evaluates the reforestation potential of Moringa in India and Africa. Available with subscription or purchase |
Effect of Adult Density on Regeneration Success of Woody Plants in Natural and Restored Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest Fragments in Puducherry Region, IndiaBackgroundThis study tested variables contributing to successful regeneration of Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF) species in southern India, a forest type that is highly biodiverse but fragmented and commonly designated as “sacred groves”. Conclusions & TakeawaysThe researchers found that whether in longstanding “groves” or in reforested areas, adult tree density more strongly enhances the regeneration of any given species than do other factors such as the species’ dispersal mode or life form (e.g. tree, shrub, or liana). Open access copy available |
Forest Transition Pathways in Asia – Studies from Nepal, India, Thailand, and CambodiabackgroundThis study draws on data from Nepal, India, Thailand, and Cambodia to examine trajectories of forest-cover change along gradients of deforestation and reforestation. Open access copy available |
