Browsing by Author "R.K. Chaturvedi"

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Aboveground biomass estimation of small diameter woody species of tropical dry forest
(2013) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi
Estimation of accurate biomass of different forest components is important to estimate their contribution to total carbon stock. There is lack of allometric equations for biomass estimation of woody species at sapling stage in tropical dry forest (TDF), and therefore, the carbon stored in this forest component is ignored. We harvested 46 woody species at sapling stage in a TDF and developed regression models for the biomass estimation of foliage, branch, bole and the total aboveground part. For foliage and branch biomass, the models with only stem diameter as estimator showed greater R 2. For bole and aboveground biomass, the models including wood specific gravity or wood density exhibited higher R 2 than those without wood density. Also, the model consisting of wood density, stem diameter and height had the lowest standard error of estimate for bole and aboveground biomass. Moreover, the R 2 values are very similar among models for each component. The measurement error of height and the use of a standard value of wood density together may introduce more than 2 % error into the models. Therefore, we suggest using diameter-only model, which may be more practical and equally accurate when applied to stands outside our study area. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
Assessment of carbon density and accumulation in mono- and multi-specific stands in Teak and Sal forests of a tropical dry region in India
(Elsevier, 2015) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi
We investigated vegetation characteristics, carbon density (CD) and carbon accumulation (CA) of trees in mono- and multi-specific, Tectona grandis (Teak) and Shorea robusta (Sal) forest stands in a tropical dry region of India to address the following questions: (i) How are the mono- and multi-specific stands structured in terms of relative basal area of tree species? (ii) What are the levels of CD and CA in the stem component of tree species in the mono- and multi-specific stands? (iii) Which vegetation characteristics strongly account for the variations in CD and CA in the tree species in the mono- and multi-specific stands? We established 15 stands (six mono- and nine multi-specific stands), each having 4ha area in the forest region. Total number of species across the stands was 46 belonging to 25 families. Average tree density ha-1 and stem basal area (BA, m2ha-1), across the stands were 522 and 11.1, respectively. Margalef's index of species richness (SR), Whittaker's index of species evenness (Ew) and Shannon-Wiener index (H') were greater at multi-specific stands compared to mono-specific stands. Average wood specific gravity (WSG) across species for the mono-specific (Teak) was greatest compared to the other categories. Across the mono- and multi-specific stands, WSG among species ranged between 0.47 and 0.79gcm-3, with 26.2% having WSG≥0.70gcm-3. Across the plots in mono- and multi-specific stands, stem density showed positive correlation with BA and aboveground stem biomass (AGB). The associations of SR with Ew and H', and Ew with H' were significantly positive. The AGB was positively associated with SR, Ew and BA. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant effects of year, stand and species for DBH, height and AGB. Average aboveground CD and CA across the stands were 136t-Cha-1 and 5.3t-Cha-1yr-1, respectively. Results of step-wise multiple regression indicated that across the stands, CD was influenced by BA and H', and CA was affected by SR and BA. Principal component analysis exhibited strong association of CA and CD with multi-specific stands compared to mono-specific stands. Teak and Sal trees showed maximum CA per unit BA at multi-specific stand compared to mono-specific stand. These findings can be used by the forest managers to increase the carbon density and accumulation in Teak and Sal forests of India. © 2014.
Assessment of ground and surface water quality along the river Varuna, Varanasi, India
(Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2015) Pardeep Singh; R.K. Chaturvedi; Ankit Mishra; Lata Kumari; Rishikesh Singh; D.B. Pal; Deen Dayal Giri; Nand Lal Singh; Dhanesh Tiwary; Pradeep Kumar Mishra
Multivariate statistical techniques were employed for monitoring of ground-surface water interactions in rivers. The river Varuna is situated in the Indo-Gangetic plain and is a small tributary of river Ganga. The study area was monitored at seven sampling sites for 3 years (2010–12), and eight physio-chemical parameters were taken into account for this study. The data obtained were analysed by multivariate statistical techniques so as to reveal the underlying implicit information regarding proposed interactions for the relevant area. The principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA), and the results of correlations were also studied for all parameters monitored at every site. Methods used in this study are essentially multivariate statistical in nature and facilitate the interpretation of data so as to extract meaningful information from the datasets. The PCA technique was able to compress the data from eight to three parameters and captured about 78.5 % of the total variance by performing varimax rotation over the principal components. The varifactors, as yielded from PCA, were treated by CA which grouped them convincingly into three groups having similar characteristics and source of contamination. Moreover, the loading of variables on significant PCs showed correlations between various ground water and surface water (GW-SW) parameters. The correlation coefficients calculated for various physiochemical parameters for ground and surface water established the correlations between them. Thus, this study presents the utility of multivariate statistical techniques for evaluation of the proposed interactions and effective future monitoring of potential sites. © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
Assessment of habitat features modulated carbon sequestration strategies for drought management in tropical dry forest fragments
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) R.K. Chaturvedi; Anshuman Tripathi; Rajiv Pandey; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
Habitat features, such as species diversity, functional diversity, tree size, disturbances and fragment sizes have differential impacts on carbon (C) storage and C-sequestration in forest ecosystems. Present study attempted to understand the tree strategies for modulating C-sequestration capacity across tropical dry forest fragments with variable edge distances. We evaluated the differences between drought strategies (i.e., drought avoiding and drought tolerant) for variations in stem density, relative growth rate (RGR), C-storage and C-sequestration, species diversity, functional diversity, tree size and disturbance indicators along edge distance gradient, besides analyzed the differences between drought strategies for responses of C-storage and C-sequestration to variations in species diversity, functional diversity, tree size and disturbance indicators. Various traits and functional indices were analyzed using standard statistical techniques. For total trees and for the two drought strategies, generalized linear modeling results showed a significant decline in stem density, RGR, C-stock, C-sequestration, species diversity, functional diversity and tree size indicators, while a considerable increase in disturbance indicators, along decreasing edge distance across the fragments. The drought strategies exhibited a high degree of variation in the slope of associations for above variables with edge distance across fragments. For predicting C-sequestration, structural equation modeling results showed highly significant influence of functional diversity indicators for drought avoiding strategy, while species diversity indicators were strongly significant for drought tolerant strategy. Moreover, fire index and drought index were critical predictors for C-sequestration for drought avoiding and drought tolerant strategies, respectively. This study provide inputs to understand the largely ignored processes of C-storage and C-sequestration in fragmented forests, which are currently prevalent due to heavy anthropogenic pressures. Our findings are useful for forest managers to understand vegetation responses to interactions of species diversity, functional diversity, tree size and disturbance indicators, for predicting the stability of larger fragments and for planning restoration of smaller fragments. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Biomass estimation of dry tropical woody species at juvenile stage
(2012) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
Accurate characterization of biomass in different forest components is important to estimate their contribution to total carbon stock. Due to lack of allometric equations for biomass estimation of woody species at juvenile stage, the carbon stored in this forest component is ignored. We harvested 47 woody species at juvenile stage in a dry tropical forest and developed regression models for the estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB). The models including wood-specific gravity (ρ) exhibited higher R 2 than those without ρ. The model consisting of ρ, stem diameter (D), and height (H) not only exhibited the highest R 2 value but also had the lowest standard error of estimate. We suggest that ρ-based regression model is a viable option for nondestructive estimation of biomass of forest trees at juvenile stage. Copyright © 2011 R. K. Chaturvedi et al.
Carbon density and accumulation in woody species of tropical dry forest in India
(2011) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
We studied the carbon density and accumulation in trees at five sites in a tropical dry forest (TDF) to address the questions: how is the TDF structured in terms of tree and carbon density in different DBH (diameter at breast height) classes? What are the levels of carbon density and accumulation in the woody species of TDF? Is the vegetation carbon density evenly distributed across the forest? Does carbon stored in the soil reflect the pattern of aboveground vegetation carbon density? Which species in the forest have a high potential for carbon accumulation? The WSG among species ranged from 0.39 to 0.78gcm-3. Our study indicated that most of the carbon resides in the old-growth (high DBH) trees; 88-97% carbon occurred in individuals ≥19.1cm DBH, and therefore extra care is required to protect such trees in the dry forest. Acacia catechu, Buchanania lanzan, Hardwickia binata, Shorea robusta and Terminalia tomentosa accounted for more than 10tha-1 carbon density, warranting extra efforts for their protection. Species also differed in their capacity to accumulate carbon indicating variable suitability for afforestation. Annually, the forest accumulated 5.3t-Cha-1yr-1 on the most productive, wettest Hathinala site to 0.05t-Cha-1yr-1 on the least productive, driest Kotwa site. This study indicated a marked patchy distribution of carbon density (151t-Cha-1 on the Hathinala site to 15.6t-Cha-1 on the Kotwa site); the maximum value was more than nine times the minimum value. These findings suggest that there is a substantial scope to increase the carbon density and accumulation in this forest through management strategies focused on the protection, from deforestation and fire, of the high carbon density sites and the old-growth trees, and increasing the stocking density of the forest by planting species with high potential for carbon accumulation. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.
Diversified cropping modules designed for soil restoration, CO2 sequestration, and generating carbon credits
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2024) Ram Swaroop Meena; Gourisankar Pradhan; Nalani; Sandeep Kumar; Ambuj Kumar Singh; Sunil Kumar Verma; Krishan Kant Mina; Sunil Kumar; R.K. Chaturvedi
This study aimed to know the potential of different cropping modules (CMs) that started on the degraded land representing 4450 km2 of the Vindhyan region of India. The objective of the study was to know (i) the higher carbon dioxide (CO2) biosequestration, (ii) enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, and (iii) generate carbon (C) credit to the additional income as a climate currency to the farmers. The experiment was carried out on 4–13 years (2010–2022) old practiced CMs viz; (1) Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) + bajra (Pennisetum glaucum), 13-year; (2) Guava (Psidium guajava) + phalsa (Grewia asiatica), 4-year; (3) Teak (Tectona grandis) + wheat (Triticum aestivum), 10-year; (4) Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), 13-year; (5) Pasture land, 13-year, and (6) Rice (Oryza sativa),13-year. Soil samples were collected from two depths (0–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m) under 82.7 and 83.33 East longitude and 23.52 and 25.32 North latitudes. Results showed that the mean data of depths pH and electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 4.4–8.1 and 0.10–0.77 dS m−1, respectively. Furthermore, the mean data of both depths' bulk density (ρb) varied between 1.3 and 1.5 Megagram (Mg) m−3. The mean data of both depths available soil organic C (ASOC) (7.25 g kg−1) and SOC stock (14.43 Mg ha−1) in the pasture land-based CMs found 137.7% and 111.0% more over rice-based CMs (3.05 g kg−1 and 6.84 Mg ha−1), respectively. The maximum permanganate oxidizable carbon (POX-C), microbial biomass C in soil (MBCS), and total organic C (TOC) stock based on mean data of both depths were 798.2 mg kg−1, 92.6 μg g−1, and 46.3 Mg ha−1 found in pasture land-based CMs. Regarding mean data of both depths, the recalcitrant index (RI) and lability index (LI) ranged about 0.4–0.9 and 1.7–2.0, respectively. Moreover, the highest total CO2 biosequestration (124.7 Mg ha−1), C credit (US$ 6233 ha−1), and the social cost (US$ 10,720 ha−1) were observed in eucalyptus + bajra-based CMs. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) study, the principal component 1 (PC1) and PC2 explained 74.6 and 16.6% variability on various parameters, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between ASOC and MBCS was 0.74. The hypothesis of this study was to create agricultural CMs that would restore degraded land levels of SOC fraction, enhance the CO2 biosequestration, and generate C-credit for farmers as a climate currency for additional income. Furthermore, it will fulfil the net zero emission goal and bring down neutral land degradation. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Diversity of ecosystem types in India: A review
(Indian National Science Academy, 2017) J.S. Singh; R.K. Chaturvedi
India is home to an unusually large number of endemic species and ranks sixth among the 12 megabiodiversity centers of the world. Four terrestrial biodiversity hot spots (Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, and Sundaland) partly lie in India. The 27 distinct biogeographic provinces, and the variety of life zones and floral groups result in equally diverse vegetation and ecosystem types. The forest ecosystems are markedly diverse and have been classified into six 'major groups' ranging from tropical to alpine, 16 'groups' and more than 200 'group categories'. The grassland ecosystems are categorized into five major grass cover types. There are 1193 wetlands covering a total area of 3.9 million hectares in 274 districts. Total area of coral reefs comprises 2,375 sq km. India is one of the eight Vavilov's centers of origin of cultivated plants in the world and has twenty distinct agro-ecosystems, characterized by variations in edaphic, climatic and geographic features, and consequently a diverse cropping pattern. In this article we give an overview of the vast array of broad ecosystem types that occur in India. We also briefly discuss the human impacts on the health of country's ecosystems and the ecosystem conservation scenario.
Diversity of ecosystem types in India: A review
(Springer Nature, 2017) J.S. Singh; R.K. Chaturvedi
India is home to an unusually large number of endemic species and ranks sixth among the 12 megabiodiversity centers of the world. Four terrestrial biodiversity hot spots (Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, and Sundaland) partly lie in India. The 27 distinct biogeographic provinces, and the variety of life zones and floral groups result in equally diverse vegetation and ecosystem types. The forest ecosystems are markedly diverse and have been classified into six 'major groups' ranging from tropical to alpine, 16 'groups' and more than 200 'group categories'. The grassland ecosystems are categorized into five major grass cover types. There are 1193 wetlands covering a total area of 3.9 million hectares in 274 districts. Total area of coral reefs comprises 2,375 sq km. India is one of the eight Vavilov's centers of origin of cultivated plants in the world and has twenty distinct agro-ecosystems, characterized by variations in edaphic, climatic and geographic features, and consequently a diverse cropping pattern. In this article we give an overview of the vast array of broad ecosystem types that occur in India. We also briefly discuss the human impacts on the health of country's ecosystems and the ecosystem conservation scenario. © Europa Digital & Publishing 2019. All rights reserved.
Effect of dust load on the leaf attributes of the tree species growing along the roadside
(2013) R.K. Chaturvedi; Shikha Prasad; Savita Rana; S.M. Obaidullah; Vijay Pandey; Hema Singh
Dust is considered as one of the most widespread air pollutants. The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of dust load (DL) on the leaf attributes of the four tree species planted along the roadside at a low pollution Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus and a highly polluted industrial area (Chunar, Mirzapur) of India. The studied leaf attributes were: leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), relative water content (RWC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), chlorophyll content (Chl), maximum stomatal conductance (Gsmax), maximum photosynthetic rate (A max) and intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi). Results showed significant effect of sites and species for DL and the leaf attributes. Average DL across the four tree species was greater at Chunar, whereas, the average values of leaf attributes were greater at the BHU campus. Maximum DL was observed for Tectona grandis at Chunar site and minimum for Syzygium cumini at BHU campus. Across the two sites, maximum value of SLA, Chl and Gsmax were exhibited by S. cumini, whereas, the greatest value of RWC, LNC, LPC, A max and WUEi were observed in Anthocephalus cadamba. A. cadamba and S. cumini exhibited 28 and 27 times more dust accumulation, respectively, at the most polluted Chunar site as compared to the BHU campus. They also exhibited less reduction in A max due to dust deposition as compared to the other two species. Therefore, both these species may be promoted for plantation along the roadside of the sites having greater dust deposition. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Effect of grazing and harvesting on diversity, recruitment and carbon accumulation of juvenile trees in tropical dry forests
(2012) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
We investigated the effect of grazing and harvesting on diversity, mortality, recruitment and carbon accumulation of juvenile trees at five sites in a tropical dry forest (TDF) to address the questions: (i) How is the TDF structured in terms of juvenile trees and their carbon densities? (ii) What is the level of biotic disturbances in the TDF which affect juvenile tree population? And (iii) what is the relationship between species mortality and recruitment in the sites having different disturbance intensities? Across the sites, we recorded juvenile individuals in 41 species belonging to 22 families. Wood specific gravity (WSG) among species varied between 0.36 and 0.66gcm-3. Carbon density in the juvenile tree populations ranged from 271 to 966kg-Cha-1 and carbon accumulation from 10 to 210g-Ccm-2yr-1. Mortality due to browsing, harvesting, and drought was respectively, 41%, 47% and 12%. Significant differences across sites were observed for species richness, carbon density, carbon accumulation, numbers of dung pellets and damaged juveniles, annual mortality index (AMI) and annual recruitment index (ARI). Species also differed significantly for AMI and ARI. Species richness, carbon density and carbon accumulation were negatively related with AMI and positively with ARI. Soil moisture content, total N and total P across study sites also favored juvenile recruitment. The findings suggest that mortality of juvenile trees in TDF is mainly due to browsing and harvesting. The future floristic composition and carbon accumulation of TDF will depend upon the status of juvenile trees. Therefore, it is important to restrict the livestock grazing in the forest and to particularly protect the juveniles of the dominant canopy trees and those with high carbon accumulation potential. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.
Functional traits indicate a continuum of tree drought strategies across a soil water availability gradient in a tropical dry forest
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) R.K. Chaturvedi; Anshuman Tripathi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
This study evaluates drought survival mechanisms of tropical dry forest (TDF) trees based on their functional traits (FTs). We addressed the following questions: (i) What are the dominant functional guilds (FGs) of tree species across a soil water availability gradient in TDF? (ii) What are the important FTs influencing tree species assemblage in different FGs? (iii) What is the functional composition of different FGs in the study sites, and how are they influencing biomass accumulation capacity (BAC) across the soil water availability gradient? We selected 12 FTs associated with plant water use strategies, viz., canopy cover intensity (CC), wood specific gravity (WSG), saturated stem water content (QWsat), leaf size or leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), relative water content (RWC), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), maximum saturated stomatal conductance (Gsmax), maximum saturated photosynthetic rate (Amax), and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi). By using these FTs, we classified 47 tree species by HCPC (hierarchical clustering on principal components) into three FGs, viz, drought avoiding (DAFG), drought resistant (DRFG), and drought tolerant (DTFG). For species grouping, QWsat was the most significant for DAFG, impacts of Amax, LPC, Gsmax and LNC were significant for DRFG, while LDMC and CC were significant for DTFG. Across the five forest fragments, along a soil moisture content (SMC) gradient, the three FGs exhibited significant differences in species richness, stem density, aboveground biomass, and biomass accumulation capacity (BAC). We observed increasing dominance of DAFG towards drier sites, while the abundance of DRFG and DTFG was higher towards moister sites. Among the three FGs, DTFG showed highest biomass and BAC in our study region. Strategies of DAFG were more associated with savanna habitats, while DRFG and DTFG exhibited strategies important for TDFs. Our findings could help forest managers in restoration and conservation of TDFs. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Growth of tree seedlings in a tropical dry forest in relation to soil moisture and leaf traits
(2013) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
AimsThe growth of plant species in tropical dry forest (TDF) is expected to be largely governed by the availability of soil moisture. In this study we attempt to identify mechanisms by which seedlings of dry tropical trees cope with water stress by adjusting their leaf characteristics to water availability and micro environments, and address following questions: How are leaf traits and relative growth rate (RGR) of the dominant seedling species of TDF affected by seasonal changes in soil moisture content (SMC)? What is the relationship of functional traits with each other? Can leaf traits singly or in combination predict the growth rate of seedling species of TDF? The study was conducted in situ on four sites (viz., Hathinala, Gaighat, Harnakachar and Ranitali, listed in order of decreasing SMC) within the tropical dry deciduous forest in northern India.MethodsFive leaf traits viz., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), concentrations of leaf nitrogen (leaf N), phosphorus (leaf P) and chlorophyll (Chl) and two physiological processes, viz., stomatal conductance (Gsnet) and photosynthetic rate (Anet), and RGR, of four dominant tree seedling species of a TDF (viz., Buchanania lanzan, Diospyros melanoxylon, Shorea robusta and Terminalia tomentosa) on four sites were analysed for species, site and season effects over a 2-year period. Step-wise multiple regression was performed to predict RGR from mean values of SMC, leaf traits and physiological processes. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to observe the extent of intra- vs. inter-specific variability in the leaf traits and physiological rates.Important FindingsAll the traits and physiological rates were interrelated and showed significant positive relationship with RGR except for the correlation of LDMC with RGR which was not significant. Further, relationships of SMC with all leaf traits, physiological rates and RGR were significant, except for that between SMC and SLA for B. lanzan and D. melanoxylon. The slope of seedling trait:SMC relationship, a measure of phenotypic plasticity in response to soil moisture gradient, varied among species. Among the four species, T. tomentosa was the most plastic and S. robusta the least. In conclusion, leaf traits and physiological processes were strongly related to soil water availability on the one hand and seedling growth on the other. Gsnet is the most important variable which accounted for the greatest amount of variability (62%) in RGR, emphasizing the role of stomatal conductance in shaping growth patterns across spatial and temporal gradients of soil water availability. Gsnet and SMC together explained 64% variability in RGR, indicating that other traits/factors, not studied by us are also important in modulating the growth of tropical tree seedlings. © 2012 The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Botanical Society of China. All rights reserved.
Impacts of human disturbance in tropical dry forests increase with soil moisture stress
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2017) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; K.W. Tomlinson; J.S. Singh
Questions: (1) Which disturbances (harvesting, browsing, drought and fire) are important for tree mortality in a tropical dry forest (TDF), and do these change with size class (juvenile, sapling, adult)? (2) How is mortality and recruitment in a TDF related to soil moisture content (SMC) and does the relationship change for different size classes? (3) Is disturbance-related mortality selectively removing particular species from the TDF?. Location: Sonebhadra and Mirzapur districts, Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods: We analysed the structure of a TDF in central India in terms of the tree composition of juveniles, saplings and adults at five distinct sites located along a gradient of SMC, and recorded the numbers of individuals in each size class killed by the four disturbance types over 2 yr. We also recorded total stem density and recruitment at each site. We compared annual mortality index (AMI) and its four disturbance components (harvesting, browsing, drought and fire) and annual recruitment index (ARI) against the mean SMC of each site using GLMM. Results: The impact of all disturbances on total AMI decreased as SMC increased whereas ARI increased as SMC increased. Mortality due to harvesting was substantially higher than other disturbances for adult and sapling trees, whereas both harvesting and browsing were important drivers of mortality for juveniles. There was little evidence that particular species were being deliberately selected for harvesting across sites. Conclusions: Tree saplings and adults in this TDF were mainly killed by harvesting, indicating that anthropogenic impacts on tree mortality are more important than non-anthropogenic impacts in the TDF, and impacts of all disturbances become more severe with increasing water stress. Thus changes in TDF structure due to harvesting are likely to be more rapid in more arid environments. © 2017 International Association for Vegetation Science
Leaf attributes and tree growth in a tropical dry forest
(2011) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
Questions: How are leaf attributes and relative growth rate (RGR) of the dominant tree species of tropical deciduous forest (TDF) affected by seasonal changes in soil moisture content (SMC)? What is the relationship of functional attributes with each other? Can leaf attributes singly or in combination predict the growth rate of tree species of TDF? Location: Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods: Eight leaf attributes, specific leaf area (SLA); leaf carbon concentration (LCC); leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC); leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC); chlorophyll concentration (Chl), mass-based stomatal conductance (Gsmass); mass based photosynthetic rate (Amass); intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi); and relative growth rate (RGR), of six dominant tree species of a dry tropical forest on four sites were analysed for species, site and season effects over a 2-year period. Step-wise multiple regression was performed for predicting RGR from mean values of SMC and leaf attributes. Path analysis was used to determine which leaf attributes influence RGR directly and which indirectly. Results: Species differed significantly in terms of all leaf attributes and RGR. The response of species varied across sites and seasons. The attributes were positively interrelated, except for WUEi, which was negatively related to all other attributes. The positive correlation was strongest between Gsmass and Amass and the negative correlation was strongest between Gsmass and WUEi. Differences in RGR due to site were not significant when soil moisture was controlled, but differences due to season remained significant. The attributes showed plasticity across moisture gradients, which differed among attributes and species. Gsmass was the most plastic attribute. Among the six species, Terminalia tomentosa exhibited the greatest plasticity in six functional attributes. In the step-wise multiple regression, Amass, SLA and Chl among leaf attributes and SMC among environmental factors influenced the RGR of tree species. Path analysis indicated the importance of SLA, LNC, Chl and Amass in determining RGR. Conclusion: A mass, SMC, SLA and Chl in combination can be used to predict RGR but could explain only three-quarters of the variability in RGR, indicating that other traits/factors, not studied here, are also important in modulating growth of tropical trees. RGR of tree species in the dry tropical environment is determined by soil moisture, whereas the response of mature trees of different species is modulated by alterations in key functional attributes such as SLA, LNC and Chl. © 2011 International Association for Vegetation Science.
Non-destructive estimation of tree biomass by using wood specific gravity in the estimator
(2010) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
Estimates of forest biomass are required for understanding several ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. We compared the biomass estimates of seven tropical tree species measured on the basis of two methods: (i) allometric equations relating destructively measured tree biomass and the circumference at breast height (CBH), and (ii) non-destructive equation having wood specific gravity (p) in the estimator. There were strong correlations between the two methods for all tree species. We suggest that p-based estimator is a viable option for non-destructive estimation of forest biomass.
Phenotypic plasticity in functional traits of woody species in tropical dry forests
(Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2013) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi
We analysed the phenotypic plasticity in nineteen functional traits (FTs) (seven morphological and twelve physiological) in tree and shrub species across the five study sites located in a tropical dry forest (TDF), showing variable soil moisture content (SMC). The aim was to observe the range of FTs in tree and shrub species across the study sites. Further, the response of FTs to SMC across species and sites was analysed. We also studied the relationships among FTs and between FTs and soil properties across sites. Results showed that the plasticity in FTs significantly varied across the study sites. The plasticity in FTs also differed significantly across species. All FTs under study affect relative growth rate (RGR) of the tree and shrub species directly or indirectly. However, the strength of effect is determined by environmental parameters and in case of TDF soil water availability is the important parameter. Plasticity in FTs due to changes in environmental parametersexplained the variations in RGR. Step-wise multiple regression indicates that more than 80% variability in RGR can be explained by canopy cover (CC), leaf area index (LAI), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi) alone. First three variables represent quantity of photosynthetic surface and last represent water use economy of a species. All these are also significantly modulated by soil moisture availability. Important point to note here is that photosynthetic rate (Amax) is not an important parameter to determine RGR in TDF where water economy and extended period of leaflessness are critical. © 2013 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Plant functional traits with particular reference to tropical deciduous forests: A review
(2011) R.K. Chaturvedi; A.S. Raghubanshi; J.S. Singh
Functional traits (FTs) integrate the ecological and evolutionary history of a species, and can potentially be used to predict its response as well as its influence on ecosystem functioning. Study of inter-specific variation in the FTs of plants aids in classifying species into plant functional types (PFTs) and provides insights into fundamental patterns and trade-offs in plant form and functioning and the effect of changing species composition on ecosystem functions. Specifically, this paper focuses on those FTs that make a species successful in the dry tropical environment. Following a brief overview, we discuss plant FTs that may be particularly relevant to tropical deciduous forests (TDFs). We consider the traits under the following categories: leaf traits, stem and root traits, reproductive traits, and traits particularly relevant to water availability. We compile quantitative information on functional traits of dry tropical forest species. We also discuss trait-based grouping of plants into PFTs. We recognize that there is incomplete knowledge about many FTs and their effects on TDFs and point out the need for further research on PFTs of TDF species, which can enable prediction of the dynamics of these forests in the face of disturbance and global climate change. Correlations between structural and ecophysiological traits and ecosystem functioning should also be established which could make it possible to generate predictions of changes in ecosystem services from changes in functional composition. © Indian Academy of Sciences.
Recent analytical techniques in detection of poisons in lab
(Medico-Legal Update, 2009) R.K. Chaturvedi; S. Das; K. Animesh; M. Pathak
Acute poisoning, a common clinical emergency, is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. Whole range of complex poisons like medicines, occupational poisons, house hold poisons, chemical poisons in the form of pesticide used in farming, affect the population. Death may be either suicidal, accidental or homicidal. Sometimes people may die due to overdose of drug or even therapeutic dose of drug may end the valuable life. Usually doctors manage these patients on the basis of presumptive diagnosis that may be based on patients' relative statement or some circumstantial evidences of the event that took place. So this is very difficult for a doctor to predict and make specific management plan in accordance with poisons and drugs what the person has consumed? Toxicological detection by various analytical methods would be reliable in these cases. Analytical support is often necessary to confirm the diagnosis and management of poisoning cases1. Analytical toxicologist will play an important role in diagnosis of specific poisons and management of these patients. Only toxicologist who knows the basic skill in clinical domain and knowledge of different analytical methods of detection of specific poisons and drugs can help hospital wing for predicting the prognosis of the patients.
Recent analytical techniques in detection of poisons in Lab - Review
(Medico-Legal Update, 2009) R.K. Chaturvedi; S. Das; K. Animesh; M. Pathak
The practical applicability of these techniques are not only limited to detection of poisons and drugs in patient, but has broader domain then these. We can apply same techniques in monitoring purity of drugs & medicine supplied by Pharmaceuticals Company to hospital. If is there any adulteration, then up to what percent it has been adulterated or what is the real constituents of drug (i.e. drug monitoring)? Second role is in environmental toxicology- like detection of heavy metal like arsenic, mercury, lead etc. in drinking water, soils, flora and fauna of that place, and whether food and water resources for us, are free from toxic substances or not ? So, Analytical toxicologist can help in many ways to our society and help in keeping us free from poisons or drugs hazards.