Effects of Plant Diversity and Soil Properties on Above Ground Biomass in Altitudinal Gradient: A Case Study from Grassland of Mustang District, Nepal

محورهای موضوعی : Biodiversity

Sumit Rauniyar ¹ , Rajeev Joshi ² , Dhruba Bijaya G.C. ³ , Jyoti Bhandari ⁴ , Dinesh Bhandari ⁵

1 - Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Post Box No.:43, Hariyokharka-15, Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
2 - Amity Global Education, Tokha-11, Kathmandu, Nepal
3 - Tribhuvan University, Institute Of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Post Box No.:43, Hariyokharka-15, Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
4 - Tribhuvan University, Institute Of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Post Box No.:43, Hariyokharka-15, Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal
5 - Tribhuvan University, Institute Of Forestry, Pokhara Campus, Post Box No.:43, Hariyokharka-15, Pokhara, Gandaki Province, Nepal

تاریخ دریافت : 1400/03/16 تاریخ پذیرش : 1400/10/03 تاریخ انتشار : 1401/10/11

کلید واژه: Species Diversity, Altitude, Species richness, Above ground biomass,

چکیده مقاله :

This research was conducted in Mustang district to see the effect of plant diversity and soil properties on aboveground biomass in altitudinal gradient. Above ground biomass estimation was done using various mathematical equations. Soil properties determination was done using calorimetric, Kjeldahl Dry-block method, feel method and core sampling methods. Simpson's Diversity Index and Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index were used to study species diversity. Result shows that above ground biomass decreased with increase in altitude (R2 = 0.148). Above ground biomass increased with increase in species richness (R2= 0.1676). Lete-Kunjo site has high dominance of species than that of Kowang site accounting 23 and 12 respectively. Kobresia spp. has high IVI (91.134) followed by Carex spp. (52.178) in Kowang. Above ground biomass was found significantly higher on lower zone. Above ground biomass increased with increase in soil organic matter percentage (R2= 0.145). Above ground biomass increased with increase in soil nitrogen percentage (R2= 0.1607). Above ground biomass decreased with increase in soil pH (R2= 0.1393). There is positive linear relationship between above ground biomass and species richness. Soil Nitrogen and organic matter have positive linear relationship with above ground biomass but not with the soil pH. So to increase the aboveground biomass of grasslands and to protect the diversity of Mustang district, it necessary to conserve mountain grassland, especially in higher altitude zones, by protecting soil from erosion and landslides, and rotational grazing of livestock’s for increasing soil organic matter.

منابع و مأخذ:

Abedi, M., Bartelheimer, M. and Poschlod, P., 2013. Aluminium toxic effects on seedling root survival affect plant composition along soil reaction gradients–a case study in dry sandy grasslands. Journal of Vegetation Science, 24(6): 1074-1085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12016

Acharya, D. and Baral, N. R., 2017. Neglected high altitude rangelands of Nepal: Need for reform. Journal of Forest and Livelihood, 15(1): 103-119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3126/jfl.v15i1.23093

Anderson, J. M. and Ingram, J. S. I., 1993. Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility: A Handbook of Methods, Wallingford: CAB International.

Aryal, S., Cockfield, G. and Maraseni, T. N., 2015. Effect of summer livestock grazing on plant species richness and composition in the Himalayan rangelands. The Rangeland Journal, 37(3): 309-321. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ14088

Bandel, A. B. R. and Meisinger, J. J., 2000. Basic Principles of Soil Fertility I: plant nutrients. Maryland cooperative extension. University of Maryland, Maryland, USA.

Barry, R. G., 2008. Mountain Weather and Climate, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Bhandari, J. and Zhang, Y., 2019. Effect of altitude and soil properties on biomass and plant richness in the grasslands of Tibet, China, and Manang District, Nepal. Ecosphere, 10(11): e02915. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2915

Bhandari, J., Pan, X., Zhang, L., Wei, P., Shao, C., GC, D. B., Li, Q.Y., Mehmood, I., 2015. Diversity and productivity of semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia: influence of plant functional type and precipitation. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 52(2): 259-264.

Bhattacharjee, A., Anadón, J. D., Lohman, D. J., Doleck, T., Lakhankar, T., Shrestha, B. B., Thapa, P., Devkota, D., Tiwari, S., Jha, A., Siwakoti, M., Devkota, N.R., Jha, P.K., Krakauer, N.Y., 2017. The impact of climate change on biodiversity in Nepal: Current knowledge, lacunae, and opportunities. Climate, 5(4): 80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/cli5040080

Bhattarai, K. R. and Vetaas, O. R., 2003. Variation in plant species richness of different life forms along a subtropical elevation gradient in the Himalayas, east Nepal. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 12(4), 327-340. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1466-822X.2003.00044.x

Bhattarai, K. R. and Upadhyay, T. P., 2013. Rangeland management in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) national park and buffer zone, Nepal: An ecological perspective. Mountain Research and Development, 33(1): 19-28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd-journal-D-11-00077.1

Blake, G. R. and Hartge., K. H., 1986. Bulk density. Pages 363-375 in A. Klute, editor. Methods of soil analysis. Part 1. Second edition. Agronomy Monographs 9. ASA and SSSA, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Bray, R. H. and Kurtz, L. T., 1945. Determination of Total Organic and Available Forms of Phosphorus in Soils. Soil Science, 59(1): 39-46.

Bremner, J. M., 1960. Determination of nitrogen in soil by the Kjeldahl method. Journal of Agricultural Science, 55: 11-33.

Chalcraft, D. R., Williams, J. W., Smith, M. D., Willig, M. R., 2004. Scale dependence in the species‐richness–productivity relationship: the role of species turnover. Ecology, 85(10): 2701-2708. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/03-0561

Cheng, Y., Tsendeekhuu, T., Narantuya, N., Nakamura, T., 2008. Phytosociological study of steppe vegetation in Mongolia. Grassland science, 54(3): 107-116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-697X.2008.00112.x

Cirimwami, L., Doumenge, C., Kahindo, J. M., Amani, C., 2019. The effect of elevation on species richness in tropical forests depends on the considered lifeform: results from an East African mountain forest. Tropical Ecology, 60(4): 473-484. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42965-019-00050-z

Coops, N. C., Waring, R. H. and Landsberg, J. J., 1998. Assessing forest productivity in Australia and New Zealand using a physiologically-based model driven with averaged monthly weather data and satellite-derived estimates of canopy photosynthetic capacity. Forest Ecology and Management, 104 (1-3): 113-127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(97)00248-X

Diamond, D. and Smeins, F., 1985. Composition, Classification and Species Response Patterns of Remnant Tallgrass Prairies in Texas. The American Midland Naturalist, 113(2): 294-308. DOI:10.2307/2425575

Dimitrakopoulos, P. G. and Schmid, B., 2004. Biodiversity effects increase linearly with biotope space. Ecology Letters, 7(7): 574-583. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00607.x

Eilu, G. and Obua, J., 2005. Tree condition and natural regeneration in disturbed sites of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, southwestern Uganda. Tropical Ecology, 46(1): 99-112.

Feßel, C., Meier, I. C. and Leuschner, C., 2016. Relationship between species diversity, biomass and light transmittance in temperate semi‐natural grasslands: is productivity enhanced by complementary light capture? Journal of Vegetation Science, 27(1): 144-155. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12326

Ganjurjav, H., Gornish, E. S., Hu, G., Wan, Y., Li, Y., Danjiu, L., Gao, Q., 2018. Temperature leads to annual changes of plant community composition in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 190(10): 1-12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6964-0

Getabalew, M. and Alemneh, T., 2019. Factors Affecting the Productivity of Rangelands. Journal of Plant Sciences and Agricultural Research, 3(1): 19.

GoN/MoFSC, 2014. Nepal Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2014-2020. Government of Nepal, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Grytnes, J. A. and Vetaas, O. R., 2002. Species richness and altitude: a comparison between null models and interpolated plant species richness along the Himalayan altitudinal gradient, Nepal. The American Naturalist, 159(3): 294-304.

Gulmon, S. L., Chiariello, N. R., Mooney, H. A., Chu, C. C., 1983. Phenology and resource use in three co-occurring grassland annuals. Oecologia, 58(1): 33-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384539

ICIMOD, 2017. Management of Invasive Alien Species in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal

IPCC, 2006. Revised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for national greenhouse gas Inventories. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Publication, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Jobbágy, E. G. and Sala, O. E., 2000. Controls of grass and shrub aboveground production in the Patagonian steppe. Ecological Applications, 10(2): 541-549. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(2000)010[0541:COGASA]2.0.CO;2

Joshi, R., Singh, H., Chhetri, R., Yadav, K., 2020. Assessment of carbon sequestration potential in degraded and non-degraded community forests in Terai Region of Nepal. Journal of forest and environmental science, 36(2): 113-121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7747/JFES.2020.36.2.113

Joshi, R., Singh, H., Chhetri, R., Poudel, S., Rijal, S., 2021., Carbon sequestration potential of community forests: A comparative analysis of soil organic carbon stock in community managed forests of Far-Western Nepal. Eurasian Journal of Soil Science, 10(2): 96-04. DOI: 10.18393/ejss.825066

Khanal, U., Alam, K., Khanal, R.C., Regmi, P. P. 2015. Implications of out-migration in rural agriculture: a case study of Manapang village, Tanahun, Nepal. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(1): 331-352. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24241301

Krebs, C.J., 1989. Ecological methodology. Harper Collins. New York, New York, USA.

Kunwar, P. B., 2003. People wildlife conflict in the Upper Mustang of Annapurna Conservation Area (M.Sc. Dissertation), Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara Nepal.

Laurin, G. V., Chen, Q., Lindsell, J. A., Coomes, D. A., Del Frate, F., Guerriero, L., Valentini, R., 2014. Above-ground biomass estimation in an African tropical forest with lidar and hyperspectral data. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 89: 49-58. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2014.01.001

Limbu, D., Koirala, M. and Shang, Z., 2017. Does Altitude Effect on Species Composition and Diversity on Himalayan Rangeland. Himalayan Journal of Science and Technology, 1(1): 26-30.

Lu, X., Kelsey, K. C., Yan, Y., Sun, J., Wang, X., Cheng, G., Neff, J. C., 2017. Effects of grazing on ecosystem structure and function of alpine grasslands in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: a synthesis. Ecosphere, 8(1): e01656. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1656

Ma, W., Yang, Y., He, J., Zeng, H., Fang, J., 2008. Above and belowground biomass in relation to environmental factors in temperate grasslands, Inner Mongolia. Science in China Series C: Life Sciences, 5: 263-270.

Mayer, A. C., Stöckli, V., Konold, W., Kreuzer, M., 2006. Influence of cattle stocking rate on browsing of Norway spruce in subalpine wood pastures. Agroforestry systems, 66(2): 143-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-005-5460-z

McCain, C. M., 2007. Could temperature and water availability drive elevation species richness patterns? A global case study for bats. Global Ecology and biogeography, 16(1): 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2006.00263.x

Palpurina, S., Wagner, V., von Wehrden, H., Hájek, M., Horsák, M., Brinkert, A., Chytrý, M., 2017. The relationship between plant species richness and soil pH vanishes with increasing aridity across Eurasian dry grasslands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 26(4): 425-434. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12549

Pärtel, M., Laanisto, L. and Zobel, M., 2007. Contrasting plant productivity–diversity relationships across latitude: the role of evolutionary history. Ecology, 88(5): 1091-1097. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/06-0997

Pauchard, A., Kueffer, C., Dietz, H., Daehler, C. C., Alexander, J., Edwards, P. J., Seipel, T., 2009. Ain't no mountain high enough: plant invasions reaching new elevations. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(9): 479-486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/080072

Pausas, J. G. and Austin, M. P., 2001. Patterns of plant species richness in relation to different environments: an appraisal. Journal of Vegetation Science, 12(2): 153-166. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3236601

Pearson, T. R. H., Brown, S.L. and Birdsey, R. A., 2007. Measurement guidelines for the sequestration of forest carbon. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station, General Technical Report NRS-18. USA. 42p. Available at [Access date: 30.04.2021]: https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_nrs18.pdf

Peet, R., 1974. The Measurement of Species Diversity. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 5, 285-307. Retrieved May 28, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2096890

Pokharel, B. K., Stadtmüller, T. and Pfund, J. L., 2005. From degradation to restoration: An assessment of the enabling conditions for community forestry in Nepal. Intercooperation, Swiss Foundation for Development and International Cooperation, Switzerland, 273, 13.

Rajchal, R., 2007. Biomass Production of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae salicifolia) and its Role in Income Generation (M.Sc. Thesis, Tribhuvan University, Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal).

Roukos, C., Koutsoukis, C., Akrida-Demertzi, K., Karatassiou, M., Demertzis, G. P., Kandrelis, S., 2017. The effect of altitudinal zone on soil properties, species composition and forage production in a subalpine grassland in northwest Greece. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 15(1): 609-626. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15666/aeer/1501_609626

Roukos, C., Papanikolaou, C., Mountousis, I., Kandrelis, S., Chatzitheodoridis, F., 2011. Soil property variations in relation to plant community and altitudinal zone in the rangelands of Epirus, Greece. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 17: 806–815.

Shaver, G. R. and Jonasson, S., 1999. Response of Arctic ecosystems to climate change: results of long‐term field experiments in Sweden and Alaska. Polar Research, 18(2): 245-252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-8369.1999.tb00300.x

Thapa, S., All, J. and Yadav, R. K. P., 2016. Effects of livestock grazing in pastures in the Manaslu Conservation Area, Nepalese Himalaya. Mountain Researchqce007A and Development, 36(3): 311-319. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd-Journal-D-13-00066.1

Thien, S. J., 1979. A flow diagram for teaching texture‐by‐feel analysis. Journal of Agronomic Education, 8(1): 54-55.

Tilman, D., Reich, P. B. and Isbell, F., 2012. Biodiversity impacts ecosystem productivity as much as resources, disturbance, or herbivory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26): 10394-10397. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1208240109

Truelsen, O. M., 2001. Application of the Nutrient Balance Concept to the Traditional Subsistence Farming System in the Middle Hills of Nepal: A Case Study from Dhola VDC, Dhading District (Doctoral dissertation, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Laboratory for Agrohydrology and Bioclimatology).

Trujillo, W., Amezquita, E., Fisher, M. J., Lal, R., 2018. Soil organic carbon dynamics and land use in the Colombian savannas I. Aggregate size distribution. In Soil processes and the carbon cycle (pp. 267-280). CRC Press.

Von Felten, S., Hector, A., Buchmann, N., Niklaus, P. A., Schmid, B., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., 2009. Belowground nitrogen partitioning in experimental grassland plant communities of varying species richness. Ecology, 90(5): 1389-1399. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/08-0802.1

Whittaker, R. J., Willis, K. J. and Field, R., 2001. Scale and species richness: towards a general, hierarchical theory of species diversity. Journal of biogeography, 28(4): 453-470. DOI.org/10.1046/j.1365-2699.2001.00563.x

Zhang, W., Huang, D., Wang, R., Liu, J., Du, N., 2016. Altitudinal patterns of species diversity and phylogenetic diversity across temperate mountain forests of northern China. PloS one, 11(7): e0159995. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0159995

Zobel, D. B., Jha, P. K., Behan, M. J., Yadav, U. K. R., 1987. A practical manual for ecology. Ratna Book Distributors, Kathmandu, Nepal, 149.