SCIENCE@home

Biomass production and carbon storage across slope aspects and altitudes in Western Himalaya: A case study of Pinus roxburghii forests in the fire-vulnerable region.

Sneha Dobhal,Reetika Binjola,Shikha,Raj Kumar,Rajender Singh Bali,Pankaj Lal,Sagar Chaudhary,Amol Vasisth

Published 2025 in Journal of Environmental Management

ABSTRACT

Pinus roxburghii Sarg. (Chir pine), an important tree species in the Western Himalaya, provides vital ecosystem services and supports local livelihood, yet its growth, biomass, and carbon storage are strongly influenced by site-specific environmental conditions and human-induced disturbances. This study examined the influence of slope aspects (North, East, South, and West) and altitudes (1600-1800 m and 1900-2200 m) on the growth, biomass, carbon stock, and soil properties of P. roxburghii forests within the fire-prone Western Himalaya. The results revealed complete dominance (100 % frequency) of P. roxburghii across all study sites; however, its growth pattern, biomass production, and carbon stock varied considerably with the environmental conditions. The northern aspect exhibited the tallest tree height (16 m), largest diameter (0.52 m), and consequently the highest stand volume (491 m3 ha-1), biomass (308 Mg ha-1), and carbon stock (154 Mg ha-1) in the P. roxburghii. The western and eastern aspects maintained moderate growth and carbon stock levels, while the southern slopes consistently displayed the lowest values. Aspect also influenced soil pH, EC, moisture content, organic carbon, and nitrogen levels, which were notably higher on the northern aspect and strongly correlated with the biomass and carbon stock. Further, lower altitude was also linked to higher tree growth, biomass production, carbon storage, and soil organic carbon and nitrogen levels relative to higher altitudes. Overall, these findings demonstrate the critical role of slope aspects and altitudes in regulating the growth, biomass, and carbon sequestration potential of P. roxburghii, with northern aspects and lower altitudes identified as the suitable zones for stand development and carbon storage. Therefore, aspect- and altitude-specific forest management and targeted afforestation strategies are suggested to enhance productivity, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services in the fire-vulnerable P. roxburghii forests of the Western Himalaya.

PUBLICATION RECORD

CITATION MAP

EXTRACTION MAP

CLAIMS

  • No claims are published for this paper.

CONCEPTS

  • No concepts are published for this paper.

REFERENCES

Showing 1-33 of 33 references · Page 1 of 1

CITED BY

  • No citing papers are available for this paper.

Showing 0-0 of 0 citing papers · Page 1 of 1