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G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263643, India

Ahmed, Ajaz 2002. Object-oriented forest management. The Indian Forester, 128(3): 313-315. Dy. Conservator of Forests, Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Service, J&K, India. [CONSERVATION; FOREST MANAGEMENT; NATURAL RESOURCE]

                Land use/cover changes during the period 1963-1993 and their ecological and socioeconomic implications in Pranmati Watershed in the Indian Himalaya were analyzed on the basis of information extracted from archival records, satellite data, participatory discussions, and field measurement. Agricultural land use was practiced on 14.2% of the watershed area in 1963 compared with 18.5% in 1993. More than 50% of the agricultural expansion occurred in community forests between 1850 and 2400 m and on 20-30^o slopes. The increase in area under cash crops, potato, and amaranth accompanied an 86% increase in the mean monetary value of crop produce but at the cost of abandoning the traditional crops Fagopyrum esculentum, F. tataricum, Panicum miliaceum, and Setaria italica. Agricultural land use changes were such that mean manure input at the watershed scale increased by 50%, and fodder output from crops decreased by 40%, implying the increasing pressure on forests. Local forest management institutions have not been adequately empowered to respond to the growing economic aspirations of people and the increasing population pressure. Research and policy support for improvement in traditional soil fertility management practices and forest resource-based economic development opportunities for local people is needed to reduce the threat from agriculture to forest ecosystems.

                The social features are important for people's participation. In order to become aware about features of a social system it is necessary to determine the personal and socio-situational characteristics of villagers. A study was initiated during 1997 where Integrated Watershed Management Project was implemented in Doon Valley. Farmers from two groups of two villages (successful and less successful) were found more or less same regarding age, educational level and land holdings. About three-fourth of respondents, belonged to marginal farm category. Their land holdings were scattered at different locations on hill terraces and fragmented into many plots and located more than a km away from their houses. Two sets of villages differ on one aspect - farmers of less successful villages did not follow small family norms with the results most of nuclear families with large size had been there.

                The flowering stages of herbaceous species of high altitude plants were recorded during the survey of 1996-98 in the sub alpine and alpine pastures (thaches) of Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). GHNP is located in the Western Himalaya, in district Kullu of Himachal Pradesh. The flowering of various high altitude species were recorded monthly in this area. The initiation of flowering was synchronized with the beginning of spring or rise in temperature and snowmelt. The flowering starts is late March in sub-alpine and in late April in alpine zone. In these high altitude pastures, the peaks of various phenophases succeed on after the other during the snow free period. It was noticed that plants complete their various growth cycles within a short period of favourable conditions, to ensure the survival of their progeny. The flowering phase of these species varied from (10-15) days to (1-3) months.

                Out of the four agroforestry tree spcies, namely Grewia optiva, Celtis australis, Bauhinia variegata, Morus alba, and two tree species (i.e. G. optiva and M. alba) maintained higher growth, vigour and foliage and branchwood biomass production potential for longer period when pollarded at 1.5 or 2.0 m. G. optiva and M. alba, responded better to canopy management practices like coppicing and pollarding as compared to C. australis and B. variegata. Collar diameter increased with increase in cutting heights in G. optiva and M. alba, but remained unchanged in C. australis and B. variegata up to fourth year of canopy management treatments. Significant decrease in shoot number, Leaf Area, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and foliage and branchwood biomass production occurred by fourth year of treatments although decrease was of higher magnitude at lower cutting heights in all the four tree species. M. alba followed by G. optiva produced maximum foliage and branchwood biomass at 2.0 m cutting height during the entire experimentation period.

                Studies on variability of pod and seed characters of Albizia chinensis were conducted through the estimates of range, mean, phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation, heritability and gentic advance as percent of mean. Significant variations in pod length, breadth, thickness and seed weight were found. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for pod breadth, pod thickness, pod weight and seed weight/pod. High positive values of genotypic correlation coefficient between pod and seed characters reveal that the traits are genetically controlled and selection can be very effective in tree improvement programme.

                Estimation of population status and biomass availability of 14 threatened medicinal and aromatic plant species (TMAPS) extracted and traded from the higher altitudes of Kumaon Himalaya was carried out. We used stratified random samples covering distinct landscape units or habitats. These TMAPS were distributed in nine different habitat types and had habitat-specific distribution. On the basis of their status and level of pressure at a local scale, we have grouped them into six categories and a conservation approach has been suggested.

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