Poudel Anil, Ayer Santosh, Joshi Rajeev, Gautam Jeetendra, Timilsina Sachin, Khadka Keshav, Bhatta Kishor Prasad, Maharjan Menuka
College of Natural Resource Management (CNRM), Agriculture and Forestry University, Katari, 56310, Nepal.
Faculty of Forestry, Agriculture and Forestry University, Hetauda, 44100, Nepal.
Heliyon. 2024 Aug 4;10(15):e35441. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35441. eCollection 2024 Aug 15.
The effective management of forests relies on the crucial role played bysilvicultural systems. However there exist a significant knowledge gap regarding impact of these systems in Nepalese forests. Therefore, this research was conducted to assess the effects of the forest management activities under irregular shelterwood system on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and the overall soil quality of Sal ( Gaertn. f.) forests in Terai region of Nepal. Stratified random sampling method with 1.67 % sampling intensity was adopted in this study where management of stands was used as basis of strata. A total of 30 composite soil samples (15 each from managed and unmanaged forest stands) were collected from a depth of 0-30 cm, taken from the four corners and the center of each plot. Soil quality index (SQI) method was used for soil quality assessment using indicators on the basis of prior studies conducted in Nepal. Our study found significant difference in soil parameters except organic carbon, pH, silt, and clay among the managed and unmanaged forest stands (p < 0.05). SOC stock of unmanaged forest stands (48.87 ± 1.34 ton ha) was significantly greater than managed forest stands (27.76 ± 1.27 ton ha). Similarly, unmanaged forest stands demonstrated better soil quality with higher SQI value (0.66) than managed forest stands (0.50). This negative impact of irregular shelterwood silviculture system highlights the necessity for management interventions to enhance SOC stock and overall soil quality. To establish a robust conclusion, further replication of similar studies at different soil depths and in other management regimes, along with longitudinal studies, is essential.
森林的有效管理依赖于造林系统所发挥的关键作用。然而，关于这些系统对尼泊尔森林的影响，存在重大的知识空白。因此，本研究旨在评估尼泊尔特莱地区不规则渐伐系统下的森林管理活动对土壤有机碳（SOC）储量以及娑罗双树（Gaertn. f.）林土壤整体质量的影响。本研究采用分层随机抽样方法，抽样强度为1.67%，以林分管理情况作为分层依据。从每个样地的四个角和中心采集了深度为0至30厘米的总共30个复合土壤样本（管理林分和未管理林分各15个）。基于在尼泊尔先前开展的研究中的指标，采用土壤质量指数（SQI）方法进行土壤质量评估。我们的研究发现，除有机碳、pH值、粉砂和黏土外，管理林分和未管理林分的土壤参数存在显著差异（p < 0.05）。未管理林分的SOC储量（48.87 ± 1.34吨/公顷）显著高于管理林分（27.76 ± 1.27吨/公顷）。同样，未管理林分的土壤质量更好，SQI值（0.66）高于管理林分（0.50）。不规则渐伐造林系统的这种负面影响凸显了进行管理干预以提高SOC储量和土壤整体质量的必要性。为得出可靠结论，在不同土壤深度和其他管理模式下进一步开展类似研究并进行纵向研究至关重要。
