Association of Soil Parameters with Various Age Classes of Forests of Mukundpur, Satna, Forest Divis

Abstracts

Aims: This forest area was susceptible to illicit felling, encroachment and illicit mining. From this problem the forests are changing from stocked - under stocked - blank forests. The majority of the area are blank and under stocked category. To re-vegetate the blank and under stocked area into stocked forests, the soil parameters in the study area were needed to be studied in detail. In the present study the associations of soil parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, availability of major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) and micro nutrients like (copper, manganese, iron and zinc) with various age classes of forests were analyzed.

Study Design: Stratified systematic random sampling.

Place and Duration of Study: Study area was the forest area of 111.55 km2 of Mukundpur range of Satna Forest division, Madhya Pradesh, India. Field work was carried out during October 2015 to January 2016.

Methodology: The vegetation sampling had been done to assess the forest resource survey. Stratified systematic random sampling method was used for sampling the vegetation. The minimum numbers of sample points were calculated using statistical formula. The 151 sample points at 30”x 30” were selected on safer side with the help of GPS. Half kg of soil sample was collected from central quadrat from the depth of 30 cm from the sample point and air-dried under shade. These samples were sent to soil testing lab Rewa to assess the soil parameters pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available P2O5, available K2O and micronutrient analysis for availability of zinc, iron, manganese and copper. The Microsoft access program was developed to evaluate the above soil parameters in various age classes of forests. Age classes of forest are defined as, Mature: where average girth of forest trees is more than 120 cm, Middle age: where the average girth of trees of a particular forest stands between 61-120 cm, Young age: where average girth of trees of particular stand is below 60 cm.

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