• Energy Research

Invasive species, the ecosystem engineers can act as one of the important solutions to curtail the negative impacts of climate change by rapidly sequestering CO2 in forests, due to their higher production function capability and survivability under extreme environmental conditions and/or nutrient poor soil. Assessment of their impacts on ecosystems, particularly in secondary forests could provide valuable insights on their usability in restoration programs during the present decade of ecosystem restoration. In the present study, we have assessed the impacts of invasive Gliricidia sepium on carbon sequestration rate and biodiversity during the secondary succession in forest communities by conducting field investigations in Gliricidia invaded and uninvaded secondary forests. Results of the present study showed that invaded forest community was significantly higher in stem density (1059.2 ± 37.94 individuals/ha), total biomass (94.45±10.27 Mg/ha) and carbon sequestration rate (8.01±1.50 Mg C/ha/yr) as compared to the uninvaded forest community. In invaded forest community, Gliricidia alone contributed 56.99 % to total biomass which is significantly higher than the other dominant and codominant species. Structural equation modelling clearly indicated that Gliricidia invasion had impacted carbon sequestration rate both directly and indirectly; however, the latter was mediated by stem density. In the present study, we found that second-growth forests invaded by Gliricidia although quickly accumulated carbon, it impeded biodiversity. We suggest that the plantation of invasive species might create obstruction to achieve the goals of REDD+ and UN resolutions on ecosystem restoration. Further, occupation of vacant niches by inducting early successional natives might act as an important way for sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Invasive species, the ecosystem engineers can act as one of the important solutions to curtail the negative impacts of climate change by rapidly sequestering CO2 in forests, due to their higher production function capability and survivability under extreme environmental conditions and/or nutrient poor soil. Assessment of their impacts on ecosystems, particularly in secondary forests could provide valuable insights on their usability in restoration programs during the present decade of ecosystem restoration. In the present study, we have assessed the impacts of invasive Gliricidia sepium on carbon sequestration rate and biodiversity during the secondary succession in forest communities by conducting field investigations in Gliricidia invaded and uninvaded secondary forests. Results of the present study showed that invaded forest community was significantly higher in stem density (1059.2 ± 37.94 individuals/ha), total biomass (94.45±10.27 Mg/ha) and carbon sequestration rate (8.01±1.50 Mg C/ha/yr) as compared to the uninvaded forest community. In invaded forest community, Gliricidia alone contributed 56.99 % to total biomass which is significantly higher than the other dominant and codominant species. Structural equation modelling clearly indicated that Gliricidia invasion had impacted carbon sequestration rate both directly and indirectly; however, the latter was mediated by stem density. In the present study, we found that second-growth forests invaded by Gliricidia although quickly accumulated carbon, it impeded biodiversity. We suggest that the plantation of invasive species might create obstruction to achieve the goals of REDD+ and UN resolutions on ecosystem restoration. Further, occupation of vacant niches by inducting early successional natives might act as an important way for sustainable ecosystem restoration.

Wood specific gravity (WSG) is one of the most important functional traits of plants that helps in minimizing the variability of biomass estimates generated due to the inter-specific and intra-specific variations. Assemblage of an integrated inventory of WSG for various species from different forest groups, vegetation types is expected to provide crucial insights in the problems related to biomass estimation and serve as a standard reference for ecological research particularly on carbon dynamics and functional diversity studies by providing vegetational specific WSG values for a number of species at one place. Survey of literature for WSG in Indian forest communities showed that WSG values of 879 individuals belonging to 351 species, 221 genus and 77 families are available for eleven forest groups of India. Result showed that species present in a particular forest group and climatic condition showed a different value for WSG than the similar species present in other forest types and climatic conditions. It also showed that Eugenia utilis has the highest WSG (0.98) for Indian forests and it was lowest for Dalbergia sissoo (0.05). Further, we observed that in case of mature individuals, WSG value of maximum number of species was found between 0.61 to 0.80 whereas, for juvenile individuals, it was maximum between 0.41 to 0.60 indicating the role of tree diameter in WSG. In addition, we observed that tropical dry deciduous forest had the widest range of distribution for WSG. Moreover, the WSG value of species in hilly terrains showed variation with similar species present in tropical and subtropical areas. The present dataset also showed that highest WSG value was found for species present in tropical wet evergreen forest while lowest was found for tropical dry deciduous forest indicating the effect of precipitation in increasing WSG. The present dataset would of great importance for future studies particularly focusing on biomass estimation and functional trait by providing WSG values for a large number of species.

Wood specific gravity (WSG) is one of the most important functional traits of plants that helps in minimizing the variability of biomass estimates generated due to the inter-specific and intra-specific variations. Assemblage of an integrated inventory of WSG for various species from different forest groups, vegetation types is expected to provide crucial insights in the problems related to biomass estimation and serve as a standard reference for ecological research particularly on carbon dynamics and functional diversity studies by providing vegetational specific WSG values for a number of species at one place. Survey of literature for WSG in Indian forest communities showed that WSG values of 879 individuals belonging to 351 species, 221 genus and 77 families are available for eleven forest groups of India. Result showed that species present in a particular forest group and climatic condition showed a different value for WSG than the similar species present in other forest types and climatic conditions. It also showed that Eugenia utilis has the highest WSG (0.98) for Indian forests and it was lowest for Dalbergia sissoo (0.05). Further, we observed that in case of mature individuals, WSG value of maximum number of species was found between 0.61 to 0.80 whereas, for juvenile individuals, it was maximum between 0.41 to 0.60 indicating the role of tree diameter in WSG. In addition, we observed that tropical dry deciduous forest had the widest range of distribution for WSG. Moreover, the WSG value of species in hilly terrains showed variation with similar species present in tropical and subtropical areas. The present dataset also showed that highest WSG value was found for species present in tropical wet evergreen forest while lowest was found for tropical dry deciduous forest indicating the effect of precipitation in increasing WSG. The present dataset would of great importance for future studies particularly focusing on biomass estimation and functional trait by providing WSG values for a large number of species.

Wood specific gravity (WSG) is an important component in biomass estimation through non-destructive allometric approach. However, a number of factors like climatic condition, soil, disturbance, management practice, geographic location etc. have huge impact on WSG variation. The present data set provides a collective WSG data for different species (333) consisting of 711 individuals procured from already published research paper for 11 forest groups of India occurring in different climatic and edaphic conditions. It also includes WSG data of a number of juvenile tree species for tropical dry deciduous forest. A number of studies in India have not considered WSG value in biomass estimation of juvenile trees. However, previous reports of Chaturvedi et al. (2012) suggested that the use of WSG in biomass estimation provide better result than using only the diameter and height as variables. It also includes samples/ species column for getting information about the number of samples considered for WSG determination. Especially this data set will be helpful to get WSG data on the basis of similar climatic condition, forest group according to the need of the future studies and this may minimize the source of WSG variation which would ultimately minimize variation in biomass and carbon estimation. It will also help to provide WSG data for allometric model development. Also it will be help to study the physical property (strength) of wood. Further, use of this database will save the time of workers as it is easily assessable and it provides WSG value of a number of species at one place.

Wood specific gravity (WSG) is an important component in biomass estimation through non-destructive allometric approach. However, a number of factors like climatic condition, soil, disturbance, management practice, geographic location etc. have huge impact on WSG variation. The present data set provides a collective WSG data for different species (333) consisting of 711 individuals procured from already published research paper for 11 forest groups of India occurring in different climatic and edaphic conditions. It also includes WSG data of a number of juvenile tree species for tropical dry deciduous forest. A number of studies in India have not considered WSG value in biomass estimation of juvenile trees. However, previous reports of Chaturvedi et al. (2012) suggested that the use of WSG in biomass estimation provide better result than using only the diameter and height as variables. It also includes samples/ species column for getting information about the number of samples considered for WSG determination. Especially this data set will be helpful to get WSG data on the basis of similar climatic condition, forest group according to the need of the future studies and this may minimize the source of WSG variation which would ultimately minimize variation in biomass and carbon estimation. It will also help to provide WSG data for allometric model development. Also it will be help to study the physical property (strength) of wood. Further, use of this database will save the time of workers as it is easily assessable and it provides WSG value of a number of species at one place.