Articles
PROSPECTS OF APPLE BASED HORTIPASTORAL SYSTEM AND OTHER CONVENTIONAL INTEGRATED SYSTEMS IN MAINTAINING FLORISTIC DIVERSITY OF GRASSLANDS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH
Article number
696_104
Pages
593 – 596
Language
English
Abstract
In each system, 0.1 ha plot was demarcated to study the understorey changes in floristic diversity during July 2000 to October 2000. Nine grass species; one fern and two non-legumes were recorded in the study sites.
It was also observed that phytosociological characters of herbaceous vegetation like total density and basal area of plant community showed a decreasing trend from July to October.
Further, these attributes achieved higher values in natural and improved grasslands thereby revealing that trees affected the phytosociological attributes of herbage. Festuca rubra and Panicum maximum were common grasses in all the systems.
Other species varied with the systems.
On the basis of importance value index of constituent species, it was concluded that in pine based silvipastoral system the grassland can be designated as Festuca-Panicum-Dactylis type; In hortipastoral and improved grassland it was Festuca-Chrysopogon-Dactylis type and in fodder trees based silvipastoral system it was Festuca-Oplismenus-Dactylis type community.
Thus, it was observed that overstorey vegetation alter the understorey vegetation.
The similarity index among the five systems revealed that hortipastoral and improved grasslands were more similar in floristic diversity as compared to other combinations.
It was recorded that plantation of apple trees in grassland did not change floristic composition of the later.
It was also observed that phytosociological characters of herbaceous vegetation like total density and basal area of plant community showed a decreasing trend from July to October.
Further, these attributes achieved higher values in natural and improved grasslands thereby revealing that trees affected the phytosociological attributes of herbage. Festuca rubra and Panicum maximum were common grasses in all the systems.
Other species varied with the systems.
On the basis of importance value index of constituent species, it was concluded that in pine based silvipastoral system the grassland can be designated as Festuca-Panicum-Dactylis type; In hortipastoral and improved grassland it was Festuca-Chrysopogon-Dactylis type and in fodder trees based silvipastoral system it was Festuca-Oplismenus-Dactylis type community.
Thus, it was observed that overstorey vegetation alter the understorey vegetation.
The similarity index among the five systems revealed that hortipastoral and improved grasslands were more similar in floristic diversity as compared to other combinations.
It was recorded that plantation of apple trees in grassland did not change floristic composition of the later.
Publication
Authors
B. Gupta, A. Kumar, J.R. Sharma
Keywords
apple, grasses, floral diversity, hortipastoral system, silvipastoral system
Online Articles (105)