Sunita Ranabhat

The relationship of forest diversity and aboveground carbon has been poorly explored in tropical forests under different management regimes. An assessment of the linkage between forest diversity and carbon has become important, particularly to devise effective approaches to forest management and policy formulation. To assess the relation between forest diversity and carbon stock, we correlated the structural attributes (i.e., DBH, height, wood density, and stem density), diversity attributes (i.e., species richness, Shannon Weiner index and Shannon equitability index) and aboveground carbon of tree species ≥ 5cm in DBH from Bardia National Park and adjoining Buffer zone Community Forest. Our results showed that most structural attributes are correlated to aboveground carbon in both forest types. While the diversity attributes (i.e., species richness and Shannon index) and stem density had no relation with aboveground carbon in both forests. Similarly, species evenness had a significant inverse relation with aboveground carbon in both forests. The correlation of DBH and height was stronger with aboveground carbon in community managed forest while the same was moderate in national park. In addition, the carbon stock was found slightly higher in the community managed forest than in national park. This indicates that forest structural diversity enhances the aboveground carbon in tropical forests, and community managed forest promotes the better growth of vegetation. These results provide a better insight into forest management and its effects on forest diversity and aboveground carbon.

Water and watershed resources have been degraded due to population growth combined with unplanned urbanization, industrial growth, and inappropriate farming systems worldwide. An effective, efficient, and holistic management system is crucial for reversing the degradation. In the Himalayan landscape, integrated river basin management (IRBM) could play an important role, especially due to the topographical challenges and governmental structures, and inconsistencies between hydro-physical boundaries and administrative boundaries. In Nepal, since early 2005 several studies have been carried out on basin-level management. However, the Government of Nepal adopted a basin-level management approach for implementing IRBM only after 2017, a few years after federal restructuring. This paper aims to review the progress made in the political, legislative, and institutional arenas for the implementation of IRBM in Nepal. The study is based on policy analysis and a literature review. It highlights that Nepal is in the preparatory phase of establishing a legal-institutional framework for IRBM and lacks proper institutional mechanisms for translating the principles of IRBM to actions on the ground. The chapter identifies the strengths and gaps in existing institutional arrangements and sheds light on the practical aspects of IRBM implementation, which would be useful learning for the countries aiming to implement IRBM in similar landscapes globally. Based on the study, it is concluded that an integrated approach based on collaboration among the different tiers and sectors of government is essential for implementing IRBM and ensuring the sustainability of water resources.

Large-scale plantations of pine species were done in the bare hills of the Middle Mountain region of Nepal during the early 1980s. There is a growing concern on the sustainability of the planted pine forests in the country due to the presence of invasive alien plant species (IAPS). Invasive alien plant species are considered as one of the drivers of forest degradation and deforestation. Ageratina adenophora is one of the problematic IAPS found in the planted pine forests throughout the country. In this study, we employed different treatments to control the invasion of A. adenophora in the planted pine (Pinus patula) forest. The research design included four different treatments, viz., (i) control, (ii) stem felling, (iii) floor clearance, and (iv) stem felling cum floor clearance in one block (Block I), which was replicated in another block (Block II). The data were collected using circular sample plots with 2m radius. The ANOVA and TukeyHSD Tests were applied during the analysis process so as to determine the effects of treatments on invasion of A. adenophora. The "floor clearance treatment" was found to be significantly effective to reduce the presence of A. adenophora in the planted pine forest. On the contrary, the "opening of forest cover treatment" was found to be conducive to this invasive species to invade the area. The "stem felling cum floor clearance treatment" could be an effective strategy to control invasion of A. adenophora in planted forest, but as it demands a high cost, it is likely to be appropriate for small forest areas where promotion of regeneration is of high priority.