Electronic Journal of Biology

Effect of Climate Change on Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus) Dominated Forest in Kumaun, Central Himalaya

Background: Phenology is the study of growth of buds; leaf flushing, anthesis, fruiting and leaf fall in relation to seasons or years with climatic factors. Phenological events of three trees and shrubs species were made during 2008-2009 in a banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus) dominated forest located between 1700-2200 m elevation in Kumaun Himalaya. After winter dormancy the growth initiation occurred when temperature began to rise continuously and resulted in bud break. Materials and methods: Monthly counts of leaves, flowers, fruits and shoot measurement were made on 150 tagged twigs on ten individuals of each species for initiation, completion and duration of different phenological events. Results: In most species, leaves emerged during spring time (February-March). Across all species, peak number of leaves per shoot (0.34-1.03), peak leaf area per shoot (9.56-52.27 cm2), shoot extension growth (3.43-25.46 cm) and shoot extension period (16-28 weeks) varied considerably. Conclusion: Comparisons with earlier studies indicated that certain phenological events have started to occur early. However, some phenophases did not show any shifts.

Author(s):

Sanjay Kumar, Neha Chopra

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