Coniferous

The coniferous forests are the most important commercial forests and can be grouped into two classes:

  • Chir pine forests, or low level conifers, occur from a little below 900 m up to 1 650 m on the mountain slopes. The principal species is chir pine (Pinus roxburghii). Some oaks (Quercus dilatata) and other broadleaved species occasionally grow in these forests when lopping for fodder and fuel is minimal, but they do not have any real commercial importance. Chir pine occurs almost in pure form in the top canopy that is moderately dense and reaches a height of 25 to 35 m. The undergrowth is usually dense and consists of species such as granda (Carissa spinarum), sanatha (Dodonea viscosa), etc. In some areas shrubs are completely absent due to frequent fire. A rich grass growth develops during the rainy season and dries up and is flattened down in winter. The subtropical climate of these lower elevation foothills of the Himalayans is favourable to permanent living and as a result the forests have been subjected to heavy population pressure;

  • High level conifers belong to the temperate zone and range in altitude from 1 650 m up to about 3 000 m. These limits depend on the aspect of the slope. Stocking varies with the extent of degradation by agriculture (from below) and by summer grazing of alpine pasture (from above). Most of these forests grow on very steep slopes, between 60% and 100% and occasionally up to 150%. The average slope is about 75%. Many slopes of less than 60% have been terraced for agriculture. The principal commercial species are deodar (Cedrus deodara), kail or blue pine (Pinus wallichiana), fir (Abies pindrow) and spruce (Picea smithiana). Taxus baccata also occurs in the form of scattered trees or small patches. The size of the trees is generally very large because of the selection system of management and the long rotation period. Parts of these forests are inaccessible.

last updated: Wednesday, September 27, 2006