Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan

Regeneration of oak (Quercus baloot Griff.) forests is an issue of concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in general and Sheshikoh Valley of District Chitral in particular. The oak forests cover has been continuously deteriorated and depleted due to uncontrolled grazing, low moisture content of soil...

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Main Authors: Zahid Ahmad, Zulfiqar Ali, Fazal Ghani, Shah Khalid
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:International Journal of Forestry Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2173092
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author Zahid Ahmad
Zulfiqar Ali
Fazal Ghani
Shah Khalid
author_facet Zahid Ahmad
Zulfiqar Ali
Fazal Ghani
Shah Khalid
author_sort Zahid Ahmad
collection DOAJ
description Regeneration of oak (Quercus baloot Griff.) forests is an issue of concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in general and Sheshikoh Valley of District Chitral in particular. The oak forests cover has been continuously deteriorated and depleted due to uncontrolled grazing, low moisture content of soil, and overusage of the plant as fuelwood and are hence the major contributors toward the failure of oak regeneration. The present study was aimed to asses’ different treatments and their impacts on the growth and regeneration of oak forests. This study was conducted in oak forests of Sheshikoh Valley, Chitral, where four plots of 2-acres each were established. Each plot was treated with separate treatment, that is, fencing, mixed treatment (fencing and fertile soil), fencing and trench treatment, and control plot and their regeneration capacity was studied and compared with each other. The data was collected in March and September between 2011 and 2015. The result showed that the number of plants in the first plot (fencing) were 23, with an average height of 43 inches and a diameter of 11.7 mm. In the second plot (fencing and fertile soil), 40 plants grew with an average height of 42 inches and a diameter of 10 mm, whereas in the third plot (fencing and trench), 45 plants developed with an average height of 48 inches and a diameter of 13 mm. However, the fourth plot (nontreated plants) showed poor germination with 8 plants, with an average height of 8.5 inches, and the diameter of plants was 3.7 mm. Therefore, the survival rate of plants in the first, second, and fourth plots remained unsatisfactory at the end of the research. In conclusion, the third treatment (fencing and trench) was the best suitable practice to stabilize oak forests in their natural zones.
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spelling doaj-art-5419e5c88e984dadbe0e7c024193d2702025-08-20T02:05:24ZengWileyInternational Journal of Forestry Research1687-93762022-01-01202210.1155/2022/2173092Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, PakistanZahid Ahmad0Zulfiqar Ali1Fazal Ghani2Shah Khalid3Centre for Disaster Preparedness and ManagementCentre for Disaster Preparedness and ManagementDepartment of Urban and Regional PlanningDepartment of BotanyRegeneration of oak (Quercus baloot Griff.) forests is an issue of concern in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in general and Sheshikoh Valley of District Chitral in particular. The oak forests cover has been continuously deteriorated and depleted due to uncontrolled grazing, low moisture content of soil, and overusage of the plant as fuelwood and are hence the major contributors toward the failure of oak regeneration. The present study was aimed to asses’ different treatments and their impacts on the growth and regeneration of oak forests. This study was conducted in oak forests of Sheshikoh Valley, Chitral, where four plots of 2-acres each were established. Each plot was treated with separate treatment, that is, fencing, mixed treatment (fencing and fertile soil), fencing and trench treatment, and control plot and their regeneration capacity was studied and compared with each other. The data was collected in March and September between 2011 and 2015. The result showed that the number of plants in the first plot (fencing) were 23, with an average height of 43 inches and a diameter of 11.7 mm. In the second plot (fencing and fertile soil), 40 plants grew with an average height of 42 inches and a diameter of 10 mm, whereas in the third plot (fencing and trench), 45 plants developed with an average height of 48 inches and a diameter of 13 mm. However, the fourth plot (nontreated plants) showed poor germination with 8 plants, with an average height of 8.5 inches, and the diameter of plants was 3.7 mm. Therefore, the survival rate of plants in the first, second, and fourth plots remained unsatisfactory at the end of the research. In conclusion, the third treatment (fencing and trench) was the best suitable practice to stabilize oak forests in their natural zones.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2173092
spellingShingle Zahid Ahmad
Zulfiqar Ali
Fazal Ghani
Shah Khalid
Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
International Journal of Forestry Research
title Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
title_full Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
title_fullStr Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
title_full_unstemmed Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
title_short Regeneration of Natural Forests in the Hindu Kush Range: A Case Study of Quercus baloot Plants in Sheshikoh Oak Forests, District Chitral, Pakistan
title_sort regeneration of natural forests in the hindu kush range a case study of quercus baloot plants in sheshikoh oak forests district chitral pakistan
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/2173092
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AT fazalghani regenerationofnaturalforestsinthehindukushrangeacasestudyofquercusbalootplantsinsheshikohoakforestsdistrictchitralpakistan
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