Transcript Document

Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Study in Relation to
Net Flux from Kaziranga National Forest
of Assam
Prof. K. K. Baruah
Department of Environmental Science
Tezpur University
Assam, India
Description of the Experimental Site
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Kaziranga National Park (KNP) is situated on
the south bank of the Brahmaputra river in
Assam, of Northeast India (26°38 N and
93°28 E).
It is located at the foot of Karbi Anglong
Hills, about 8 km from Bokakhat Town, and
220 km from Guwahati, the Assam state
capital. National Highway No. 37 forms the
southern boundary.
The Park is 40 km long by 13 km wide. Total
forest area is of 430 km2
ASSAM
INDIA
Map showing the area :
Kaziranga
Vegetation Types
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There are four types of vegetation:
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Tropical wet evergreen forest
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Tropical deciduous forest
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Grasslands
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Swamp areas(beel)
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(Tall grasses 41%, short grasses 11%,
open jungle 29%, rivers and water
bodies 8%, sand 6% and swamps
4%)
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The tropical wet evergreen forests are
dominated by
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Artocarpus chaplasha,
Bridelia retusa,
Duabanga grandiflora,
Aesculus asamica,
Schima wallichi,
Gmelina arborea and
Erythrina indica.
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Woodlands are dominated by
deciduous species such as
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Bombax ceiba,
Ablaze odorotissima,
Carreya arborea,
Lagerstromia parviflora,
Dillenia pentagyna and
Zizyphus jujuba
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The grasslands are dominated by
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Saccharum elephantinus,
Imperata cylindrica,
Poinia ciliata,
Erianthus ravannae,
Saccharum arundinaceum,
Arundo donax and
Phragmites karka.
IMPORTANT FAUNA
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Kaziranga is known as the home of the
“Big Five”:
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Rhinoceros
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Elephant,
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Wild buffalo,
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Tiger
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Swamp Deer.
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39 spp. of reptiles including the
endangered Gharial, the rare Assam
Roofed Turtle, Reticulated and Rock
Pythons.
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Almost 500 species of birds are
found.
OBJECTIVES
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To estimate the CO2 fixation and emission
from different vegetation types, ecosystems
and soils of Kaziranga National Forest.
To evaluate the CO2 emission from different
canopy layers of Kaziranga National Forest.
To investigate the relationship of CO2
emission and fixation with associated plant
and soil factors.
To calculate the net radiation balance and
moisture availability at different ecosystems
and estimate the photosynthetically active
radiation (PAR).
BRIEF TECHNICAL
PROGRAMME….
Vegetation Types
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The following vegetation types will be
undertaken for this study :
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Tropical wet evergreen forest
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Tropical deciduous forest
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Grassland
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Swamp areas (beel)
Parameters to be Recorded
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Carbon flux from all selected vegetation
types
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Gross primary production (GPP)
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Net primary production (NPP)
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Total ecosystem respiration (TER)
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Net ecosystem production (NEP)
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Characteristics of litterfall.
Contd./-
Parameters to be Recorded
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Leaf area index (LAI) of each vegetation type
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Relationship of litterfall to GPP, TER, NPP
and NEP will be worked out.
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Rate of photosynthesis, respiration and
transpiration
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Soil heat flux and soil temperature
Contd./-
Parameters to be Recorded
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Physico-chemical properties of soil.
Photosynthetic photon flux density and net
radiation balance
Wind velocity and temperature fluctuation
Evapotranspiration from soils of different
vegetation
Precipitation and other meteorological
parameters
Methods to be Used…
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Eddy-covariance method will be employed
for carbon dioxide flux and water vapour
measurement
The height of the eddy-flux measurement
system will be fixed according to the
vegetation types
Photosynthetic photon flux density and the
net radiation balance will be measured
above the forest with a quantum sensor and
a net radiometer.
Contd./-
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Carbondioxide and water vapour fluctuations
will be measured with an open path, infrared
absorption gas analyzer.
Leaf area index (LAI) will be estimated by
using litter biomass and specific leaf weight
and by an optical instrument
All weather parameters will be recorded by
an automatic weather station
Litter will be collected in funnel-shaped,
pyramidal polyethylene baskets arranged
according to the vegetation type
Contd./-
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Soil heat flux density will be recorded with
the help of soil heat flux plates. Soil
temperatures will be measured with two
multilevel thermocouple probes.
Wind velocity and virtual temperature
fluctuations will be measured with threedimensional sonic anemometers
Infrastructures required …
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Tower (35 m)
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At Experimental site (Kaziranga
National Forest)
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At reference site (Tezpur University)
Quantum sensor
Three dimensional sonic anemometers
Soil heat flux plates
Automatic weather station
Photodiode pyranometer
Radiometer
Optical leaf area meter
Manpower required …
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Technical Officer : 1 post (DST, Govt. of
India’s Scale)
Collaboration with other
Institute/Department
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National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi
(Joint Project)
Assam Remote Sensing Application Centre
(ARSAC), Guwahati, Assam
Department of Physics, Tezpur University,
Assam
Department of Forest , Govt. of Assam