Study on tree diversity, community utilization categories and soil carbon stock in alder-based jhum farming and community forest of Khonoma Village, Nagaland

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DOI: 10.1007/s42535-025-01355-2
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Keywords: Alder-based jhum, Community Forest, Tree diversity, Utilization patterns, Soil carbon


Abstract

A study was carried out to compare tree diversity, its utilization by the Angami ethnic community and soil organic carbon stock in Alder-based jhum farming and community forest of Khonoma Village, Nagaland, India. A total of 164 individuals of 32 tree species belonging to 23 families were recorded in community forest and 188 individuals of eight tree species belonging to seven families in the alder-based the jhum farming system. Alnus nepalensis (Himalayan Alder) was the dominant tree species in jhum farming system and community forest with 218.5 and 52.43 importance value index (IVI) respectively. The species diversity in the community forest was higher with 1.41 Shannon index (H′) as compared to the alder jhum farming with 0.38 H value. While the Simpson’s index (D) for both the systems was calculated to be 0.32 and 0.61 respectively indicating more species richness in the community forest. The evenness index (E) for trees in the community forest and alder jhum system was 0.94 and 0.42 respectively. The soil organic carbon (SOC %) and SOC stock were higher in alder jhum farming than in community forest, whereas the litter mass and litter carbon content were higher in the community forest. The findings of the present study help to understand the current status of tree diversity, its utilization by the villagers and soil carbon storage potential in the studied systems. Information on tree species utilization by the Angami community indicates that the villagers are fulfilling their livelihood requirements from the alder-based farming system and community forest on one hand and conserving the natural forest biodiversity on the other. The study found that Alnus nepalenis is the most preferred economically and ecologically important tree species in Angami culture. The age-old practice of the alder-based jhum farming system of Angamis in Khonoma village has given them a special status not only in the Eastern Himalayas but in Asia and the world.



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Author Information

ICFRE-Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, India