Association of Soil Parameters with Various Age Classes of Forests of Mukundpur, Satna, Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, India

Aims: This forest area was susceptible to illicit felling, encroachment and illicit mining. From this problem the forests are changing from stocked - under stocked - blank forests. The majority of the area are blank and under stocked category. To re-vegetate the blank and under stocked area into stocked forests, the soil parameters in the study area were needed to be studied in detail. In the present study the associations of soil parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, availability of major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) and micro nutrients like (copper, manganese, iron and zinc) with various age classes of forests were analyzed.

Study Design: Stratified systematic random sampling.

Place and Duration of Study: Study area was the forest area of 111.55 km2 of Mukundpur range of Satna Forest division, Madhya Pradesh, India. Field work was carried out during October 2015 to January 2016.

Methodology: The vegetation sampling had been done to assess the forest resource survey. Stratified systematic random sampling method was used for sampling the vegetation. The minimum numbers of sample points were calculated using statistical formula. The 151 sample points at 30”x 30” were selected on safer side with the help of GPS. Half kg of soil sample was collected from central quadrat from the depth of 30 cm from the sample point and air-dried under shade. These samples were sent to soil testing lab Rewa to assess the soil parameters pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available P2O5, available K2O and micronutrient analysis for availability of zinc, iron, manganese and copper. The Microsoft access program was developed to evaluate the above soil parameters in various age classes of forests. Age classes of forest are defined as, Mature: where average girth of forest trees is more than 120 cm, Middle age: where the average girth of trees of a particular forest stands between 61-120 cm, Young age: where average girth of trees of particular stand is below 60 cm.

Results: Results of individual soil parameters on various age classes of forests were summarized below:

The average value of pH in different age classes did not change significantly with average value of pH of the study area. The electrical conductivity within encroachment and blank category significantly changed but in medium and young age classes it did not differ significantly with average electrical conductivity of the study area. In encroachment and blank organic carbon content and available nitrogen were significantly higher but in medium and young age classes these parameters did not change significantly with the average value of organic carbon content and available nitrogen of the study area. The average value of available phosphorous in blank and young age classes did not change significantly but in encroachment and medium young age class it was significantly higher than the average value of available phosphorous of the whole study area. The average value of available K2O in encroachment, blank and young age class did not change significantly but it changed significantly in medium age class with average K2O value of study area. Except the encroachment category, the average zinc and iron value in blank, medium and young age classes did not change significantly with average value of the study area. The average value of Mn in encroachment and blank varied significantly but in medium and young category it did not change significantly with the average value of the study area. The average values of Cu with in Blank and young age classes did not change significantly but it had changed significantly in encroachment in medium age class with average value of the study area.

The results of combined effects of pH, EC, Organic Carbon and combined impact of nitrogen, P2O5 and K2O (macro nutrients) did not have significant association within various age classes of study area. The results of combined effects of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu did not have significant association within various age classes of study area.

Conclusion: The effects of pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon were not significant in age classes of study area either individually or jointly. The available nitrogen did not play significant role in age class formation of forest but P2O5 and K2O did make significant impact on medium age classes individually, but the combined effects of nitrogen, P2O5 and K2O (macro nutrients) did not have significant association within various age classes of study area. Individually the Zn, Fe and Mn did not play significant impact on age class formation of the forest, though Cu is significant in medium age classes. The overall impacts of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu did not have significant association within various age classes of study area.