Population structure and regeneration status of tree species in old growth Abies pindrow dominant forest: A case study from western Himalaya, India

To understand regeneration dynamics and population structure of tree species in west Himalayan conifer forests, we investigated phytosociological data from an old growth Abies pindrow dominant forest (2200–3000 m amsl) of Sainj valley in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 20 quadrats (size 400 m²) were established following random stratified method to gather tree data. Four sapling quadrats (size 25 m²) and eight seedling quadrats (size 1 m²) were nested within each tree quadrat to inspect the regeneration status of tree species. This study resulted in documentation of 18 tree species (belonging to 15 genera and 12 families) from the sampled area (400 m²× 20 quadrats). Abies pindrow with importance value index (IVI) 39.06% and Aesculus indica (IVI 19.90%) revealed as dominant tree species while other associated species showed low IVI (< 9%) comparatively. Out of the total, only for 4 tree species showed ‘good’ regeneration status, 5 species ‘fair’ and 5 species ‘poor’ regeneration status while 4 species recorded at mature stage (without seedlings) only hence showed ‘nil’ regeneration status. In general, mature tree individuals contribute 3.20%, saplings 2.19% and seedlings 94.61% in the total density (ind. ha⁻¹) which indicates poor seedling survival rate in the studied forest. Consequently, it can be predicted from the results that the existing tree community may change into another community in upcoming future in terms of population structure, dominance and richness. The regeneration failure for greatest forest forming species is a matter of concern for the studied and other west Himalayan forests. Therefore, further study on seedling survival and development of proper management strategies are needed for maintenance and sustainability of the Himalayan forests.