Silviculture Book Chapter
Silviculture Book Chapter
NABARD
Proceedings of Workshop
on
Editors
S.S. Samant Swaran Lata Rajesh Sharma
Abstract
Silviculture and forest management are the two major component of forestry a.,
considerable knowledge for afforestation, reforestation, and establishment of any forest
industry or plantation. There are various factors of locality i.e., climatic,, edaphic,,
topographic
biotic which determines the establishment of species in any arca. The regeneration ofsDe a
forest depends upon the seed dispersal, germination and establishment.
management also plays a major role in sustainable management of forests. The chore tHowever,
silvicultural system to be adopted decides the type of crop we obtain. Hence, the silviculur
forest management are symbiotically related and need to be studied carefully by the foresters
Key words: Silviculture, regeneration, management, locality factors.
Introduction
Silviculture is the branch of forestry which deals with the establishmenm
development, care, and reproduction of stands of timber. Whereas, 'silvics'is the study
life history and general characteristics of forest trees and crops with particular referene:
toenvironnmental factors, as the basis for the practice of silviculture (Khanna, 1981)
mainly focuses on the ; production of species of economic value; production of larger
volume per unit area/increasing the productivity of the forests; production of qualt
timber; reduction of rotation; raising forests in blank areas/unproductive areas; creation
of man-made forests in place of natural forests; introduction of exotics; control of stand
structure; composition; and stand density; increase the production of fuel and fode:.
development of forest industries, etc. Silviculture is considered as the backbone ot
forestry and has direct relation with other branches of forestry too. There are various
locality factors which governs the establishment of any species.They are eftective
climatic i.e., Solar radiation: (a) Light (b) Heat and temperature; moisture and winu
edaphic, topographic and biotic factors of a site, which influence the vegetation ot ti
locality, also referred to as habitat factors.
Climatic factors
1. Solar radiation
The energy radiated by sun reaches in the form of electro- magnetic waves oflength
ranging, ranging nearly from 290 mu to 5300 må. Visible wavelength -39%(400to7720
mu), ultraviolet wavelength -1% (<400 mu) and
a. Light infrared-60% (720 mu)
Light is part and parcel of solar radiation, the with
of which varies
requirement
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HIMALAYAN FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE