REPORT ON

HANDS ON TRAINING
ATTACHMENT WITH STATE FOREST DEPARTMENT
(NURSERY MANAGEMENT, WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
& MANAGEMENT OF PINE NEEDLE)

SUBMITTED TO H.N.B GARHWAL CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, SRIGANAR, UTTARAKHAND

FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN FORESTRY

Submitted by:
Zanthunglo N Ngullie
B.Sc. FORESTRY 7th Sem
(2013-2017)
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
MR REYAZ AHMED BHAT
Assistant Professor
D.C.A.S.T
(DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY)

DOON (P.G.) COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

(DCAST), CAMP ROAD SELAQUI DEHRADUN
 AFFILATED TO H.N.B GARHWAL, UNIVERSITY,
SRINAGARDECLARATION

I do hereby declare that the Hands-on-Training report entitled,

Attachment with state forest department submitted by Zanthunglo
N Ngullie in partial fulfilment for the degree of BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN FORESTR which is submitted to (Doon (P.G) College
of Agriculture, Science and Technology under H.N.B Garhwal
University Srinagar Uttarakhand) is my own work carried out by me
under the supervision of Mr Reyaz Ahmad Bhat (Assistant Professor)
in Doon (P.G) College of Agriculture Science and technology,
Selaqui, Dehradun and no part of this work has been submitted for
any other degree or diploma

Place Selaqui Road, Dehradun (uttarakhand)

Zanthunglo N Ngulli
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and for most I would specially like to thank our one and Almighty God for his
countless and enormous blessings and also for giving me the strength and good health to
complete my project successfully

If words are considerable as symbols of approval and brought as acknowledgement

then let the words play a heralding role in expressing my gratitude. I would like to thank my
supervisor Mr Reyaz Ahmed Bhat for introducing me the principles and techniques of
Survey of Socio-Economic survey exercise. Many of his suggestions and constructive
comments lead to substantial improvements in this project work. I am also extremely grateful
for his constant guidance and encouragement

I am very grateful to the faculty members, Department of forestry, Dr. M. Maqbool Rahter
H.O.D.; Dr Vishaka Sexena, Assistant professor; Dr Arti Khanduri, Assistant professor;,
Mr Reyaz Ahmed, Assistant Professor and Ms. Kalpana kukreja, Assistant professor for
all their valuable support and knowledge which I have received in this four years, I will
forever remain greatful to them

I also express my special thanks to Mr.D.S Choudhary (Chairman Of Doon Group Of

Colleges) and Dr. R.R. Dwivedi (Principle) and Mr.Manzoor Ahmed Dar ( Dean Academics)
and other faculty members of (Department Of Forestry And Agriculture) for giving me this
golden opportunity to complete my project sucessfully

I am highly grateful to Bagwan Gramodhyog Samiti (NGO), Ambiwala, Dehradun for

organizing the village survey program for providing us with guidance and tactics to carry the
survey while maintaining a healthy relationship with the villagers & building a humane bond
with them.

Last but not the list; I am also extremely grateful and thankful to my parents and
friends for their constant guidance and encouragement in a very special way for not only
helping me in every possible way but also e encouraging me in every possible way they can

DATE: ZANTHUNGLO N NGULLIE

PLACE: DEHRADUN B Sc. FORESTRY 7th semester
MODERN FOREST NURSERY
 CONTENTS

Serial No Particulars Page No

Chapter-1 Introduction

Chapter- 2 Study area and materials

Chapter- 3 Nursery Management

Chapter- 4 Nursery practices of

some important species

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
 A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown for eventual planting out.
It comprise of nursery bed, paths and irrigation channels etc. Nursery bed is defined as a
prepared area in a nursery where seed is sown or into which transplants or cuttings are put.
On the basis of plants growing in them nursery beds are classified into seedlings beds and
transplants beds. To make a good plantation, good nursery stock is essential. Major mortality
of seedlings in their plantations is due to the wrong size or poor health of the seedlings at the
time of planting. In addition, poor seedlings are likely to have slower growth, to be less able
to compete with weeds, and to be more liable to damage by insects and pests. Further, in a
poor nursery, fewer seedlings will be raised from a given quantity of seed, and there will be
considerable waste of money and time. After planting, the plants are immediately exposed to
a harsh environment, and are at their most susceptible to damage from drought, grazing, fire,
insects etc. Thus sound nursery practice is the foundation of a successful plantation scheme.

Large quantities of quality seedlings of forest tree species are needed for plantation. It is not
only the good quality of seeds or cutting helpful in producing the good quality of planning
stock but also the application of bio fertilizers in equal valuable in the development of nursery
of plantations. In forest plantation, the effect of poorly grown nursery can be felt throughout
the whole life of the tree. A poor nursery plants may results in loss of productivity. Mycorrhiza
is one of the most important and effective component of bio fertilizer. Nursery occupies and
important place in artificial regeneration. The following objects and importance for which
nursery is generally made are:

1. For those important species which do not produce seeds every year, nursery supplies
plantations annually.

2. Some species grows very slowly and so direct sowing is not possible. Therefore slow
growing species are generally raised in nursery for eventual planting out.
TYPES OF FOREST NURSERY

On the basis of size of seedlings

Seedling nursery
Those type of nursery which has only seedling beds. i.e, in which seedlings only are
raised, no transplanting being done is called seedling nursery
Transplant nursery
A nursery which has only transplant beds, in which seedlings are transplanted for
preparation for forest planting is called transplant nursery

On the basis of irrigation facility

Dry nursery: it is a type of forest nursery in which no permanent facilities for

irrigation or artificial watering exist. Such a nursery is not very successful and is used
for raising species that do not need much water
Wet nursery: This is an irrigated nursery with a permanent source of water for
watering during the dry periods on the basic of duration of their use the nursery are
classified into

On the basis of duration of their time

Temporary nursery:
A nursery is said to be a temporary if it is set up for specific period, this nursery
is usually established for a short period after which it is abandoned. The area of
nursery may be increase or decrease according to the demand for nursery stock. Since
the seedling is raised in the same tracked in which they are to be planted out.
Permanent nursery:
It is nursery that is maintained for supplying nursery stock for a long time on a
permanent basis. It is usually large and intensively managed requiring a high level of
both material and human inputs it should be centrally located and accessible for quick
transport so as to serve large area

NEED FOR NURSERIES

There are various plantation program being implemented by the State Forest Departments,
Forest based industries, NGOs, etc. But the availability of quality planting material is not
adequate. The various needs for the large scale nursery establishment are listed below:

To meet the a forestation needs for increasing the forest and vegetative cover
To meet the demands of reforestation work
To meet the growing demands of industrial wood through captive plantations
To provide seedlings for avenue, railway and road side plantings.
To meet the farm as well as social forestry needs.

Objectives of Nursery

To study about planting and management

To study silvicultural characherestics

CHAPTER 2 STUDY AREA

AND MATERIALS
NURSERY SITE
MUSSORIE (Jaunpur Range)

Fig 1.1 Positioning view of Jaunpur Range

Location- Jaunpur Range is a small village in Jaunpur Tehsil in Tehri Garhwal District of
uttarakhand state, India it comes under jaunpu Range from District head quarters Tehri. 4 KM
from Jaunpur. 22 KM from state capital Dehradun

Area - Mussorie (jaunpur) Range

District- Dehradun

State- Uttarakhand

Climate- It is very cold in summer also. Jaunpur summer highest day temperature is between

21 C to 38C.

Average temperature of January is 8C February is 11C, March is 17C, April is 21C and
may is 26C

Water supply- The nursery should be preferably located near permanent source of water.
Transport-Transport of nursery stock from the nursery to the field should not be difficult or
cumbersome. As far as possible it should be made in a newly cleared forest land with no over
head shade occurrence/ altitudinal Zonation. In the western Himalayas northerly aspect
should be preferred.

Soil Type- Optimum soil conditions are essential for the success and economy of nursery
operations. Well drained sandy loam soil is suitable. Clayey soils should not be selected as
they are ill drained.

DATA SOURCE- Forest department and previous records are the major source of
information regarding the nursery and their major techniques

Site selection of nursery

1. The nursery should be in central place with easy accessibility from forest.

2. The nursery area should be free from permanent shade.

3. Nursery area should have good drainage facilities

4. Nursery area should have gentle slope.

5. The size of the nursery should be according to the seedling demand and needs.

6. Well drained, sandy loam soil is preferable and heavy clay soils are avoided

7. The nursery site should have a good source of water.

8. Adequate labour should be available

9. Nursery site should be free from floods, frost and high wind.

CHAPTER3 NURSERY MANAGEMENT

PREPARATION OF BED
Size of beds-

The size of nursery beds varies from species to species and locality to locality. The width of
bed should be such that an average man is able to weed it by sitting on both sides of bed.
Generally beds are 1m wide. Length of the beds varies from 1.8m in hills to about 12.2m
plains as a general rule beds should run from east to west in the plains.

Soil preparation-

This is an important part of preparation of nursery beds. It involves following operations:

1. The beds are dug up to a depth of 30cm to 45cm and all stones, roots are meticulously
removed
2. In moisture areas nursery beds are raised up to 10 to 15 cm above the level of paths,
the raised beds are supported either by bamboos or line of brick, stones, etc.
3. If the soil is gravelly, it is sieved through a fine wire netting to remove gravels and
other coarse particles.
4. The fine soil is than mixed with leaf mould and fully rotted farmyard manure in a
ratio of 1:1

Methods of seed sowing in nursery

Seed may be sown by various methods but basically in this nursery these methods are listed
below are followed:

Broadcasting method: Seeds may be sown by broadcasting all over the germination beds.
This method usually results in uneven spacing of the species by during germination.

Sowing in drills:

Seeds may be sown in drills across the width of beds, this avoids difficulty by weeding. Drills
may be made with the help of drilling board

Dibbling:

Small holes are made in the beds with the help of special implements, and thick seeds are
then placed in the holes and covered with a thin layer of soil.

Time of sowing nursery seeds:

The optimum season for sowing seeds in the nursery depends, upon the time/season of
ripening of the seeds, the rate of growth of the species that is being raised, the size of the
plant to be transplanted and the prevailing climatic conditions in the locality. If the seeds
ripen in winter and the size of plant required is small, sowing may be done in spring for
planting out in following rains. Once the seed has been sown, the following protective
measures may be adopted against birds, rodents or other pests, the measure are as follows:

1) Seeds may be treated with repellents like red lead

2) Insecticide or insect repellents may be added to the soil , such as Aldine, Aldrex,
DDT, etc
3) The seeds may be covered by thorns and dry bushes to protect the underlying seeds
from being eaten by birds and rodents

Weeding: As soon as the seeds begin to germinate, there come up a host of weeds on the
seed beds. They compete with the tender seedlings for light and nutrients. Thus, these must
be removed to ensure the well-being of the desired seedlings. It is easy to remove the weeds
in the initial stages, when these are small and do not have a well developed root system and
can be removed easily by hand.

Care should be taken to ensure that the laborer is able to recognize the seedlings of the
desired species, and their roots are in no way disturbed during weeding. Nursery should
always be kept well-weeded.

Shading:

Very often, nursery beds may have to be provided with shade to meet the following
objective:

1. Protection against excessive heat of the sun or shade bearing delicate species.

2. Protection against the adverse effect of frost in frost-prone localities to the frost-tender
species, particularly against the morning sun. Shades in such cases should be removed daily
when the soil temperature rises.

3. Protection against rain, hail, etc.

Nursery beds may be provided with a shade of thatch, mats, split, polythene or tin sheets etc.

Hardening off:
This is process in which seedlings, due to be planted in the near future, are hardened off or
conditioned for survival in the field by gradually reducing water, shade, shelter, etc to
withstand the harsh condition of the unshaded nursery or plantation.

Watering: Irrigation is necessary for the proper growth and well being of the nursery plants,
a light watering needed even for the hardiest species. However, it should be borne in mind
that over watering is as harmful to the tiny seedlings as under watering. Large and frequent
doses of water may lead to the growth of moss and weeds on the nursery beds.

The best time for watering nursery beds is early 8am in the morning when frost or damping
off is feared, or late in the afternoon. Polythene bags containing plants should be adequately
watered.

The following methods were used in the study area of the nursery:

Can irrigation:

The nursery beds are waters by means of cans bearing finely perforated roses. Irrigation by
watering can resembles natural rainfall and is thus suited for almost all species.

Automizer Irrigation:

An Automizer is a pump used for applying moisture to the seed beds in the form of water
vapour. It enables the moisture to settle down on the seed beds in the tiny particles, thus
reducing in the risk of disturbance of the soil.

Sprinkler irrigation: In this mode of irrigation, water gushes out in the form of small jets from
pipe that are laid at predetermined in the nursery beds.

TRANSPLANTING OF NURSERY STOCK:

The nursery stock may be planted out in the field, either with naked roots or in container. The
type of transplanting that is used in the nursery is described below:

Transplanting bricks: These are used to facilitate the transport and planting and planting of
seedling in the field. They may be made up of un-baked bricks comprising of clay, farmyard
manure and sand in the ratio of 1:1:1. Water is added to make this mixture is poured into a
specially designed mould.
Polythene bags: These comprising of cylindrical tubes made of polythene of gauge

150, 200, 250. These are perforated at the base and may be of following dimensions.

HEIGHT: 15cm to 20cm

DIAMETER: 5cm to 10cm

A mixture of farmyard manure and fine soil, in the ratio 1:1 is filled in these bags and seeds
seedlings are placed in them. Polythene bags find wide use in forest nurseries in different part
of India.

Dona container: These are leaf coupe locally fabricated from leaves of Ficus. These
containers are filled with mixture of soil and farmyard, manure in equal proportion plants are
then laced in it.

Basket: Basket made up of bamboo strips or Tamarix are used as plant containers while
transplanting them may be buried in the pits together with the seedlings.

Nursery disease: Damping off is the main disease affecting seedlings in a nursery. The
seedlings are attacked at their base (near ground level) by fungi belonging to Phytophora,
Pythium and Fusarium. Due to this, rotting starts at the base and results in the death of
seedlings.

The following measures that are adopted for controlling damping off and other nursery
disease:

Condition of the soil: The incidence of nursery disease may be kept low by going in for
light textured, well drained, slightly acidic soils.

Steaming: This is a process in which steam is made to pass through the nursery soil. As a
result of high temperature, the soil pathogens are killed. A perforated pipes may be laid
through nursery beds and steam allowed to pass through them.

Nursery protection:

The following protective measures are adopted for the nursery protection and they are as
follows:

1. Erection of an effective barbed wire fence in surrounding areas

 2. Erection of a stone wall or cattle proof/game proof fence around nurseries on
depending upon the source of damage.
3. A few rows of small trees or shrubs may be raised along the periphery of the nursery
in order to protect against damage by hot, dusty winds.
4. Nursery beds may be protected from birds by placing dry thorny bushes over
germination/seedlings beds.

Fig: - Nursery in Lawa Khala, Almas, Jaunpur range, Mussoorie division

CHAPTER-4 NURSERY PRACTICES OF IMPORTANT SPECIES

The site selected for the study was Lawa Khala nursery Almas, a village in Jaunpur
range/block, forest division Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. The area of the nursery is 0.30 ha. The
species that were present in the nursery were mainly tree species. The nursery was set up near
a river. It was found that the nursery saplings were sold out to the public and also to meet the
demands for various departmental plantation works.

Planning seed supplies:

The quantity of seed requirement must be calculated, the source identified, arrangements
made for collection and cost estimated. List the number of healthy plants of acceptable size
required for the planting site.

The species that were raise in the study area are mentioned below: -

Shorea robusta
Common name: Sal
Family: Dipterocapaceae
Particulars about seed: Fruit ripens May to July and fall off soon. Seed weigh 575-
1000/kg. The sowing time of the seed comes between May- July and is planted out in
July. The germinative capacity of the seed is 80-96%. Seed germinate soon after
falling.
Silvicultural character: Sal is a light demander, young plants are sensitive to drought
and frost, and it is a fire resistant
Pinus wallichiana
Common name: Blue pine
Family: Pinaceae
Particulars about seed: Cones ripens and shed seed from late September to early
November. Seed weight 12500-22000/kg, the sowing time of the seed is March and is
planted out in June. The germinative capacity of the seed is 60-70%.
Silvicultural character: It is a strong light demander, wind firm, frost- hardy and
moderate drought resistant; seedlings damp off in excess moisture. It is very sensitive
to fire damage.

Cedrus deodara
Common name: Deodar
Family: Coniferae
Particulars about seed: Cones are collected from end September to early October.
7000-9000 seeds weigh a kg. Germinative capacity is 65-80%. The seed is oily; it
cannot be stored for long; it is best to be sown fresh seed before snowfall. Planting is
done in late June- July
Silvicultural character: Deodar is a light-demander; can tolerate side shade in early
stages. It is sensitive to drought in seedling stage; it is frost resistant, wind firm, liable
to snow damage. Uncontrolled fire and grazing are very injurious.
Pinus roxburghii
Common name: Chir
Family: Coniferae
Particulars about seed: Cones are collected from healthy, tall trees in the month of
March and April; or from trees felled during or after December. Seed weight varies
 from 8800-12500/kg and the germinative capacity is 75-85%. Sowing is done in May
- June. Planting of seed is done when 14-15 months in the month of July.
Silvicultural character: Chir is very strong light demander, frost hardy; wind firm;
sensitive to drought in early stage, fire-hardy, yet suffers from fire damage. Its timber
is resinous; moderately heavy; strong; coarse-grained; sometimes spiral grained.
Emblica officianilis
Common name: Amla
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Particulars about seed: Collection of seed is done in November January. Seed
weight varies from 65000-90000/kg. Germinative capacity of seed is 80% after
treatment. Seed is sown in March April in containers or in transplanting beds and covered with
earth and can be planted in the rains in July.
Silvicultural character: It is a light demander and sensitive to drought. It survives
the unusually cold winter in its natural habitat and then shows a remarkable ability to
recover from cold injury, on the other hand it is tolerant of excessive heat but young
plants must be shaded

Need for Nursery: A forest nursery maybe established for the following purposes

1. Denuded hilly slopes are round throughout the country. In the moist region they do
not attract attention as some vegetal cover establishes naturally, but in the drier
regions their afforestation becomes a matter of importance not only for productive and
bioaesthetic purposes but also for conservation of soil and water.
2. Some seeds do not germinate/grow well in an open environment as they are
susceptive to certain environmental condition. For this purpose they need to be taken
care of which is achieved in a nursery.
3. Success of roadside avenue plantations depends largely on planting tall and sturdy
plants which can only be obtained from a nursery.
4. Some important species do not seed every year. Plantations of these species can be
raised annually only by collecting all available seed in years of moderate and good
seed years and sowing it in nursery to raise seedlings to be planted out in various
years.
5. Exotics can be based introduced by planting out nursery raised plant only
Fig- Participating tree plantation at lmas, Jaunpur range, Mussoorie Forest Division
 WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

CONTENTS

Serial No Particulars Page No

Chapter-1 Introduction

Chapter- 2 Study area and materials

Chapter- 3 Observation
 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

A watershed describes an area of land that contains a common set of streams and rivers that
all drains into a single larger body of water, such as larger, a lake or an ocean. A watershed is
an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow
of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel. The watershed is used
sometimes interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment. The watersheds consist of
surface water lakes, streams, reservoirs and wetlands and all the underlying ground water.

A watershed can cover a small or large land area. Larger watersheds contain many smaller
watersheds. It all depends on the outflow point; all of the land that drains water to the outflow
point is the watershed for that outflow location. Small watersheds are usually a part of larger
watersheds. All the streams flowing into small rivers, larger rivers and eventually into the
ocean form an interconnecting network of waterways.
 Not only does water run into the streams and rivers from the surface of a watershed, but
water also filters through the soil, and some of this water eventually drains into the same
streams and rivers. Watersheds are important because the stream flow and the water equality
of river are affected by things, human induced or not happening in the land area above the
river-out flow point.

These two processes, surface runoff and infiltration are important for a number of reasons.

For one, they affect water quality. The water that runs off surface of the earth picks up water
pollution and deposits the pollution in stream and rivers as it drains the watershed. Along
with many different types of pollution that are carried out by surface run off, soil also
becomes a water pollutants as it is eroded by farm lands. Water that filters through the soil
can also become contaminated with pollution that is left over from agricultural, industrial,
commercial and other types of human activity.

The network of stream and rivers that drain out watershed and carry water pollution
ultimately empty into larger water bodies of water, such as lakes and oceans. As the larger
river carrying water pollution from the land flow into lakes and oceans, all of the pollution
that was in the river now is concentrated into these other water bodies. Though watersheds,
pollution is distributed far away from its original source. And obviously, polluted water
affects water quality.

Watersheds sustain life, in more ways than one. According to the environmental
protection agency, more than $450 billion in foods, fiber, manufactured goods and tourism
depend on clean, healthy watersheds depend on an informed public to make the right
decisions when it comes to the environment and actions made by the community.

Principles of watershed management

Watershed management emphasis on the utilizing of lands based on the capability. If the land
is extensively utilized beyond the capabilities, it will decrease the productive capacity as well
as deterioration of lands in short. Secondly, all practises should minimizes the silting up of
tanks, reservoir and do not harm the fertile lands. Thirdly, conservation of rainwater is
essential for the efficient use of rainfall availability of water for longer duration. This
harvested water is used in supplement irrigation
BENEFITS OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

1. Watershed increases the soil health.

2. It decreases the soil erosion and silting up of tanks and dams.
3. It improves the soil moisture and enhances moisture availability to plants.
4. It augments the biodiversity in the watershed.
5. It enriches the degraded forest and checks it further extension.
6. It improves the local grazing lands.
7. It augments the livestock farming as it supplies enough fodder to grazing animals.
8. The agriculture in this zone is facilitated through adequate supply of moisture.
9. Watershed augments the various employment opportunities to local peoples.
10. As a result, the socio-economic status of the local peoples improved favorably.

OBJECTIVES OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT

The different objectives of watershed management programs are:

To protect, conserve and improve the land of watershed for more efficient and
sustained production.
To protect and enhance the water resource originating in the watershed.
To check soil erosion and to reduce the effect of sediment yield on the watershed.
To rehabilitate the deteriorating lands.
To moderate the floods peaks at downstream areas.
To increase infiltration of rainwater.
To improve and increase the production of timbers, fodder and wild life resource.
To enhance the ground water recharge, whenever applicable.
To reduce the occurrence of floods and the resultant damage by adopting strategies for
flood management.
Fig: watershed constructed in the study area, Almas Mussoorie
CHAPTER-2 STUDY AREA AND MATERIALS
STUDY AREA

WATERSHED

Fig 1.2 Positioning View of Dhanolti Uttarakhand

Location- The watershed area is located in Dhanolti. is a small tourist hill station situated
near Mussoorie-chamba state highway in district Tehri Garhwal of Uttarakhand India, about
30 km. from mussorie the Queen of hills.

Area- Dhanaulti

District- Dehradun

State Uttarakhand

Climate of Dhanaulti- The summer temperatures in the town, range from 32C to 37.5C,
while winter temperature remain between 7C and 1C.

Geography of Dhanaulti- It is situated at an altitude of 2286m, 30degree North 78degree

15east and is known for its quiet environs amidst the alpine forests of Deodar, Rhododendron
and oak.

Watershed Management
Watershed development programs promote in-situ water harvesting through decentralized
network of water harvesting structures as Exemplified by the case study in watershed. Efforts
have been made to critically appraise the characteristics of water storage structures in relation
to their position and size. The case study also shows the impact of water harvesting structures
on inducing the potential recharge. The effect of various water harvesting activities
comprising both direct and indirect recharge techniques on the quantity and quality of water
has also been analyzed. The watershed development initiatives not only augment the
groundwater recharge but also improve the water quality of the aquifer. Once a suitable site is
selected to build the structure, it is very important to involve the local community in the
construction of the structures. The community involvement would ensure sustainability of the
system in the long run. Groups of local people need to be put in charge of the system to
ensure that water is equitably distributed amongst all the stakeholders. Further, contrary to
natural water harvesting techniques, when rainwater is being injected straight into the aquifer
system, there may be severe consequences if the injected water is contaminated, as this may
contaminate the good quality water already stored in the aquifer.

Therefore, proper filter to trap any debris and a suitable water treatment plan, if Necessary, is
a must before allowing the water to enter the groundwater system. Eco-efficiency alone
cannot meet our water resources appetite following current utilization patterns

Types of Watershed: Watershed is classified depending upon the size, drainage, shape, and
land use pattern:

a) Macro watershed (1000-10,000 ha)

b) Micro watershed (100-1000 ha)
c) Mini watershed (10-100 ha)

Main Components of Watershed:

a) Soil and water conservation measures concern with the reduction of soil erosion and
improvement of soil moisture damage. It includes mechanical, cultural measures etc.
b) Water harvesting refers to the collection and storage of rainwater for beneficial uses.
c) Crop management refers to the various treatments and managements to crop present
in the watershed so as to improve the watershed program. It concerns with optimum
sowing time, planting techniques, apt fertilization, weed management and packages of
practices for aberrant weather conditions.
d) Alternate land uses system gives an idea on suitable alternate land use for watershed
Steps in Watershed Management:

Watershed management involves determination of alternative land treatment measures for,

which information about problems of land, soil, water and vegetation in the watershed is
essential. In order to have a practical solution to above problem it is necessary to go through
four phases for a full scale watershed management.

Programme:

a) Recognition phase: It involves the following steps

Recognition of the problem
Analysis of the cause of the problem and its effect.
Development of alternative solutions of problem.
b) Restoration phase: It includes two main steps
Selection of best solution to problems identified
Application of the solution to the problems of the land
c) Protection phase: This phase takes care of the general health of the watershed and
ensures normal functioning. The protection is against all factors which may cause
determined in watershed condition.
d) Improvement phase: This phase deals with overall improvement in the watershed
and all land is covered. Attention is paid to agricultural, forest management and
production, forage production and pasture management, socio economic condition to
achieve the objectives of watershed management.
Fig: watershed constructed in the study area, Almas Mussoorie
CHAPTER-3 OBSERVATION

The check dams constructed in Almas, Jaunpur range Mussoorie Forest Division were

To check soil erosion, as in hilly area it is a common problem which occurs during
rainy season.
It acts as a purpose for irrigation which helps the growth of plants around.
It helps in increase of water holding capacity.
It helps in infiltration of rain water.

Dry- spell periods are increasing and the moisture regime is gradually depleting. This needs
to be redressed by proper soil and water conservation measures to maintain soil moisture and
recharge the natural springs.

Some of the Major problems in the village are Perennial water resources are becoming
seasonal. Scarcity of drinking water in summer season, Water borne diseases like diarrhea,
cholera, jaundice and skin disease might occur during rainy season. Climate change, changes
in rainfall pattern and inadequate groundwater recharge also causes reduced base flows &
drying up of natural water resources. Landslides and road construction

Awareness about water related issues also should be given so that the society will be more
aware about the Water related problems. The village also should take steps in strengthening
the existing institutions in the village to properly manage Water and its related problems.

Through proper Watershed management the demand of the village and availability of water
gap will be fulfilled. The village Livelihood will also increase by increasing the availability
of irrigation water as it will improve crop production. The implemented whole village
measures will prevent water borne diseases. The Increased water will improve fodder
production which will support livestock in the region.
MANAGEMENT OF PINE NEEDLE
 CONTENTS

Serial No TOPIC PAGE NO.

Chapter-1 Introduction

Chapter-2 Study area and materials

Chapter-3 Observation
CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION

MANAGEMENT OF PINE NEEDLE

The Pinus roxburghii (vernacular names: Kulhdin sarol, sirli (Garhwal and Jaunsar); Chir
(Hindi and Punjabi) belongs to the family Coniferae is one of the six pines of India and the
most widely occurring. It is also known as Himalayan long needle pine, ndian chir pine, chir
or chil. It is reported that, in India its forests are found in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, parts of Sikkim, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.
The total area under chir forests is estimated to be 8, 90,000 hectares and occurs between 450
m to 2300 m altitude. Chir pine forms pure forests in its habitat but in its upper and lower
limits occurs mixed with other conifers and broad leaved species though rarely: In its upper
limits it is found in association with deodar, kail, banj oak, burans (Rhododendron) etc. and in
the lower limits with sal, sain, khair, harad, bahera, amla, jamun etc. Chir pine is
distinguished from other pine species on the basis of its 3 needle shaped leaves per bundle,
which are slender, flabellate-triangular in cross section. The Uttaranchal hills in the northern
India are one of the best habitats of chir pine forests. In recent years, detailed ecological
studies have been carried out on the chir pine forests in the Uttaranchal hills (e.g. Tiwari,
1994; Singh and Singh, 1992; Zobel et al., 2001).
Chir pine is highly resistant to fire due to its thick bark. It is better suited for tracts where
complete fire protection is difficult to ensure. However the fallen dry needles are highly
inflammable and its open resin ducts are considered a main catalyst for fires in pine forest. In
India more than one million ton Chir pine needles are available annually as litter in Chir
forests.
The needles not just causes forest fire but also cover the forest floor and prevent regeneration
of undergrowth.
In spite of the fact that the Chir forests of the division have been continuously experiencing
forest fires this aspect of management has been neglected. Only limited fire protection
measures worth the name have taken place during the past decade. Frequent fires have been
one of the major causes responsible for failure of regeneration in these forests. The frequency
and extent of forest fires has been more in years when resin extraction has taken place. Dry
needles resinous wood and resin channels make these forests more prone to forest fires. Most
of these forest fires
are caused due to negligence. Apart from damage to young crop, these fires have many other
harmful effects on the soil, the ground flora and fauna of these forests. Therefore protection
against forest fires is very significance in the scientific management of these forests.
HARVESTING TIME FOR PINE NEEDLES

Pine needle is simply the leaf of the pine tree. It starts its growth in dense tufts at the end of
pine boughs. Pine needles mature at three to five years. Many fall at maturity, but others cling
to the tree, sometimes for years. The mature needles are turned brown by summer sun, and
fall off from the trees in early autumn. During this time the surface of the needle is hard and
glossy and the color is rich brown. If left on the ground for a season, the needle lose their
luster, become dull and brittle, and may develop dark spots from insects, mold and mildew.
The New needles of Pinus generally appear in February-March.

Objective of pine needle management:

To make compost, vermicompost of the pine needle by collecting it from the pine
forest and reduce fire hazards.
CHAPTER-2 STUDY AREA AND MATERIALS

STUDY AREA

MUSSORIE (Jaunpur Range)

Fig 1.1 Positioning view of Jaunpur Range

LOCATION: - The study was done at Almas. Almas is a village in Jaunpur Tehsil in Tehri
Garhwal District of Uttarakhand, State, India. Almas is located 41KM towards west from
District headquarters Tehri and is 25 KM away from the State Capital Dehradun.

DIVISION: - Forest division Mussoorie, Uttarakhand

RANGE: - Jaunpur range/block

CLIMATE: - The Himalayas, the youngest mountain system greatly influence the climate of
the State. The climate is warm during the months of April to June whereas winters are very
cold. During the winter snowfall occurs and the valleys are covered with snowfall and dense
fog. The monsoon current passes through the valleys and heavy rainfall occurs during the
month of June to September. The period from October to middle November constitutes the
post-monsoon season after which the winter season sets in and lasts by the mid of March
followed by summer or pre-monsoon season
SOIL TYPE: It is a hilly district with most of the land being sloppy and rocky. As a result
Soil erosion often takes place due to sloppy land mass. This causes scarcity of cultivable land
and also reduces fertility of the land.

Management of Pinus Roxburghii Needle

The present study may promote utilization of forest litter as natural resource, thereby
preventing the wild forest fires which destruct local ecology.
Deforestation, forest fire hazard and exploitation of forest have been warning threats to our
environment and ecosystem globally
Pine needles are a difficult forest waste. They cannot serve as fodder. They do not even decay
like the other biomass and piled up pine needles are a major cause of wild forest fires. They
are however, a good source of biomass fuel.
Additionally, dry pine foliage stops water from being absorbed by the soil and thus causes
depletion of groundwater table. Furthermore, fallen dry pine foliage acts like a carpet on the
forest floor and blocks the sunshine reaching ground, stopping the growth of grasses which
the cattle feed upon.
Every year forest fire causes great loss to the forest ecosystem, diversity of flora and fauna
and economic wealth. Forest fires annihilate large tracts of virgin forests and cause
irreparable damage.
In 1995, forest fire destroyed more than 3.75 million hectare of forest wealth, whereas in
1999, around 5085.6 sq. km and 1225 sq. km in 2008 were destroyed in Uttarakhand alone.
Hence, studies are undertaken to explore naturally fallen (Pinus roxburghii) foliage for
generation of biofuels which is neither being used for human consumption nor for animal
feed though it is a lignocellulosic biomass. This study suggests the eco-friendly solutions for
degradations of highly inert fallen foliage like pine needles without compromising with the
land use and human/ animal feed.
A number of plants grow inside the pine forests are the source of valuable non-wood
products, several of which are important in local and regional economies. Others are
important traditional products. For example, various types of edible mushrooms (e.g.
Agaricus campestris, Cantharellus cibrosius, Collybia maculata, Morchella esculenta,
Polyporus sulphureus and Sparassis crispa) grow inside the chir pine forests

The needles like leaves of Chir pine are used for livestock bedding mostly during rainy
season to prevent livestock from contaminated water and so that from various disease
Composting

Composting can be described as the ultimate in recycling. It mimics the natural cycle of
fallen leaves and branches decomposing into humus. To compost, the organic material that
has been generated is gathered and treated in a way which hastens its biological
decomposition.
Composting is an excellent waste reduction technique because it keeps organic material out
of the waste stream entirely. Compost improves the structure of the soil. The soil is easier to
work, has good aeration and water retention characteristics, and an increased resistance to
erosion. Compost also helps hold elemental plant nutrients until plants are ready to use them.
Soils improved by added compost are more likely to produce healthy plants able to resist
disease and insect attacks. Composting can be thought of as microorganism farming. Just as a
good farmer keeps in mind the basics of soil, season, pests, and climate when growing a crop,
a good composter focuses on the materials being composted and the climate around them to
ensure a healthy compost crop
Vermicomposting

Mechanism of vermicomposting
BIN
. Materials consumed by worms undergo physical breakdown in the gizzard resulting in
particles <2 , giving thereby an enhanced surface area for microbial processing. This finally
ground material is exposed to various enzymes such as protease; lipase, amylase, cellulase
and chitinase secreted into lumen by the gut wall and associated microbes. These enzymes
breakdown the complex biomolecules into simple compounds. Only 5- 10% of the ingested
material is absorbed into the tissues of worms for their growth and rest is excreted as cast.
Mucus secretions of gut wall add to the structural stability of vermicompost.

Advantage of vermicompost
Vermicompost is a rich source of nutrients, vitamins, enzymes, antibiotics and growth
hormones. So it gives disease resistance to plants. Nutrient content of vermicompost
is higher than traditional composts. It is a valuable soil amendment.
Vermicompost harbors certain microbial populations that help in N fixation and P
solubilization. Its application enhances nodulation in legumes and symbiotic
mycorrhizal associations with the roots.
 Superiority of vermicompost over other synthetic growth media is more pronounced
in plant nurseries. It can be used as rooting medium and for establishment of saplings
in nurseries.
It improves taste, lusture and keeping quality of the produce.
It does not have foul odour as is associated with manures and decaying organic
wastes.

Fig: - Vermicompost of Chir pine in Almas Mussoori

CREATION OF FIRE LINES AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL

Creation of fire lines is of utmost importance in Chir areas having continuous unbroken belts
of Chir forests. The network of foot path already existing in these areas should be extended
and maintained to serve as fire lines.
Control Burning
Controlled burning also know as hazard reduction burning is a technique used in forest
management. Controlled burning is conducted during the cooler months to reduce fuel
buildup and decrease the likelihood of serious hotter fires. Prescribed fire is also one of the
best ways to reduce dangerous accumulations of combustible fuels under pine stands.

Following consideration should be kept in mind while carrying out control burning in forest
area.
1. The control burning operation should always start from the top portion of the area and
should be extended downwards on the slope. Control burning proceeding upwards damages
the crop.
2. In area having established regeneration. Control burning should take place once in two
years.
3. Small patches of unestablished regeneration should be strictly guarded against any damage
during control burning operation.
4. The control burning operation should take place during the period Dec to Feb and even
earlier on hotter aspects.
5. Inspection observation posts should be located at strategic point to keep a close watch over
any forest fires during the hot season.
 Fig: practice of controlled burning in Chir pine forest

CHAPTER-3 OBSERVATION

Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) is the fastest growing species among the conifers found in the
Himalayas. It attains a harvestable diameter of about 50cm at 90 to 120 years depending upon
site quality. It grows with ease both on deep soils which should be well drained as well as on
skeletal soils. Being a light demanding species, it easily rehabilitates exposed sites.
Forest fire is very common in Chir pine forest due to the fallen dry needles which sparks fire
easily. One of the major causes of forest fire is due to mass migration of locals from the state
in the recent years which have left more fuel for forest fire. The forest officials are faced with
much difficulty in controlling forest fire without the help of locals.
The collection of fallen pine needles from the forest can serves great advantage because pine
needles does not allow absorption of water in the soil, which leaves the soil dry and degraded.
Collecting them the soil will be exposed to the environment. Whenever there is rainfall the
water will be absorbed and the quality of the soil will be increased and at the same time
preventing the occurrence of forest fire which is a major problem in Chir pine forest.

USE OF PINE NEEDLES

Chir pine needles are used as packing wool in vegetable and fruit boxes and as
bedding material in cowsheds. In Himachal Pradesh a plant has been established to
manufacture needle boards.
The pine needles, the main fire hazard, needs to be converted into a resource for the
community by extending capital, technological and industrial support for their
effective utilization and as a livelihood opportunity.
Forest scientists have developed different uses of Chir pine needles for briquettes,
compost, boards, titles, etc.
With an industrial linkage to the removal of dry needles with the help of villagers for
making bio-briquettes, compost or Vermicompost, composite boards, panels etc will
provide a double benefit removing the pine needles from the forest and generating
employment and incomes.
It is a bio-fuel and bio- energy is always welcome.