National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
The open sunny patches of the forest of upper Assam had been tremendously infested by the noxious alien vine Mikania micrantha and might be the prime factor for forest conversion. Present study was carried out in Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni Wild Life Sanctuary situated in Tinsukia district of Assam. Extensive field surveys were conducted during the period 2014-2018 for evaluation of changes of microenvironment component viz. soil nutrient status, soil temperature, light interception and biomass production due to infestation of M. micrantha. Soil samples were and nutrient status were analyzed by standard analytical methods. Biomass study was done seasonally from M. micrantha infested forest sites by harvest method in sample plot of 1m x 1m. Seasonal structural changes of M. micrantha showed that the maximum dominancy of the weed was recorded in post monsoon season and highest infestation was found in Padumoni site of the WLS with IVI of 158.90 and biomass contribution of 2603.3 kg/ha. The average maximum temperature varies from 24ºC to 33.9ºC which supported the luxuriant growth of the weed. Soil was observed more acidic in natural forest than Mikania infested sites. Comparatively high value of moisture content, organic carbon, nitrogen content, potassium and phosphorus concentration were recorded in Mikania un-infested soil rather than infested soil. Correlation of environmental data, soil data and the biomass data revealed that Mikania biomass was highly significant with the interception of light by the canopy among the entire segment of Bherjan-Borjan-Padumoni WLS. Invasion of Mikania support the enrollment of light demanding deciduous species which facilitated the expansion of the weed and helped in degradation of the forest. Smothering effect of this fast growing vine triggered the deciduous species and displacing several indigenous species which may alter the forest scenario in near future. Maintaining close canopy coverage of the forest might be one of the precautionary measures against the rapid invasion of the weed.
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