Dr. Nazir A. Pala
@skuastkashmir.co.in
Assistant Professor cum Junior Scientist, Faculty of Forestry
SKUAST-Kashmir
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Forest Ecology/ Agroforestry/Climate change/Ecosystem services
Scopus Publications
Scholar Citations
Scholar h-index
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Prashant Sharma, Daulat Ram Bhardwaj, Manoj Kumar Singh, Rahul Nigam, Nazir A. Pala, Amit Kumar, Kamlesh Verma, Dhirender Kumar, and Pankaj Thakur
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Sameer A. Wani, J.A. Mugloo, Nazir A. Pala, Zubair A. Malik, P.A. Khan, T.H. Masoodi, K.N. Qaisar, Imran Khan, and A.R. Malik
Elsevier BV
Shaista Khan, Tariq H. Masoodi, Nazir A. Pala, Shah Murtaza, Javeed A. Mugloo, Parvez A. Sofi, Musaib U. Zaman, Rupesh Kumar, and Amit Kumar
MDPI AG
Toxic substances have a deleterious effect on biological systems if accrued in ecosystems beyond their acceptable limit. A natural ecosystem can become contaminated due to the excessive release of toxic substances by various anthropogenic and natural activities, which necessitates rehabilitation of the environmental contamination. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and cost-efficient method of biotechnological mitigation for the remediation of polluted ecosystems and revegetation of contaminated sites. The information provided in this review was collected by utilizing various sources of research information, such as ResearchGate, Google Scholar, the Scopus database and other relevant resources. In this review paper, we discuss (i) various organic and inorganic contaminants; (ii) sources of contamination and their adverse effects on terrestrial and aquatic life; (iii) approaches to the phytoremediation process, including phytoextraction, rhizoremediation, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, rhizofiltration, phytodegradation, phytodesalination and phytohydraulics, and their underlying mechanisms; (iv) the functions of various microbes and plant enzymes in the biodegradation process and their potential applications; and (v) advantages and limitations of the phytoremediation technique. The reported research aimed to adequately appraise the efficacy of the phytoremediation treatment and facilitate a thorough understanding of specific contaminants and their underlying biodegradation pathways. Detailed procedures and information regarding characteristics of ideal plants, sources of heavy metal contamination, rhizodegradation techniques, suitable species and removal of these contaminants are put forward for further application. Scientists, planners and policymakers should focus on evaluating possible risk-free alternative techniques to restore polluted soil, air and water bodies by involving local inhabitants and concerned stakeholders.
Zubair A. Malik, Joginder Singh, A Rajasekaran, AK Negi, Nazir A. Pala, Vijender P. Panwar, and Rainer W Bussmann
Ilia State University
Ishrat Saleem, J. A. Mugloo, Nazir A. Pala, G. M. Bhat, T. H. Masoodi, A. H. Mughal, Afshan A. Baba, and Basira Mehraj
Frontiers Media SA
Agroforestry is an age-old practise of integrating farming with practises, preferably on the same unit of land on sustainable basis. There is tremendous scope for Agroforestry because India has achieved self-sufficiency in food production. Now its attention is becoming more focused on the ecological problems and shortage of fuel, fodder and other outputs as well as unemployment. So, agroforestry land use systems offer a better option by serving as carbon sinks and contributing in attaining food safety, subsistence income, and habitat amelioration. The current study was conducted in this context in the south Kashmir area of India with the objective of recognising the capability of various agroforestry systems for biomass estimation and carbon sequestration assessment for mitigating climate variation. The present study entitled “Biomass production, carbon stock and sequestration potential of prominent agroforestry systems in North-western Himalaya, India” was carried out, during 2018–2019. The study site is located between 33° 72’N and 75° 14’E at an altitude ranging from 2,900 to 5,900 M (amsl). Multistage random sampling technique was used for selection of sampled tehsils, blocks, villages and farmers in Anantnag district. The first stage was the random sampling of six tehsils namely Anantnag, Shangus, Kokernag, Dooru, Sallar, and Larnu and blocks per tehsil namely, viz.; Anantnag, Shangus, Sagam, Shahabad, Pahalgam and Larnu. Then four villages within each block like Anantnag (Ruhoo, Dialgam, Wanihama and Donipawa), Shangus (Shangus, Nowgam, Kutheir and Andoora), Sagam (Hiller, Khalhar, Sagam and Bidder), Shahabad (Larkipora, Shankerpora, Nathipora and Bragam), Pahalgam (Yanner, Charigam, Movra and Wahdan) and Larnu (Leesu, Dandipora, Bidhard and Larnu). Ten farmers within each village were selected, thus making a total of 240 farmers, which accounts 25% sampling intensity. Four agroforestry systems including horti-agriculture, agrisilviculture, (boundary planting), agri-horti-silviculture and horti-silvipasture were chosen for the study as the experimental configuration. Maximum biomass was found in horti-silvipastoral contributing 66.55 t ha−1 followed by agri-horti-silviculture as 50.18 t ha−1, horti-agriculture as 36.22 t ha−1 and agri-silviculture as 34.87 t ha−1. The maximum mean biomass of fruit trees (30.54 t ha−1), forest trees (25.19 t ha−1), grass (7.18 t ha−1) during the first cut and 3.64 t ha−1 during the second cut, was calculated in horti-silvipasture system. The overall biomass output of diverse agroforestry systems goes along with the sequence: horti-silvipasture > agri-horti-silviculture > horti-agriculture > boundary plantation, respectively. As a result, estimates of carbon stocks and carbon sequestration for all systems showed the same trend as values for biomass since they are both directly related to the capacity for biomass generation of various plant components. By providing for rural livelihoods and serving as an efficient carbon sink through carbon sequestration, these agroforestry systems in the Himalayas can significantly increase total production and productivity. The results of the current study could have a big impact on how alternative agroforestry systems and tree combinations are chosen for efficient carbon budget management in delicate Himalayan ecosystems.
D.R. Bhardwaj, Prashant Sharma, Dhirender Kumar, Pankaj Panwar, Amit Kumar, Nazir A. Pala, Bhalendra Singh Rajput, Rakesh Kumar, Vipasha Negi, Priyanka Rajput,et al.
Elsevier
Shaista Khan, T.H. Masoodi, Nazir A. Pala, M.A. Islam, Azeem Raja, and Snowber Z. Rizvi
Elsevier BV
Humera Gulzar, P.A. Sofi, Nazir A. Pala, Ishtiyaq A. Peerzada, Imaad A. Shah, Sabreena Nazir, and Mohammad Kaif
Elsevier BV
Kaiser Iqbal, A. K Negi, Dr Nazir A. Pala, and N.P Todaria
Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika/Nicolaus Copernicus University
We examined the recruitment, survival, mortality, growth, and development of Rhododendron arboreum Smith, one of the important Non- Timber forest Product species (NTFPs). Ten permanent plots (10 x 10 m2) were created in four sites of mixed broad-leaved temperate forests of Garhwal Himalaya. We measured seedling shoot length and collar diameter at the beginning of the experiment and re-measured at three-month intervals with maximum seedling recruitment recorded in Triguginaryan (36.36 %, during Nov and Aug), and most seedlings were found established either on the boundary or in either partially or fully gaps. While a higher rate of mortality occurred in the winter season. Maximum height increment for seedlings was recorded in Adhwani (1.005 cm-1). R. arboreum recorded the highest recruitment during post-rainy, with an overall increment of 0.60 cm-1. Seasonal variations were seen in the overall relative growth rate for height (RGRH) for Rhododendron seedlings. Seasonal variation in temperature and light is a crucial factor in determining growth. Because of the favorable temperature and soil moisture during the rainy season, vigorous shoot growth continued for the longest period of time at all four sites. The current study's findings also show that seedlings develop and survive better in gaps than in the understory. The current study also demonstrates that ideal soil moisture and temperature conditions are essential for seedling growth and development.
Vipasha Negi, D.R. Bhardwaj, Prashant Sharma, and Nazir A. Pala
Elsevier BV
M. A. Islam, J. A. Mugloo, Anup Raj, G. M. Bhat, A. A. Wani, A. A. Gatoo, A. R. Malik, N. A. Pala, and Murtaza Shah
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Daulat Ram Bhardwaj, Akshay Kumar, Nazir A. Pala, Prashant Sharma, Dhirender Kumar, Amit Kumar, and Shiba Zahoor
Wiley
In the current era of global warming, the Himalayan forests are under tremendous pressure due to intensified anthropogenic activity, resulting in the loss of forest diversity. However, the potential of carbon (C) sinks for increasing carbon storage and/or sequestration is still uncertain. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the C‐sequestration and mitigation potential of eight different tree plantations, namely: Pinus roxburghii, Quercus leucotrichophora, Acacia mollissima, Acacia catechu, Alnus nitida, Albizia procera, Ulmus villosa, and Eucalyptus tereticornis in the mid‐hills of the Indian Himalayas. The soil samples used in our study (humus, 0–20cm, 20–40cm, and 40–100 cm) were used to determine the soil and ecosystem C‐density. The analysis revealed that the maximum tree biomass (300.19 Mg ha−1), vegetation biomass (305.43 Mg ha−1), vegetation carbon (153.59 Mg ha−1), and total ecosystem C density (369.93 Mg ha−1) occurred under U. villosa plantation. Similarly, P. roxburghii plantations had the maximum detritus C‐density (7.25 Mg ha−1), whereas A. nitida (224.71 Mg ha−1) had the maximum soil C‐density. The highest C‐sequestration was recorded under U. villosa (183.0 Mg ha−1). A significantly higher and lower rate of C‐sequestration and CO2 mitigation was observed in Ulmus villosa (5.9 and 21.64 Mg ha−1 yr−1) and Eucalyptus tereticornis (3.9 and 14.3 Mg ha−1 yr−1). Our study found that indigenous tree species such as U. villosa, A. procera, A. nitida, and Q. leucotrichophora should be encouraged for afforestation on degraded lands to support climate change mitigation strategies in the sub‐temperate forest ecosystem.
Suheel Ahmad, Sheeraz Bhat, Sheikh Sultan, Hamid Mir, Kumar Raina, Natarajan Sivaraj, Nilamani Dikshit, and Nazir Pala
National Library of Serbia
Trifolium repens L., commonly referred as white clover, is one of the important stoloniferous perennial range legume growing in temperate regions. The introduction of forage legumes in agro-ecosystem provides nitrogen enrichment in soil and mobilizes other nutrients. Further, it has a tremendous potential to help rehabilitate temperate grasslands and decrease the severe fodder shortage in the Himalayan region. In recent decades, collecting and exploration of forage species germplasm, including white clover, have been in the focus of researchers. The collected material shall act as a safe repository for different improvement programmes in future as the germplasm has been stored in the Long Term Module of the National Gene Bank. In this study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) technique of niche modelling was used to explore probable new areas for the collection of white clover germplasm and identify favorable climate for characterization, cultivation, evaluation and on-farm conservation in the Indian Himalayan region, which comprises the of Jammu Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Significant variation was observed in plant height (15.5 to 37.6 cm), floret number per flower head (9.24 to 52.4), 100 seed weight (0.038 to 0.077), dry matter yield per plant (6.2 to 15.1 g), leaf length (15.6 to 48.4 mm), leaf width (11.2 to 39.6 mm). Very highly significant variation was also observed in ?V? marking. Dendrogram grouped the 22 accessions into two clusters based on the average linking method. Cluster I consisted of five accessions (IC-615818, IC- 615817,IC-622352, IC-615815, and IC-622362), cluster- II could be grouped into sub-cluster-IIA and sub-cluster- IIB. Cluster IIA consist of six accessions (IC- 622338, IC-622379, IC-622382, IC-622401, IC-622343 and IC-62237), whereas cluster-IIB comprise of 11 accessions (IC- 615814 IC- 615811, IC-615819, IC-622376, IC-622383, IC-615812, IC-622385, IC-615816, IC- 615817, IC-622415 and IC-622406). In this study, maximum entropy (MaxEnt) technique of niche modelling was used to explore probable new areas for the collection of white clover germplasm, identifying favorable climate for characterization, cultivation & evaluation and on-farm conservation in the Indian Himalayan region comprising the Union Territory of Jammu Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Javaid M. Dad, Suheel A. Dand, and Nazir A. Pala
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
D. R. Bhardwaj, Habibullah Tahiry, Prashant Sharma, Nazir A. Pala, Dhirender Kumar, Amit Kumar, and Bharti Bharti
MDPI AG
Himalayan forest has been threatened by rapid anthropogenic activities, resulting in the loss of forest diversity and climate change. The present study was carried out on four aspects (northern, southern, western and eastern), at three different altitudinal ranges, namely, 1000–1300 m above sea level (m a.s.l.), 1300–1600 m a.s.l. and 1600–1900 m a.s.l., and at three diverse mountain ranges (Kalaghat, Barog and Nangali) of sub-temperate forest ecosystems of the mid Himalayan ranges, to elucidate their influence on vegetation, tree characteristics and ecosystem carbon density. The results revealed that Pinus roxburghii is the most dominant forest community of the mid Himalaya’s forest, irrespective of altitudinal gradient and slope. The south-facing slopes are occupied by the xerophytic tree species frequently found in the lower Shiwalik P. roxburghii forest, whereas the north-facing ones are dominated by mesophyllic species, such as Cedrus deodara and Quercus leucotrichophora, which commonly grows in the northwestern Himalayan temperate forest ecosystem. The maximum stem density (211.00 Nha−1) was found at 1000–1300 m a.s.l., and on the northern aspect (211.00 Nha−1). The maximum stem volume (236.50 m3 ha−1) was observed on the northern aspect at 1000–1300 m a.s.l., whereas the minimum (32.167 m3 ha−1) in the southern aspect at 1300–1600 m a.s.l. The maximum carbon density (149.90 Mg ha−1) was found on the northern aspect and declined with increasing elevation from 123.20 to 74.78 Mg ha−1. Overall, the study establishes that the southern and western aspects are very low in carbon density, whereas the northern aspect represents higher biodiversity as well as carbon and nutrient stocks. Therefore, aspect and altitude should be given due importance for efficient managing of biodiversity and mitigating climate change.
Bisleshna Tamang, Nazir A. Pala, Gopal Shukla, Megna Rashid, M. Maqbool Rather, Jahangeer A. Bhat, T.H. Masoodi, and Sumit Chakravarty
Elsevier BV
Peerzada Ishtiyak Ahmad, Lokho Puni, Rajiv Pandey, Nazir A. Pala, M. Maqbool Rather, Megna Rashid, and A.R. Malik
Elsevier BV
Munesh Kumar, Amit Kumar, Rahul Kumar, Bobbymoore Konsam, Nazir A. Pala, and Jahangeer A. Bhat
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Pradip Kumar Sarkar, Pranati Sarkar, Amit Kumar, Nazir A. Pala, and Munesh Kumar
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Shalini Singh, Jahangeer A. Bhat, Shipra Shah, and Nazir A. Pala
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Munesh Kumar, Sushma Rawat, Bhuvnesh Nagar, Amit Kumar, Nazir A. Pala, Jahangeer A. Bhat, Rainer W. Bussmann, Marina Cabral-Pinto, and Ripu Kunwar
MDPI AG
In recent times, the use of traditional herbal medicines in healthcare has declined, particularly amongst the rural population. This implies a risk of losing vital information from previous generations regarding plants and their use in traditional medicine. The objective of this study is to catalog the ways employed by inhabitants of the Garhwal Himalayas as part of their traditional approaches to healthcare. Information was gathered through snowball sampling using a questionnaire combined with informal interviews. This was supplemented by discussions with peers and practitioners prominent in this healing technique. The homogeneity within ethnomedicinal knowledge of these rural residents was tested using the informant consensus factor (Fic). The calculation of the fidelity value (FL) and the cultural importance index (CI) were made regarding the population’s dependency on plants. A total of 88 plant species from 44 families and 80 genera were identified as medicines for various complaints. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part followed by fruits, seeds, roots, bark, and flowers/buds. The largest number of taxa (15 species) were used for treatment of skin ailments (with Fic score of 0.85) followed by wounds, coughs, and digestive problems. There was a significant relationship observed between the medicinal plants used and distance (time of access) and family income. The present study will provide baseline information to be established for future research. The available information could help to discover new drugs for the pharmaceutical industry. Thus, the study revealed that the plants that have high scores of FL and CI can be used to discover new drug extraction in the future for further studies.
Shiba Zahoor, Vaishnu Dutt, A. H. Mughal, Nazir A. Pala, K. N. Qaisar, and P. A. Khan
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Muneesa Banday, M.A. Islam, Nazir A. Pala, Megna Rashid, Zubair A. Malik, Peerzada Ishtiyak, M. Maqbool Ratyher, and Rainer W Bussmann
Ilia State University
Background: This study was focused on the ethnobotany of Manasbal range of the Sindh Forest Division of Jammu and Kashmir (India) to assess, document and to provide a comprehensive inventory of plants used by the people of this rural area. Such an investigation and documentation along with the associated traditional knowledge are crucial to raise the socio-economic status of underprivileged population in this rural area and for the conservation of biological resources.Methods: Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed in the selection of villages and respondents for the household survey. Interview schedules for both village as well as respondents’ survey were prepared based on literature referred, reconnaissance survey of the study area, and discussion with local people/ consultation with the experts.Results: A total of 135 plant species belonging to 121 genera and 58 families were being utilized as forest resources. The family Compositae had the highest representation with 13 species followed by Leguminaceae (11) and Poaceae (10). Fourteen different use categories of forest resources were reported. The forest species collected by the people were mostly herbs (103) followed by trees (18), shrubs (12) and climbers (2). The maximum number of species (54) was utilized as medicine, followed by fodder (51), vegetables (18), fuelwood and (16) edible fruits.Conclusion: The present study confirmed that the Manasbal range of the Sindh Forest Division is an interesting area for the study of traditional plant use. This study further suggests that the local denizens have an in-depth knowledge of use of local plant resources and that these exploit diverse NTFPs substantially to support their day-to-day needs. Hence, livelihood diversification through forestry interventions using existing resources is needed as important strategy of poverty reduction and socioeconomic development of backward local people. The study has documented the baseline data for further studies in the field of ethnobotany, medicinal plants, and ethno-pharmacologyKeywords: Ethnobotany; Forest; Livelihood; Resources; Edible; Medicinal
Jahangeer A. Bhat, Munesh Kumar, A.K. Negi, N.P. Todaria, Zubair A. Malik, Nazir A. Pala, Amit Kumar, and Gopal Shukla
Elsevier BV