Surendra Singh Bargali

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Full) at Kumaun University

Plant invasion poses a substantial risk to global biodiversity conservation and economic sustainability. Allelopathy is recognized as a key mechanism through which these invasive plants negatively impact the native fora and fauna. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the efects of fresh and dry leaf aqueous extracts of Ageratina ade...

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is a highly invasive species, listed among the top 100 most problematic weeds globally. This study examined the floristic composition, diversity and soil characteristics in Lantana camara dominated forests in three different forest zones of the Kumaun Himalayan region viz. Oak (1324–1813 m above sea level), Pine (139...

The utilization of large-scale biomass of invasive plants in agricultural sectors as a sustainable solution is considered to enhance the agricultural productivity and at the same time facilitate the management of invasive plants. Hence, the present study was performed to assess the potential of invasive Ageratina adenophora derived biochar as the f...

The seasonal phenological segregation observed among various species within a plant community can be interpreted as a form of niche differentiation that facilitates the coexistence of these species. In the present study, life forms and phenological attributes of dominant plant species in temperate semi-natural grasslands of Central Himalaya, India,...

Rheum L. is an important genus of the family Polygonaceae comprised of nearly 60 herbaceous species distributed across the world. The members of Rheum genus are extensively used in curing several ailments, like wound healing, blood purification, menstruation problems, indigestion, headaches, chest pain, dysentery, stomachaches, fractured and broken...

Land‐use changes are anticipated to be a substantial contributor to global change climate, substantially causing significant modifications in soil characteristics. This study addressed the impact of land‐use change from native forests to grasslands on the soil physico‐chemical properties in entirely replicated grasslands of three different forest z...

Phenology is acknowledged as one of the important traits that contribute significantly to the success of alien species. Differences in the life history traits related to invasive and native vegetation have been shown to influence the success and extent of the plant invasion. Therefore, to obtain this information, we documented and contrasted the du...

The medicinal plant usage by Jaunsari tribe in Chakrata forest of Dehradun district, India were documented. The study area was divided into five elevation gradients. The data was collected through interviews with local communities to document medicinal plants and their uses, while simultaneously assessing their ecological characteristics. A total o...

Experiments were performed in laboratory and glasshouse to determine the allelopathic effect of crushed and soaked leaf and stem aqueous extracts of Lantana camara L. on germination and early seedling growth of Oryza sativa. The aqueous extract of both soaked and crushed aboveground parts (leaf and stem) of L. camara with different concentrations (...

The hazardous invasive weed Ageratina adenophora has successfully invaded diverse habitats belonging to different climate zones in Central Himalaya, India. This study tested whether phenotypic plasticity and/or local adaptation plays an important role invasion success of A. adenophora in diverse environmental conditions. Eight populations from diff...

Factors such as topography, soil composition, and nutrient availability significantly influence the density patterns of Ageratina adenophora. Understanding these dynamics addresses a gap in our knowledge of the species' adaptive mechanisms in mountainous regions. Furthermore, the impact of habitat features along road corridors on the population dyn...

Lantana camara L. commonly known as wild sage has massively invaded forests, agricultural fields, waste-lands and pastures by altering native biodiversity and ecosystem services. This plant is known to inhibit other plants including agricultural crops in the invaded range by releasing allelochemicals. Hereby, the test was conducted to investigate a...

AlliumstracheyiBaker(HimalayanAlliumspice)isaneconomicallyimportantherbaceousplantcommonlyknownforitsuniqueflavorandtherapeuticpotential.Thespeciesisdistributedfrom2000to4000mabovesealevelinthewesternHimalayanregion.A.stracheyiisusedasanappetizer,cardioactive,carminative,expectorant,cordial,incuringstomachtroubles,andintreatingconstipation.However,...

The present study was designed to assess the allelopathic potential of invasive weed Ageratina adenophora leaf extracts on seed germination and seedling development efficiency of native tree [viz. Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus (Oak) and Pinus roxburghii Sarg. (Pine)] and crop [(Triticum aestivum L. (Wheat) and Lens culinaris Medik. (Lentil)] sp...

Catamixis baccharoides Thoms. is a critically endangered chasmophytic shrub endemic to northern India, particularly Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in western Nepal. The germination and early seedling growth of C. baccharoides were studied in response to three different soil types; sandy soil, normal field soil...

A floristic and structural survey of a natural temperate grassland community was conducted in the Nainital district of Kumaun Himalaya, India, to examine the effect of slope aspect as one of the topographical factors on the vegetation composition and soil characteristics. Structural data was collected by sampling the vegetation from three slope asp...

The interplay between soil nutrients, water activity, and microbial biomass is pivotal for plant growth as well as for soil health. While surface microflora typically promotes mineralization and nutrient deposits, the impact of drought on soil microbial biomass and nutrient utilization remains underexplored. In this study, we assessed various land...

This study aimed to examine the effects of spatial and temporal variability in edaphic, and climatic attributes on soil net nitrogen mineralization rate, and to understand the pattern of fine root decomposition of dominant and co-dominant tree species, and its influence on the nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Study was carried out at four dif...

Growth rate is a vital trait for plants because both survival and reproduction depend on it. A high growth rate, which is associated with a high photosynthetic rate, has been found to contribute to the invasiveness of some invasive plants. The impact imposed by invasive species on native co-occurring species depends specifically on interacting spec...

RheumaustraleD.Don[syn.Rheumemodiwall.exMeissn]isanherbaceousmedicinalplantusedintradi-tionalandmodernsystemsofmedicine.Duetoincreasingdemand,thespeciesisoverexploitedintheirnatu-ralhabitats,resultinginthelossofdiversity.Therefore,conservationandsustainableutilizationofthisvaluablespeciesareneeded.Thepresentstudyassessedthemorphologicalandgeneticdi...

Introduction Riverine forests in the Himalaya represent a biodiverse, dynamic, and complex ecosystem that offers numerous ecosystem services to local and downstream communities and also contributes to the regional carbon cycle. However, these forests have not been assessed for their contribution to dry matter dynamics and carbon flux. We studied th...

Invasive plant Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) R. King & H. Robinson has invaded majority of the temperate forests in Kumaun, Central Himalaya. Information on A. adenophora invaded forest types, their structural attributes, population demography and regeneration status are still at rudimentary level. Considering this, the present study was conducte...

Invasive plant species pose a serious threat to agricultural yield, although how the threat varies with the distance of crops from invasive plants remains unclear. Therefore, utilizing this viewpoint, objectives were formulated to quantify differences in the native vegetation and performance of crops growing near A. adenophora–invaded (treatment pl...

The present study aimed to analyse the population structure, forest composition and regeneration dynamics of Betula utilis D.Don in two core zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. A total of 346 plants species belonging to 198 genera and 82 families were recorded dominated by Asteraceae (24) followed by Rosaceae (21 species) and Ranunculaceae (19 sp...

Successful invasion of biological entities does not merely depend on the rigorous habitat attributes of invaded regions, besides, the intrinsic traits of the invader species also play a significant role in the process of invasion. Evaluation of plants’ functioning across habitats helps in understanding which traits are contributing to invasion succ...

This study was conducted to investigate growth inhibitory or stimulating effects of leaf residues derived from a globally recognized invasive alien weed Ageratina adenophora on two dominant tree species viz. Banj oak (Quercus oblongata) and Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) of Kumaun Himalaya, India. Leaves of different life cycle stages (fresh leaves a...

Biological invasion not only depends on the environmental characteristics of any region but also on the fundamental characteristics of the invader species. Assessment of plant performance across diverse habitats and altitudinal gradients provide insights into the traits contributing to invasion success in addition to its habitat suitability, suscep...

In forest ecosystems, the rapid turnover of fine roots (≤ 2 mm in diameter) is a major pathway of carbon and nutrient flow from plants to the soil. This study was conducted to determine how fine root biomass (FRB), productivity (FRP) and turnover (FRT) are affected by site characteristics, seasonal variation, soil depth and tree girth size in sub‐t...

Temperate broadleaf forests in the Western Himalaya support a large number of local agro-pastoral communities and provide numerous ecosystem services. Several authors have raised serious concerns about the sustainability of current extractive pressures in these forests. We conducted a detailed ecological study on different forests in Askot Wildlife...

Ageratina adenophora is among the most appalling invasive alien weeds spreading over the majority of habitats in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Agricultural lands are one of the major invaded areas by this weed and its luxuriant growth has been reported along the croplands. To lessen the harmful impacts posed by this weed, farmers and land ma...

This study was conducted in a temperate mixed oak-pine forest of Central Himalaya, India to i) evaluate altitudinal and seasonal variations in the microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and (ii) analyse the relationships between soil microbial biomass C, N and P and physico-chemical properties of soil. Three permanent plots w...

The belowground systems of trees have a major role in forest functioning through absorption of water and nutrient cycling. This study deals with the fine root dynamics including fine root biomass, necromass, production, turnover, and nutrient return in transitional Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.) dominated sub-tropical forest ecosystems of Central...

Herbaceous entity plays a significant role in the structural dynamics of natural ecosystems and its responsibility increased by many times in case of agricultural systems. The present study has been performed to assess the ecological performance, biomass, carbon stock, and CO2 mitigation potential of the herbaceous layer in Central Himalayan agroec...

Ageratina adenophora (Sprengel) King and Robinson popularly known as the Crofton weed is a highly hazardous invasive weed migrating at different times, naturalizing and altering biodiversity. The weed grows rapidly, forming dense thickets and has potential to grow in the diverse habitats. Many studies have indicated that with increasing roads netwo...

Carbon stock assessment in various ecosystems is vital for monitoring the health of these ecosystems and national accounting for the United Nations convention on climate change. The influence of various anthropogenic drivers on carbon stock in different ecosystems has not been examined comprehensively. This study aims to determine the impact of ant...

This study assessed the periodic fluctuations among microbial biomass Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P), and the consequences of variations in altitude and abiotic factors on the soil microbial biomass (C, N and P) in a temperate mixed-oak pine forest of Central Himalaya. This research was directed at three forest stands along an altitudin...

Himalayas with diverse topographical and ecological zones sustain diverse agroecosystems. Differences in precipitation regimes, cropping systems, land-use systems and availability of resources significantly affects energy flow within agroecosystems (AGEs) of the region. Thus, the present study was aimed to evaluate the energy use pattern and econom...

Tree biomass and species diversity have a key role in regulating proper ecosystem functioning. The present study explored variability among four Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.) forest stands of Bhabar belt of Nainital district of Uttarakhand, Central Himalaya within an elevational range of 405–575 m. Quadrat method was used for sampling to assess t...

Environmental management and its sustainability are a key concern today. Anthropogenic CO2 emission and its related negative consequences on environment were observed due to industrial development, mining, deforestation, and intensive agricultural practices. This unstoppable rising CO2 concentration impairs key environmental services and its sustai...

Soil degradation is a major issue through various countries across the globe. During the present century, it was observed that land degradation has become a predominant phenomenon among different environmental perturbation. As per one estimate, 3 billion people (1/3) across the globe are suffering crisis situation in terms of land degradation. Anth...

This study examined forest structure, composition, and regeneration patterns of two sites, Tolma-Lata-Raini (TLR) and Bhyundar-Ghangaria (BG). Both sites are located within the temperate zone along the altitudinal gradient between 2,800 to 3,400 m asl of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in the Western Himalayan Region of India. We recorded a tot...

The practices of forest removal, illicit felling of timbers, and deforestation are increasing at alarming rates. Anthropogenic activities such as extensive logging, hunting, mining for industrial development, and practicing intensive agriculture and its expansion will lead to deforestation and affect forest health and productivity. However, defores...

Coriaria nepalensis, a nitrogen-fixing actinorhizal shrub, is a prominent and successful colonizer of bare rocks and landslide affected degraded lands. Field experiments were conducted to determine the differences in biomass decomposition and nutrient release pattern of different plant parts of C. nepalensis using litter bag technique. Results show...

Since coexisting invasive and native plant species are exposed to similar environmental circumstances and selection pressures, variation in the morpho-functional, resource allocation and reproductive performance of these species could reflect the strategies adopted by the former for their invasion success. This study observed general differences in...

Following the acceptance of the Kyoto Protocol, data on forest biomass mustbe collected in order to determine the potential ability of forest stands tosequester atmospheric carbon and aid in the reduction of rising carbondioxide levels in the atmosphere. The aim of this study was to estimate theamount of carbon fixed by one of the over exploited oa...

This study estimated seasonal variations among several parameters of the fine roots and N dynamics in Mangifera indica based agroforestry systems e.g., homegarden (HG), agri-horticulture (AH) and agri-horti-silviculture (AHS) systems in bhabhar region of Indian Central Himalaya. Fine root biomass (FRB) and fine root production (FRP) of M. indica we...

Seasonal variation in inorganic N-pool and Net N-mineralization rate was investigated in relation to site characteristics in subtropical Sal forest in Central Himalaya, India. Two sites, viz. Fatehpur (FP) located at a latitude of 29°19'23.69''N and longitude of 79°18'05.34''E at 430 m asl and Ranibagh (RB) at a latitude of 29°17'10.03''N and longi...

A comparative study of four Coriaria nepalensis (hereafter Coriaria) dominated sites has been conducted to evaluate the facilitation effects on tree and shrub characteristics and soil nutrients. A gradient of Coriaria abundance (level 1–4) has been established and the sites have been arranged in order of increasing abundance of Coriaria. In this st...

Coriaria nepalensis is one among the shrubs which mitigate the frequency of perilous natural events or natural calamities by its ability. This paper elucidates the nutrient dynamics of C. nepalensis shrublands in degraded hills of Kumaun Himalaya. The average nutrient concentration (N, P and K) in aboveground components of C. nepalensis was in the...

The interrelationship among soil attributes and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus (MBP) of Indian Central Himalayan forest soils were analysed. The forest ecosystem studied that comprised of chir pine (CPF), banj oak (BOF), and mixed oak-pine forest (MOPF). The MBC, MBN, and MBP values varied from 429-739, 67-121, and 1...

Elevational gradients as well as habitat variability provide variation in environmental conditions enabling plants to alter their functional traits with respect to their surroundings on the way to sustain and better perform. Phenotypic plasticity has been suggested as one of the foremost mechanisms that invasive species implement to endure and inva...

Monitoring resilience in Himalayan forest ecosystem requires an understanding of community structure, regeneration, and anthropogenic disturbances. Four classes of temperate broadleaf forest dominated by different species of oak viz., Banj oak (Quercus leucotrichophora), Rianj oak (Q. lanuginosa), Moru oak (Q. floribunda), and Kharsu oak (Q. semeca...

This study investigated the effects of Ageratina adenophora Sprengel (King and Robinson) on the growth and grain yield of two millet crops viz. finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and red and white variety of barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea). Plants of selected millet crops growing at three distances (0, 1 and 5 m) from A. adenophora were ha...

Cultivation leads to a considerable loss of soil nutrients and microbial population. Previously, only the soil physico-chemical properties were achieved attention to assess the status of soil nutrients but nowadays, the role of soil biodiversity are also considered in sustaining the soil fertility and crop production. Therefore, the present study e...

In Kumaun Himalaya, the shrublands dominated by Coriaria nepalensis are present in patches and due to their facilitative nature enhance the restoration of degraded hills. The present study deals with the dry matter dynamics of C. nepalensis shrublands. The equation for C. nepalensis was developed to measure the biomass and to understand the dry mat...

To study the impact of altitudinal variation on plant community composition, structure, dispersion and regeneration status of Quercus semecarpifolia forest in Kumaun Himalaya. Along the altitudinal gradient, the forest stands between 2400 and 2610 m asl were selected at low, mid and high altitude. The phytosociological analysis was carried by layin...

The aim of the present study was to analyse the species utilization pattern and their relative prevalence in homegardens varying in size and altitude. Four sites were selected along an altitudinal gradient viz., very low (up to 350 m), low (350-700 m), mid (700-1500 m) and high altitudes (above 2000 m) in Kumaun Himalaya, India. At each altitude, h...

Agroforestry systems (AFs) ensure greater biodiversity that intensifies ecosystem services in tangible and intangible ways. Accounting ecosystem services through well-managed agroforestry systems are other important aspects of scientific studies nowadays. AFs are an integration of trees with crops, and it also includes animal farming with the inten...

Fine roots (≤ 2 mm of diameter) contribute diminutive fractions of the overall tree biomass but are highly zestful and functionally remarkable component for assessing forest carbon and nutrient budgets. This study assessed how tree girth influenced fine root biomass (FRB), production (FRP) and turnover rate (FRT) in sub tropical sal forest.Four sit...

With the growth of science and technology problem such as BI has become a major event threatening the prosperity of human civilization. It hampers the ecosystem, its attributes, and ecosystem services all together globally. IAS also produces issues such as food crisis, poverty, natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and many more effects to...

With the growth of science and technology problem such as BI has become a major event threatening the prosperity of human civilization. It hampers the ecosystem, its attributes, and ecosystem services all together globally. IAS also produces issues such as food crisis, poverty, natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and many more effects to...

With the growth of science and technology problem such as BI has become a major event threatening the prosperity of human civilization. It hampers the ecosystem, its attributes, and ecosystem services all together globally. IAS also produces issues such as food crisis, poverty, natural resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and many more effects to...

In modern times, the biodiversity is suffering from different factors across the world. Ecological invasion (EI) is a potential threat to biodiversity, which is yet to be acknowledged and explored properly throughout the world. The impact of invasive species (IS) is very much severe as it causes irreplaceable damage to the ecosystem. EI may also ha...

To access the process of nitrogen mineralization in soil, the buried-bag technique was used among traditional agroforestry systems in the Bhabhar belt of Kumaun Himalaya. The present study, determined the relationship between various parameters of N-mineralization with agroforestry systems, seasons and soil depths. Season and soil depth have signif...

The present study has been performed among Central Himalayan agroecosystems (AGEs) to analyze the changes in some physico-chemical properties of soils along four altitudes viz. very low (VLA), low (LA), mid (MA) and high altitude (HA). The AGEs were categorized into three size classes i.e. small, medium, and large based on the regional availability...

Herb layer contributes significantly to the species diversity of forest ecosystem and reacts rapidly to changes in the soil characteristics. Composition, structural parameters and productivity of the herbaceous vegetation of five forest stands in the Central Himalaya of India, situated at Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India were investigated. A...

In present study, proitability of the prevailing diferent agricultural land use systems cultivated by Tharu tribal community of Uttarakhand was studied. Total ive diferent land use systems i.e., sole cropping system (SCS), silviculture system (SS), agrisilviculture system (ASS), agrihorticulture system (AHS) and homegarden system (HS) were selected...

Variation in fine root biomass (FRB) and turnover rate (TOR) were examined in four land use systems at two altitudes by using ingrowth core method. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of altitude, depth and distance from tree stem on FRB and TOR. Significant variations (p < 0.05) were observed among land use systems, over seasons, depth...

The present study is an attempt to access the effect of two different silvicultural tree species on the process of nitrogen mineralization. Seasonal and depth wise variation in nitrogen mineralization of Populus deltoides (PAS) and Tectona grandis (TAS) based agrisilvicultural systems were studied using buried-bag technique. N-mineralization and ni...

Background The present study exhibited forest structure, plant species composition and regeneration pattern in temperate zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), western Himalaya along the different altitudinal gradient (2600 to 3600 m asl). The diverse ecosystems of the NDBR contain a tremendous array of floral and faunal diversity, many of wh...

Homegarden agroforestry system has potential to sequester carbon while simultaneously producing agricultureyield and tree products. This study analyzed relationship between homegarden size and soil organic carbon stock(SCS) along an altitudinal gradient in Central Himalaya, India. Homegardens were selected at four altitudes (verylow, low, mid and h...

Western Himalayan timberline are mainly dominated by Betula utilis (Himalayan birch) and closely associated with Abies spectabilis, Quercus semicarpifolia and Taxus baccata and formed the ecotone between the coniferous forest and alpine areas. Himalayan birch is socio-culturally and ecologically valued and considered a keystone species which plays...

Ageratina adenophora is a perennial herb of family Asteraceae expanding as a serious threat to ecological integrity and biodiversity. This study aims to assess the allelopathic potential of fresh and dry leaf and root aqueous extracts of this invasive species on germination, early seedling growth, seedling biomass and seed vigor of two rice (Oryza...

Ageratum conyzoides L. is an invasive weed that has severely infested cultivated lands and interferes with the growth of crops. In this study aqueous extracts of 50 and 100% concentration were prepared from fresh and air dried plant parts (Leaves and roots) of A. conyzoides and their allelopathic effect was observed on seed germination and seedling...

Introduction: In Central Himalaya, anthropogenic activities have led to the widespread replacement of Banj oak(Quercus leucotrichophora) forest by Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) for decades. This study was conducted to determine how natural Banj oak, Chir pine, and mixed oak-pine forest would differ in soil microbial biomass and soil nutrients.Soil m...

Coriaria nepalensis Wall. is a common native actinorrhizal shrub species of the Central Himalayan region between 1200 to 2500m elevations. It is predominant in both disturbed and undisturbed forest ecosystems, often present in secondary forest and is a successful colonizer at landslide-affected or freshly exposed rocky and eroded slopes. In the pre...

Introduction: Coriaria nepalensis Wall. extensively invaded Himalayan domain. It tended to be taller than the native under story shrubs and reached a similar height or was shorter than the over story trees. It is an actinorrhizal plant that forms root nodules in symbiosis with a nitrogen fixing actinomycete (Frankia) (Mirza et al., 1994; Joshi et a...

This study was carried out in six villages at two altitudes in Nainital district, Kumaun Himalaya, India. Three villages were situated at altitude >500 m asl (high altitude) and three villages were at altitude <500 m asl (low altitude). Participatory approaches, personal interviews and direct observation techniques were combined to collect the data...

This study evaluated the impact of predominant land uses on the physico‐chemical and biological properties of soils along an altitudinal gradient in Indian Central Himalaya to enhance the scientific knowledge and identify suitable land use pattern. Soil samples were collected from six predominant agricultural land uses including (i) open cropland (...