Abstract
The tree layer analysis was carried out in a high altitude Chir-pine mixed Oak forest situated between 1800-2100 m elevation. The low density of seedlings and saplings in almost all the species in this forest indicates poor regeneration pattern. Quercus leucotrichophora due to severe lopping pressure fails to produce seeds. The most characteristic feature of the forest is the dominance of pine (Pinus roxburghii) and Rhododendron arboreum over Banj-oak (Q. leucotrichophora) in the Oak zone. Repeated fires and other biotic factors are making the area poor, both in nutrients and top soil which will eventually result in the desertification of the Himalaya in the long run.
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