Suitable Multipurpose Tree Species For Restoration Of Wastelands In The Western Himalayan Mountains In India

Land degradation is a global problem caused by a variety of factors and processes. It is estimated that about 2 billion ha area in the world is under various forms of land degradation and another about 5-7 million ha of arable land of the world is lost annually due to land degradation. In India, the land degradation has been estimated ranging from 53 to 188 Mha. In the western Himalayan region land degradation is a major issue which is assigned to both natural and anthropogenic causes. In this region restoration of wastelands pose a serious challenge to fulfill community needs as well as to improve ecosystem services such as provisioning of timber, fuelwood, leaf manure, non-timber forest products as well as recovery of ecosystem biodiversity, soil conservation, watershed protection, carbon sequestration and other ecological benefits. This paper recommends a set of MPTs such as Alnus nepalensis, Albizia lebbek, Dalbergia sissoo, Morus alba, Bauhinia retusa, Quercus leucotrichophora, Q. glauca, Melia azedarach etc. for provisioning of a range of ecosystem goods and services and restoration of wastelands in the western Himalaya.