Management of afforestation in the light of intense open grazing in Kathua and Udhampur forest divisions of J&K

In Jammu and Kashmir, intensive grazing causes huge loss to the plantations in Udhampur and Kathua forest divisions where nomadic graziers migrate from Doda and other upper parts of the state to the lower areas in winter. The present study was conducted at ten sites each in the two forest divisions wrt damage caused to the plantations and the management practices being adopted. The plant characters like plant height, diameter, survival and basal area were taken into consideration while investigating the before and after grazing affects. Relative frequency, density and dominance were also calculated to see the affect. In the study it was found that in both the forest divisions, the plant height and survival rate of plants were much affected due to grazing. In Udhampur forest division, the mean plant height before grazing ranged between 18.45 (Patnitop) and 70.50 cm (Thanoa) that was reduced to 24.66 (Sourap) and 39.76 cm (Thanoa) after grazing. The mean minimum and maximum survival that was 60.86 per cent (Gandala) and 94.66 per cent (Patnitop), respectively, dropped to 38.55 (Orkhal) and 88.66 per cent (Patnitop) as a result of grazing. Similarly in Kathua forest division the mean minimum and maximum plant height reduced from 19.44 cm (Sundrikot) to 16.72 cm (Androta) and from 101.33 cm (Sauhanda) to 93.72 cm (Sauhanda), respectively, due to grazing. Similarly, the mean minimum and maximum plant survival reduced from 79.16 (Krakha) to 29.38 per cent (Barwal) and from 90.00 (Androta) to 76.11 per cent (Sauhanda). The damage to the plantations was lower where barbed fencing was done or village forest committees were constituted.