Forest Composition in the Himalayas
Institution
Northern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Andy Long
Abstract
John Metz, professor of History and Geography at Northern Kentucky University, with the assistance of the Mathematical and Statistical Consulting Center of NKU, is exploring the environmental and human disturbance variables affecting species composition of temperate and subalpine forests in west central Nepal. The data were collected from 77 stands on the southeast flank of Dhaulagiri Himal. Stands were located in topographically homogeneous areas of minimally disturbed forest at 200m intervals between 2200m and 3600m elevations. Eight 125 square meter plots were sub-sampled randomly from the stand, for a total of 1000 m2 per stand. For each tree and sapling, researchers recorded species, diameter at breast height, height, and the relative impact of human use. For each stand, elevation, aspect, slope position, slope shape, and soil conditions were also recorded. Over 20,000 trees were measured, representing 101 difference species. The goals of our study are to relate species distribution to environmental factors like elevation, aspect, and soil, and to identify the impacts of human disturbance patterns.
Forest Composition in the Himalayas
John Metz, professor of History and Geography at Northern Kentucky University, with the assistance of the Mathematical and Statistical Consulting Center of NKU, is exploring the environmental and human disturbance variables affecting species composition of temperate and subalpine forests in west central Nepal. The data were collected from 77 stands on the southeast flank of Dhaulagiri Himal. Stands were located in topographically homogeneous areas of minimally disturbed forest at 200m intervals between 2200m and 3600m elevations. Eight 125 square meter plots were sub-sampled randomly from the stand, for a total of 1000 m2 per stand. For each tree and sapling, researchers recorded species, diameter at breast height, height, and the relative impact of human use. For each stand, elevation, aspect, slope position, slope shape, and soil conditions were also recorded. Over 20,000 trees were measured, representing 101 difference species. The goals of our study are to relate species distribution to environmental factors like elevation, aspect, and soil, and to identify the impacts of human disturbance patterns.