The document discusses climate change impacts on Western Himalayan moist temperate forests of Pakistan. It notes that temperature has increased 2-5°C over the past few decades, precipitation is more uncertain, and wind and snow damage have risen 15-20%. This affects natural regeneration, vulnerability to disturbance, and shifts the forests' ecological zonation. Silvicultural practices need to adapt to reduce damage and protect the forests for future generations.

1. Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
Department of Forestry, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal, Dir Upper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan,

3. Source: Google map image, Software ArcGIS 10.1
0.7%
(572,508 ha)
900-3500m

4. • Silvicultural practices; cleaning, weeding, Afforestation, reforestation thinning,
Irrigation, Improvement felling, Regeneration
climber cutting, pruning, and harvesting system
• Afforestation, Cleaning and harvesting
• Climate (Temperature, Precipitation , wind)

5. Silvicultural practices tends toward the improvement of the forest crop
(Short &Radford 2008) by providing species selection and reducing the canopy as well
as the intensity of damages.
The ecosystem is also very vulnerable to the climate change , forests are directly
focused on the species tolerance level (Ojima et al. 1991
The major effect of climate change is on the level of disturbance.
Relation between silvicultural practices and disturbance (regeneration, weeding,
cleaning)

6. Trend in temperature change
Major event of disturbance
Elevation and position of the event
Relation between Climatic factor and Silvicultural Practices

7. Trend in temperature change
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
1964
2014
Poly. (1964)
Poly. (2014)
Source: Pakistan Metrological department data , Forest Types of Pakistan ( Champion et al. 1964)

8. Major event of disturbance
4
11
18
26
89
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Disease/Insect Lightning Snow Damage Wind Damage Landslide
No of events from 1990-2014
Expon. (No of events from 1990-2014)

9. Elevation and position of the event
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100 2200 2300 2400 2500 2600 2700 2800 2900 3000 3100 3200 3300
Elevation/Mean (meter)
Lightning
Disease/Insect
Snow Damage
Landslide
Wind Damage

10. Relation between Climatic factor and Silvicultural Practices
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Rainfall (mm)
Low <200
Medium 200-400
High>400
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Cleaning
Weeding
Afforestation
Reforestation
Natural regenration
Thinning
Irrigation
Improvement felling
Climber cutting
Pruning
Harvesting system
High> 25
Medium 10-25
Low <10
Temperature °C
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Low <50
Medium 50-100
High>100
Snowfall (cm)
0 0.5 1 1.5
Cleaning
Weeding
Afforestation
Reforestation
Natural regenration
Thinning
Irrigation
Improvement felling
Climber cutting
Pruning
Harvesting system
High>150
Medium 50-150
Low <50
Wind Km/h

11. Western Himalayan Moist Temperate forest of Pakistan has great bio- diversity and one
of the productive ecological zones for timber production. In past twenty five years those
mountainous forests were not managed under proper silvicultural system due to ban on
green harvesting and other cultural and tending operation in 1991-93, only 3D’s (Dead,
Dying and Diseased) trees removal were allowed during 1999. Present study is the part
of Doctoral research to find effects of harvesting system on environmental, social and
economic issues in the region. In this regard climate and Management of forest is
considered for evaluation. Climate change issues were also highlighted during past few
decades. They have great influence on these mountainous forests with increase in
temperature, Uncertainty of precipitation, wind and storm pressure. Temperature
fluctuation is about 2°C to 5°C varies with valleys, ridges, depression and pick of these
mountains. That effects the natural regeneration and other plant growth activities, also
enhanced the disturbance which leads to the vulnerability of the forest. Bio-diversity of
the region were also shift from its natural zone, growth and time for the establishment
for plants were also decreases and faster with short time 10 to 15 days. Growth altitude
differences were up to ±150 meter, which change the ecological zonation and
requirements of the plants for nourishment. Wind throne, snow damaged were also
increased 15 to 20 % according to the local records from forest management plan.
Silvicultural operations and management practices need to observe to reduced the
damages and protect and conserve their mountainous forest for future generation.
Keywords: Climate Change, Forest Management, Silvicultural system, Regeneration,
Mountains, Moist temperate forest.

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13. I'm always astonished by a forest. It makes me realise that the fantasy of
nature is much larger than my own fantasy. I still have things to learn.
Gunter Grass