Sustainable use of forest litter for composting and fire risk reduction in Dalimsain, Uttarakhand

Present research examines how uncontrolled livestock grazing and frequent wildfires are causing forest degradation in the mixed deciduous forests of the Garhwal Himalayas (India). Two strategies were used to address these issues: (1) removing 20–30% of the forest litter in compartments to lower the danger of the fire, and (2) utilizing the NADEP process to turn the collected litter into nutrient-rich compost. Shorea robusta (Sal) was identified as the main species with the help of a phytosociological study, accounting for 61.5% of the yearly litter output (7,970 kg/ha). Fire-resistant species such as Saccharum spontaneum flourished (160 plants/ha); however, Chrysopogon montanus density fell to 0.3 plants/ha in fire-impacted regions, compared to 47.5 plants/ha in unburned plots. Forest litter-derived manure proved superior to the conventional cow dung manure in composting studies. It had a greater nitrogen content (0.9% vs. 0.6%) and greatly boosted the crop yields, with wheat productivity rising by 40.9% and rice productivity by 57.1% compared to the control plots. This strategy minimized grazing pressure on the forests by reducing the need for animals to produce dung for manure and reducing fire incidence. According to the findings, this approach should be expanded throughout the fire-prone Himalayan regions to counteract ecological loss, boost agricultural sustainability, and support rural lives by increasing crop yield and resource efficiency.