G L Khajuria
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is cocooned land-mass at the northernmost extremity of the plains of Punjab which virtually touches the lower ridges of the hills and further spreads over a vast tract constituting thereby what is called as the region of outer hills.
Varying in their heights something from 600 in to 1250 in above Mean Sea Level (MSL) are the rugged ones, which go parallel to one another, enveloping small narrow Valleys.
Jammu region which begins from the boundaries adjoining Punjab and Himachal Pradesh across river Ravi – (Lakhanpur) stretches over the last reach of Indo-Pak border (Poonch) in East-West encompassing Kandi belt of herbs, shrub and other broad leaved trees of immersive importance and with the altitudinal gains the rich ‘Chirpines’ ‘Blue Pines’ and their allied intermingle, From Jammu, uprising towards higher reaches of Udhampur, Kud, Patnitop on the one hand and Trikuta hills of Katra, Reasi to the north west are having richest varieties of pines which give kaleidoscopic glimpse when viewed airily in their ambience.
Not only, that these pines are serene & scenic, the splendor as well of tremendous importance in a variety of ways. The ‘Pride’ Chenab Valley, de facto, is a bountiful and predominantly the richest forest area in the entire state-The entire terrain is a rare combination of inner and outer hills of ‘Shivaliks’ ranging from 1,200 in to 3,600 in above mean sea level (MSL) and further there is consistent rise in elevation to what is most conveniently called the middle Himalayas.
The narrow Valleys give way to the small rivulets which drain into pride Chenab the Tawi and to the deep gorges and other, emerald waters.
The landscape and valleys with ever-flourishing vibrant, salubrious and shimmering pines largely intermingling with fast flowing nectar-clear waters over the millennia past.
However, the ehirpme part is briefed down as under.
‘Chir Pine’: All the pines are belong to ‘Gymnosperms ‘ part of plant Kingdom having the .characteristics of cones-bearing and so is with Chir Pine.
This falls under conferee family and lakes its start from lower elevation to higher ones (4,000 to 6,000 feet) from MSL.
The chir is long-leaved pine botanically spoken as ‘Pinus roxburghii and is a large living tree with clear straight bowl and thick bark as a defense against forest fire.
The leaves are in bundles of three needles obscurely triquetrous, light green cones are solitary or 3-5 together and the seeds are long, obliquely, compressed with membranous wings which helps in their pollination as it is through wind.
Chir pines are spread over the outer hills of Shivaliks ranging from Basohli – Billawar, Udhampur, Reasi, Kalidhar, Sudarbani , Rajouri, Nowshera and Poonch. The tree is of ample importance is so far as extraction of resin is concerned, apart from fulfilling demands of Kcals in respect of timber, small wood and fuel.
The resin extracted from the Chirs finds its immersive value after the segregation of resin and turpentine oil which is useful in many pharmaceuticals for the manufacture of multihued important medicines.
Chir pines are mostly prone to forest fires during summer spells more due to the gathering of the needles which rather cover the forest ground.
The locals have their urge, good grass and so these forests are engulfed by fire and spell the doom and large chunks of Chir forests are subjected to forest hazards.
An idea was mooted much earlier for collection of the dry needles which find its usefulness in the manufacture of card-boards as this practice is mostly prevalent in other chir bearing states of UP etc.
Serve twin purpose first the forest fires shall be minimized improve local economy and boosting card-board manufacturing.
This is unambiguously, a workable solution in averting forest fires, apart from opening new avenues for the industrial uses.
Chir pines, as thus has great promise in afforestation programmes and is widely planted in its natural .habitat Many sites of its natural habitations are, however deficient in organic matter, water holding capacity, nutrimental availability, micro-fauna and are lacking in almost all over the Chir bearing areas. So, it is pertinent to have necessary desirable physical and biological characteristics necessary for the plants growth and survival of our planted seedlings on such sites thus well suited to site.
Blue Pines also called as ‘Pinus Walichiana’ in botanical parlance and Wail is spoken locally â3 a large majestic tree having slate-colored smooth bark with leathery young stems 1 Like chirpiness. Its leaves are also in bundles each groove is having five needles which are slender cal, triquetrous, glucose on the inner faces, cones are generally 2-‘3 together on pendueles Seed of- this-species are blackish,’ void Iolite’ and compressed and the trees catches heights from 6,000-10,000 ft from (MSL) sometimes intermingling with deodar and at places with chir pines etc.
The woo is as good as that of deodar, which is pinkish-brown, moderately hard, resin-as are smaller than those of chlrines. The sapwood yield resin far superior to Chir Pines and its leaves are used as a stuff for cushions and The bark of the tree is used as slate for roofing of temporary huts and its seeds are often eaten by the local inhabitants. Giant Himalayan Pine: This pine, unambiguously, occupy its unique placement in the Himalayan region-the most magnificent and majestic.
Deodar botanically nomenclatures as Cedrus deodars a large tall gregarious tree, the largest and longest ever-lived tree in India renowned for its greatest beauty whose branches are horizontal having pyramidal crown:, The tree ranges a height from 7000-8500 ft from MSL and -intermingles amongst blue pines, spruce, firq and Moru oak, The tree is of ample importance in so’ far as its timber value is concerned) which is prominently used in multi wide construction, The cedar oil extracted from its stumps finds multitudinous uses in our pharmaceuticals for the remedial measures of various hues, Chilghoza Pines: This pine is spoken as Pinus: Gerardiana in botanical parlance and is mostly confined in Paddar valley of Kishtwar and thence in the higher reaches of Kashmir. A cluster of such pines were spotted by the author whilst being on tour to Padder Valley in august last year at Atholi near Mata Jawala temple. However, of course, the most important article of food is well known throughout nor in a part of India as Chilghoza, which is basically the seed of this tree.
(The author is former Dy. Conservator of Forests, J&K).
