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Online ISSN : 2349-8080 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorinchiefijcrbp@gmail.com |
2Xavier Research Foundation, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai – 600 072, Tamil Nadu, India
3Department of Zoology, Government Degree College, Bijbehara, Anantnag, Kashmir – 192 124, India
In the Kashmir Valley, Populus deltoides is the most favored tree species used for plantation. The Poplar tree species are considered as economical backbone of farmers in Kashmir since they were introduced by Department of Social Forestry in 1984. These plant species have become an important low-cost timber option for Kashmiri farmers and generate livelihood for thousands in the region. The poplars are wind pollinated and the fruits ripen from end of May to early June. Ripe fruits release small seeds which have a mass of long, silky hairs to aid their dispersal by wind. These silky hairs are scattered in the air and cause some allergic reactions in some individuals of Kashmir leading to wheezing and hacking in April and May. On April 10, 2020 the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir issued stay order on cutting of the poplars keeping in view the spread of Covid-19 infection. Over the past fortnight people had already employed laborers and a large scale of Poplar trees were unearthed. The mass cutting of these tree species will have numerous ecological and financial implications.
