Canopy openings have a vital role in forest structure, regeneration, and plant composition. In this study, we investigated and compared the species composition and densities of seedlings and saplings between canopy gaps (openings) and forest understories (in dense canopies) in a sub-tropical forest of Bangladesh. We objectively identified 42 canopy openings between transect lines and 42 main plots in dense canopies, sampled for regeneration and young tree patterns. For the regeneration study, we placed 2 m×2 m four subplots in each canopy opening and the main plot of dense canopy, thus making a total of 336 subplots. The species diversity of seedlings, saplings, and trees were significantly (P≤0.05) higher in the dense canopy than in the canopy opening. Although, most dominant and frequent regenerating species such as Diospyros pilosula, Garcinia cowa, Brownlowia elata, and Lithocarpus polystachya were common in both dense canopy and openings, the canopy openings had the highest Importance Value Index, suggesting the significance of gap dynamics in the dominance of native floral species. The dense canopy played an important role in forest compositions because 12 regenerating species, including Stereospermum suaveolens and Diospyros montana, were not found in the canopy openings, implying that rain forests must maintain a high canopy cover for regeneration.

The function of mine spoil following restoration depends on the development of soil aggregation. Two models may contribute to consideration of how spoil may be restored: the hierarchical model and the interdependence model. This study examined the relationship between plant diversity and water stable aggregate in mine spoil. Four plant species Dodonaea viscosa (Jacq), Pittosporum phillyraeoides DC, Hymenosporum flavum (Hook) F. Muell, and Pandorea pandorana (Andrew Steenis) inoculated with eight different Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were either grown as a single species or a mixture of all species in pots containing mine spoil amended with 18% compost. Soil aggregation was measured as mean weight diameter (MWD) and organic carbon was determined after 12 months. Aggregation of spoil from under the mixed plant treatment was in the middle of the range for single species, for overall MWD and weight of each of the water-stable aggregate fractions. MWD of soil under P. phillyraeoides was higher than for all other single plant species and plant mixture. Organic carbon in the water-stable micro-aggregate sized fraction was greater in all planted than the unplanted treatment. The mean soil carbon concentration of P. pandorana was higher than all other single plant treatments and plant mixture. The study suggests that the development of aggregation of mine spoil amended with compost is independent of plant diversity.

Bracket fungi (Polypores) are a morphologically distinct category of Agaricomycetes (Basidiomycota) that are important agents for decomposition and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. The species composition and ecology of these fungi in particular forest ecosystems are overlooked in Nepal. Thus, the current study is aimed at assessing the diversity and distribution of bracket fungi in oak-dominated forests in the middle mountains of central Nepal. Regular field visits over a six-year period (2017-2022) were done at nine study sites of oak-dominated forests in Karnabhumi Community Forest (KCF) and Gumalchoki Community Forest (GCF) from Makawanpur and Kathmandu districts respectively. A total of 26 species of bracket fungi belonging to 17 genera and 8 families were reported. The majority of the bracket fungi are known to be saprobic, while Coltricia cinnamomea is the only mushroom found to be mycorrhizal based on its ecology. Most of the bracket fungi were found to be inedible, while Ganoderma lucidum, Laetiporus sulphureus, and Pycnoporus cinnabarinus were found to be medicinal. The diversity indices, such as the Shannon Weiner index and the Simpson diversity index, were found to be 0.26 and 0.53 in GCF, respectively, and 0.17 and 0.35 in GCF. This suggest that Oak dominated forests harbor considerable diversity of bracket fungi such that conservation of these forests is necessary.