THE SPRUCE (PICEA MOBINDA) AND SILVEK FIB (ABIES PINDBOW). 37 



this oak preferring the southern aspects and the firs the cooler 

 slopes. Still higher the coniferous forest ends, and birch, rhodo- 

 dendron and willow gradually fade away into a country of alpine 

 pasture. 



The oaks are chiefly of importance as a source of firewood and The oaks. 

 charcoal for the supply of hill stations, for agricultural implements 

 and as fodder for cattle. They are distributed into three zones. 



(1) The ban or banf oak (Quercus incana). 



(2) The morn tilonj oak (Quercus dilata'a). 



(3) The Kharsn oak (Quercus seme carpi/ olia}. 



The ban oak forests of Kumaun have been described as follows The ban 

 by Champion in his working plan for Central Almora. 



" Above the cJtir zone, and extending up to the highest peaks 

 is a dense evergreen forest in which the various oaks are the 

 predominant tree species. The distribution of this type seems to 

 depend almost entirely on suitable moisture conditions which are 

 indicated by luxuriant epiphytic vegetation and are met with 

 generally from 7,000 feet upwards. The lower limit coincides with 

 the upper limit of chir the dividing line being often very vague, and 

 it may be said that the oak is still the predominant species down to 

 about 6,200 feet though it leaves the drier and poorer ridges to the 

 pine, and extends down the nalas in force for nearly another 2,000 

 feet. Quercus incana is the commonest species and reaches its best 

 development between 6,800 feet and 7,500 feet ; it runs down the 

 nalas to 3,000 feet, whilst at higher elevations it is gradually 

 replaced by other species though occurring even up to 9,500 feet 

 on southern aspects." 



This description of the ban oak in Kumaun is generally appli- 

 cable to this species throughout northern India. 



This oak grows at higher elevations than ban and requires a Th moru 

 moister climate and fresher soil. In the United Provinces this 

 species predominates on the outer ranges of the Himalayas in 

 Naini Tal division and also covers a large area in the wet tract of 

 North Garhwal between 6,500 and 8,000 feet. 



