Influence of Freeze-Thaw on the Stability of Road Cut Slopes near Atal Tunnel in Indian Himalayan Region

The rock slopes in the Indian Himalayan region are exposed to recurrent freeze-thaw. Freeze-thaw plays a dominant role in the instability of rock slopes in cold regions. Extensive field investigations have been carried on the two rock slopes of the Solang valley roadway in Himachal Pradesh. Freeze-thaw testing has been carried out in the laboratory on the rock samples collected from the studied slopes. The test has been repeated for 30 freeze-thaw cycles. The laboratory tests have been conducted to determine the mechanical properties of rock with and without freeze-thaw conditioning. The micro-photographs from scanning electron microscope have been obtained to identify the microscopic damages due to freeze-thaw activity. The macroscopic damages have been recognized in tensile, compressive and triaxial compressive strength of rock. Further, a three-dimensional numerical analysis has been performed to evaluate the stability and corroborate the results with the field observations. FT conditioning results reveal a reduction of about 27–39 % in rock strength and subsequently a decrease in the factor of safety by 10–39 % for rock slopes.

Review on regeneration status of Betulautilis D. Don: A critically endangered multipurpose timber line species in Indian Himalayan region

The Himalayan birch (Betulautilis D. Don), also known as Bhojpatra in India, is one of the Himalayan region's most important ethnobotanicaltreelinespecies. It aids in the preservation of the Himalaya's fragile environment by preventing soil erosion and conserving the rest of the flora and wildlife below the treelinezone.Betulautilis has been identified for medical (anticancer, anti-HIV, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory) and ethno botanical relevance by several ethnic and non-ethnic communities living in the Himalaya and elsewhere, in addition to several ecological benefits.The bark of the Betula tree has long been used to write old manuscripts.It may also be used as a packing material, is waterproof, can be used to roof dwellings, umbrellas, and other items.The historical usage of B. utilis, as well as recent overharvesting to suit community and commercial demands, have put strain on the species natural populations. B. utilis faces numerous threats, including overharvesting, deforestation, erosion, grazing, global warming, and disease attack.Thus, it has been categorized as Critically Endangeredspecies.The main problem of the mountain forestsislack of adequateregenerationprocess. Very little information on population dynamics, regeneration, and physiology and seed germination is available from different parts of the country but no any systematic study has been done so far on multipurpose timberline tree species of Indian Himalayan Region. As a result, it's critical to keep an eye on these sensitive places and keystone species for future changes caused by climate or anthropogenic pressure, especially in locations where baseline data is scarce. The ease and suitability of propagation methods for this species is also not well documented in the literature. With these limitations in mind, the current study aims to document the status of Betulautilis regeneration in the Indian Himalayan region.