Tree diversity, stand structure and community composition in tropical forest of Rajaji tiger reserve, Northern India
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Abstract
In present study, we present data on tree diversity, stand structures and community composition in six sites of tropical forest in Rajaji tiger reserve, Northern India. The enumeration of 72 plots results a total of 19,050 individuals, 47 species, 42 genera, 25 families in which Holoptelia integrifolea, Dalbergia sissoo, Shorea robusta, Cassia fistula and Trewia nudiflora were the species which showed higher importance value index (IVI) in the study area. The stand density of the six sites ranges from 149.99 - 397.91 hac-1 where as the total basal area of trees ranges from 3.612 - 46.813 m2/hac-1. The Shannon diversity index ranged from 1.35 to 2.51, Simpson index ranged from 0.097 - 0.446, Margalef index ranged 2.584 - 4.9, The Evenness index ranged from 0.551 - 0.852 in the study area. Further the studied area has showed ample evidences from indices in supporting the higher floristic diversity and stand structure after providing the present area as a status of tiger reserve.
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Keywords
Density, Diversity, Tree species, Tropical forest
References
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Adhikari, R.S and Tiwari A. (1991) Microbial decomposition of oak leaf litter in temperate forest of Kumaun Himalayas. Acta Bot Indica, 19:195–200.
Akash,. Navneet and Bhandari, B.S (2018a). Phytosociological studies, biodiversity conservation in a sub tropical moist deciduous forest of Rajaji Tiger reserve; Uttarakhand, India. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 5 (3): 39-51.
Akash,. Navneet and Bhandari, B.S (2018b). Phytosociological investigation, Biodiversity conservation and Life form pattern in a Holeptelia integrifolia community under Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, India. International Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 7(7):1-8.
Armenteras, D., Rodríguez, N., and Retana, J. (2009). Are conservation strategies effective in avoiding the deforestation of the Colombian Guyana Shield?. Biological Conservation, 142(7), 1411-1419.
Baduni, N. P., and Sharma, C. M. (1999). Community structure and growing stock variation in Quercus floribunda forest on different aspects of Garhwal Himalaya. Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science, 28, 82-93.
Baraloto, C., Molto, Q., Rabaud, S., Hérault, B., Valencia, R., Blanc, L. and Thompson, J. (2013). Rapid simultaneous estimation of aboveground biomass and tree diversity across Neotropical forests: a comparison of field inventory methods. Biotropica, 45(3), 288-298.
Bhandari, B.S., Mehta, J.P. Nautiyal, B.P. and Tiwari, S.C. (1997). Structure of a Chir- Pine community along an altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya. International journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 23:67-74.
Bhat, J. A. (2012). Diversity of flora along an altitudinal gradient in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Doctoral dissertation, Ph.D. Thesis HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Uttarakhand, India
Bradshaw, C. J., Sodhi, N. S., and Brook, B. W. (2009). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(2), 79-87.
Champion, S. H., and Seth, S. K. (1968). A revised survey of the forest types of India. New Delhi.
Connell, J.H. (1971). On the role of enemies in preventing competitive exclusion in some marine animals and in rain forest trees. In: den Boer, P.J, Gradwell, G.R(ed). Dynamics of populations. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Centre for Agricultural Publication and Documentation. Pp. 298e312.
Curtis, J. T., and McIntosh, R. P. (1950). The interrelations of certain analytic and synthetic phytosociological characters. Ecology, 31(3), 434-455.
Duthie, J.F. (1903). Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain and the adjacent Shiwalik and Sub Himalayan tracts. Vol. 3,Superitendent of government Printing, Calcutta.
Gardner, T. A., Barlow, J., Chazdon, R., Ewers, R. M., Harvey, C. A., Peres, C. A., and Sodhi, N. S. (2009). Prospects for tropical forest biodiversity in a human?modified world. Ecolog Letters, 12(6), 561-582.
Gaur, R.D. (1999). Flora of District Garhwal, Northwest Himalaya: with ethnobotanical notes. Transmedia Publishing, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.
Ghildiyal, S., Baduni, N. P., Khanduri, V. P., and Sharma, C. M. (1998). Community structure and composition of oak forests along altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya. Indian Journal of Forestry, 21(3), 242-247.
Gogate, M.G, Kumar, A. (1993) An ecological audit of teak plantations in west Chandrapur Project Division. Ind For 119:265–294
Hartshorn, G.S. (1980). Neotropical forest dynamics. Biotropica 12: 23–30
Hubbell, S. P. (1979). Tree dispersion, abundance, and diversity in a tropical dry forest. Science, 203(4387), 1299-1309.
Jaccard, P. (1912). The distribution of the flora in the alpine zone. New phytologist, 11(2): 37-50.
Janzen, D. H. (1970). Herbivores and the number of tree species in tropical forests. The American Naturalist, 104(940), 501-528
Jha, C.S. and Singh J.S. (1990). Composition and dynamics of dry tropical forest in relation to soil texture. Journal of Vegetational Science, 1: 609–614.
Joshi , N.K. and Tiwari, S.C.(1990). Phytosociological analysis of woody vegetation along an altitudinal gradient in Garhwal. Indian Journal of forestry, 13:322-328.
Joshi, R. (2016). Mammalian fauna of rajaji national park, india: a review on ecological observations and checklist. Check List, 12(3): 1892.
Kukshal, S., Nautiyal, B. P., Anthwal, A., Sharma, A., and Bhatt, A. B. (2009). Phytosociological investigation and life form pattern of grazinglands under pine canopy in temperate zone, Northwest Himalaya, India. Research Journal of Botany, 4(2): 55-69.
Lata, K., and Bisht, N. S. (1991). Quantitative analysis and regeneration potential of moist temperature forest in Garhwal Himalayas. Indian Journal of forestry, 14(2): 98-106.
Laurance, W. F., Oliveira, A. A., Laurance, S. G., Condit, R., Nascimento, H. E., Sanchez-Thorin, A. C. and Dick, C. W. (2004). Pervasive alteration of tree communities in undisturbed Amazonian forests. Nature, 428(6979), 171.
Morris, R. J. (2010). Anthropogenic impacts on tropical forest biodiversity: a network structure and ecosystem functioning perspective. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1558), 3709-3718.
Margalef R. (1968). Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., Da Fonseca, G. A., and Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403(6772), 853.
Odum, E.P. (1971). Fundamentals of ecology. 3rd edition. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. XXIV, 574.
Pant, S., and Samant, S. S. (2012). Diversity and regeneration status of tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary, north-western Himalaya. Tropical Ecology, 53(3), 317-331.
Pande, P.K., Negi, J.D.S. and Sharma. S.C. (1996). Plant species diversity and vegetation analysis in moist temperate Himalayan forest. Proceeding of Abstract First Indian Ecological Congress , New Delhi, 27-31.
Paijmans, K. (1970). An analysis of four tropical rain forest sites in New Guinea. The Journal of Ecology, 77-101.
Pausas, J. G., and Austin, M. P. (2001). Patterns of plant species richness in relation to different environments: an appraisal. Journal of Vegetation Science, 12(2), 153-166.
Parthasarathy, N. (1999). Tree diversity and distribution in undisturbed and human-impacted sites of tropical wet evergreen forest in southern Western Ghats, India. Biodiversity and Conservation, 8(10), 1365-1381.
Prasad, S. (2011). Fundamentals of Biostatistics, Emkay publishers, Puyravaud JP, Davidar P, Laurance WF. Cryptic loss of India’s native forests. Conservation Letters 2010: 3(6):390-394.
Raizada, M.B. and Saxena, H. (1978). Flora of Mussorie. Bishen Singh, Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. Rasily SS..Management plane of Rajaji tiger reserve, Uttarakhand, India. 2008.
Raturi, G. P. (2012). Forest community structure along an altitudinal gradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya, Indian Ecologia, 2(3): 76-84.
Richards D.W. 1952. The Tropical Rainforest. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Rodgers, W. A., Panwar, H. S., and Mathur, V. B. (2002). Wildlife Protected Area Network in India: A Review (Executive Summary), Wildlife Institute of India. Dehradun. 44p.
Sagar R. and Singh J.S. (2003). Predominant phenotypic traits of disturbed tropical dry deciduous forest vegetation in northern India. Community Ecology, 4(1): 63–71.
Sagar, R., and Singh, J. S. (2005). Structure, diversity, and regeneration of tropical dry deciduous forest of northern India. Biodiversity and Conservation, 14(4), 935-959.
Saxena, A. K., and Singh, J. S. (1982). A phytosociological analysis of woody species in forest communities of a part of Kumaun Himalaya. Plant Ecology, 50(1): 3-22.
Sharma, C. M., Suyal, S., Gairola, S., and Ghildiyal, S. K. (2009). Species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science, 5(5), 119-128.
Sharma, C. M., Mishra, A. K., Prakash, O., Dimri, S., and Baluni, P. (2014). Assessment of forest structure and woody plant regeneration on ridge tops at upper Bhagirathi basin in Garhwal Himalaya. Tropical Plant Research, 1(3), 62-71.
Sharma, C. M., Mishra, A. K., Krishan, R., Tiwari, O. P., and Rana, Y. S. (2016). Variation in vegetation composition, biomass production, and carbon storage in ridge top forests of high mountains of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 35(2), 119-132.
Shannon, C.E. and Weaver, W. (1963). The Mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163(4148), 688.
Singh, K. P., and Singh, J. S. (1988). Certain structural and functional aspects of dry tropical forest and savanna. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 14: 31–45
Singh, J.S., Singh, K.P and Agrawal, M. (1991) Environmental degradation of the Obra–Renukoot–Singrauli area, India, and its impact on natural and derived ecosystems. Environ, 11:171–180
Singhal, R. M., and Soni, S. (1989). Quantitative ecological analysis of some woody species of Mussoorie Himalayas (UP). Indian Forester, 115(5), 327-336.
Singh V.P. and Singh J.S. (1989). Man and forests: a case study from the dry tropics of India. Environmental Conservation 16: 129–136.
Sivakumar, K., Sathyakumar, S., and Rawat, G. S. (2010). A preliminary review on conservation status of Shivalik landscape in Northwest, India. Indian Forester, 136(10), 1376.
Sork, V. L., Davis, F. W., Smouse, P. E., Apsit, V. J., Dyer, R. J., Fernandez?M, J. F., and Kuhn, B. (2002). Pollen movement in declining populations of California Valley oak, Quercus lobata: where have all the fathers gone?. Molecular Ecology, 11(9), 1657-1668.
Uniyal, P., Pokhriyal, P., Dasgupta, S., Bhatt, D., and Todaria, N. P. (2010). Plant diversity in two forest types along the disturbance gradient in Dewalgarh Watershed, Garhwal Himalaya. Current Science, 938-943
Whitford, P. B. (1949). Distribution of woodland plants in relation to succession and clonal growth. Ecology, 30(2): 199-208.
Adhikari, R.S and Tiwari A. (1991) Microbial decomposition of oak leaf litter in temperate forest of Kumaun Himalayas. Acta Bot Indica, 19:195–200.
Akash,. Navneet and Bhandari, B.S (2018a). Phytosociological studies, biodiversity conservation in a sub tropical moist deciduous forest of Rajaji Tiger reserve; Uttarakhand, India. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 5 (3): 39-51.
Akash,. Navneet and Bhandari, B.S (2018b). Phytosociological investigation, Biodiversity conservation and Life form pattern in a Holeptelia integrifolia community under Rajaji Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand, India. International Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 7(7):1-8.
Armenteras, D., Rodríguez, N., and Retana, J. (2009). Are conservation strategies effective in avoiding the deforestation of the Colombian Guyana Shield?. Biological Conservation, 142(7), 1411-1419.
Baduni, N. P., and Sharma, C. M. (1999). Community structure and growing stock variation in Quercus floribunda forest on different aspects of Garhwal Himalaya. Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science, 28, 82-93.
Baraloto, C., Molto, Q., Rabaud, S., Hérault, B., Valencia, R., Blanc, L. and Thompson, J. (2013). Rapid simultaneous estimation of aboveground biomass and tree diversity across Neotropical forests: a comparison of field inventory methods. Biotropica, 45(3), 288-298.
Bhandari, B.S., Mehta, J.P. Nautiyal, B.P. and Tiwari, S.C. (1997). Structure of a Chir- Pine community along an altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya. International journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 23:67-74.
Bhat, J. A. (2012). Diversity of flora along an altitudinal gradient in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Doctoral dissertation, Ph.D. Thesis HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar Uttarakhand, India
Bradshaw, C. J., Sodhi, N. S., and Brook, B. W. (2009). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 7(2), 79-87.
Champion, S. H., and Seth, S. K. (1968). A revised survey of the forest types of India. New Delhi.
Connell, J.H. (1971). On the role of enemies in preventing competitive exclusion in some marine animals and in rain forest trees. In: den Boer, P.J, Gradwell, G.R(ed). Dynamics of populations. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Centre for Agricultural Publication and Documentation. Pp. 298e312.
Curtis, J. T., and McIntosh, R. P. (1950). The interrelations of certain analytic and synthetic phytosociological characters. Ecology, 31(3), 434-455.
Duthie, J.F. (1903). Flora of the Upper Gangetic Plain and the adjacent Shiwalik and Sub Himalayan tracts. Vol. 3,Superitendent of government Printing, Calcutta.
Gardner, T. A., Barlow, J., Chazdon, R., Ewers, R. M., Harvey, C. A., Peres, C. A., and Sodhi, N. S. (2009). Prospects for tropical forest biodiversity in a human?modified world. Ecolog Letters, 12(6), 561-582.
Gaur, R.D. (1999). Flora of District Garhwal, Northwest Himalaya: with ethnobotanical notes. Transmedia Publishing, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India.
Ghildiyal, S., Baduni, N. P., Khanduri, V. P., and Sharma, C. M. (1998). Community structure and composition of oak forests along altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya. Indian Journal of Forestry, 21(3), 242-247.
Gogate, M.G, Kumar, A. (1993) An ecological audit of teak plantations in west Chandrapur Project Division. Ind For 119:265–294
Hartshorn, G.S. (1980). Neotropical forest dynamics. Biotropica 12: 23–30
Hubbell, S. P. (1979). Tree dispersion, abundance, and diversity in a tropical dry forest. Science, 203(4387), 1299-1309.
Jaccard, P. (1912). The distribution of the flora in the alpine zone. New phytologist, 11(2): 37-50.
Janzen, D. H. (1970). Herbivores and the number of tree species in tropical forests. The American Naturalist, 104(940), 501-528
Jha, C.S. and Singh J.S. (1990). Composition and dynamics of dry tropical forest in relation to soil texture. Journal of Vegetational Science, 1: 609–614.
Joshi , N.K. and Tiwari, S.C.(1990). Phytosociological analysis of woody vegetation along an altitudinal gradient in Garhwal. Indian Journal of forestry, 13:322-328.
Joshi, R. (2016). Mammalian fauna of rajaji national park, india: a review on ecological observations and checklist. Check List, 12(3): 1892.
Kukshal, S., Nautiyal, B. P., Anthwal, A., Sharma, A., and Bhatt, A. B. (2009). Phytosociological investigation and life form pattern of grazinglands under pine canopy in temperate zone, Northwest Himalaya, India. Research Journal of Botany, 4(2): 55-69.
Lata, K., and Bisht, N. S. (1991). Quantitative analysis and regeneration potential of moist temperature forest in Garhwal Himalayas. Indian Journal of forestry, 14(2): 98-106.
Laurance, W. F., Oliveira, A. A., Laurance, S. G., Condit, R., Nascimento, H. E., Sanchez-Thorin, A. C. and Dick, C. W. (2004). Pervasive alteration of tree communities in undisturbed Amazonian forests. Nature, 428(6979), 171.
Morris, R. J. (2010). Anthropogenic impacts on tropical forest biodiversity: a network structure and ecosystem functioning perspective. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1558), 3709-3718.
Margalef R. (1968). Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Myers, N., Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, C. G., Da Fonseca, G. A., and Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403(6772), 853.
Odum, E.P. (1971). Fundamentals of ecology. 3rd edition. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia. XXIV, 574.
Pant, S., and Samant, S. S. (2012). Diversity and regeneration status of tree species in Khokhan Wildlife Sanctuary, north-western Himalaya. Tropical Ecology, 53(3), 317-331.
Pande, P.K., Negi, J.D.S. and Sharma. S.C. (1996). Plant species diversity and vegetation analysis in moist temperate Himalayan forest. Proceeding of Abstract First Indian Ecological Congress , New Delhi, 27-31.
Paijmans, K. (1970). An analysis of four tropical rain forest sites in New Guinea. The Journal of Ecology, 77-101.
Pausas, J. G., and Austin, M. P. (2001). Patterns of plant species richness in relation to different environments: an appraisal. Journal of Vegetation Science, 12(2), 153-166.
Parthasarathy, N. (1999). Tree diversity and distribution in undisturbed and human-impacted sites of tropical wet evergreen forest in southern Western Ghats, India. Biodiversity and Conservation, 8(10), 1365-1381.
Prasad, S. (2011). Fundamentals of Biostatistics, Emkay publishers, Puyravaud JP, Davidar P, Laurance WF. Cryptic loss of India’s native forests. Conservation Letters 2010: 3(6):390-394.
Raizada, M.B. and Saxena, H. (1978). Flora of Mussorie. Bishen Singh, Mahendra Pal Singh, Dehradun. Rasily SS..Management plane of Rajaji tiger reserve, Uttarakhand, India. 2008.
Raturi, G. P. (2012). Forest community structure along an altitudinal gradient of district Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya, Indian Ecologia, 2(3): 76-84.
Richards D.W. 1952. The Tropical Rainforest. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Rodgers, W. A., Panwar, H. S., and Mathur, V. B. (2002). Wildlife Protected Area Network in India: A Review (Executive Summary), Wildlife Institute of India. Dehradun. 44p.
Sagar R. and Singh J.S. (2003). Predominant phenotypic traits of disturbed tropical dry deciduous forest vegetation in northern India. Community Ecology, 4(1): 63–71.
Sagar, R., and Singh, J. S. (2005). Structure, diversity, and regeneration of tropical dry deciduous forest of northern India. Biodiversity and Conservation, 14(4), 935-959.
Saxena, A. K., and Singh, J. S. (1982). A phytosociological analysis of woody species in forest communities of a part of Kumaun Himalaya. Plant Ecology, 50(1): 3-22.
Sharma, C. M., Suyal, S., Gairola, S., and Ghildiyal, S. K. (2009). Species richness and diversity along an altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science, 5(5), 119-128.
Sharma, C. M., Mishra, A. K., Prakash, O., Dimri, S., and Baluni, P. (2014). Assessment of forest structure and woody plant regeneration on ridge tops at upper Bhagirathi basin in Garhwal Himalaya. Tropical Plant Research, 1(3), 62-71.
Sharma, C. M., Mishra, A. K., Krishan, R., Tiwari, O. P., and Rana, Y. S. (2016). Variation in vegetation composition, biomass production, and carbon storage in ridge top forests of high mountains of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 35(2), 119-132.
Shannon, C.E. and Weaver, W. (1963). The Mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana.
Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163(4148), 688.
Singh, K. P., and Singh, J. S. (1988). Certain structural and functional aspects of dry tropical forest and savanna. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 14: 31–45
Singh, J.S., Singh, K.P and Agrawal, M. (1991) Environmental degradation of the Obra–Renukoot–Singrauli area, India, and its impact on natural and derived ecosystems. Environ, 11:171–180
Singhal, R. M., and Soni, S. (1989). Quantitative ecological analysis of some woody species of Mussoorie Himalayas (UP). Indian Forester, 115(5), 327-336.
Singh V.P. and Singh J.S. (1989). Man and forests: a case study from the dry tropics of India. Environmental Conservation 16: 129–136.
Sivakumar, K., Sathyakumar, S., and Rawat, G. S. (2010). A preliminary review on conservation status of Shivalik landscape in Northwest, India. Indian Forester, 136(10), 1376.
Sork, V. L., Davis, F. W., Smouse, P. E., Apsit, V. J., Dyer, R. J., Fernandez?M, J. F., and Kuhn, B. (2002). Pollen movement in declining populations of California Valley oak, Quercus lobata: where have all the fathers gone?. Molecular Ecology, 11(9), 1657-1668.
Uniyal, P., Pokhriyal, P., Dasgupta, S., Bhatt, D., and Todaria, N. P. (2010). Plant diversity in two forest types along the disturbance gradient in Dewalgarh Watershed, Garhwal Himalaya. Current Science, 938-943
Whitford, P. B. (1949). Distribution of woodland plants in relation to succession and clonal growth. Ecology, 30(2): 199-208.
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Tree diversity, stand structure and community composition in tropical forest of Rajaji tiger reserve, Northern India. (2018). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 10(3), 945-953. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v10i3.1791
