Comparative assessment of floristic structure, diversity and regeneration status of tropical rain forests of Western Ghats of Karnataka, India
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Abstract
Tropical forests are one of the richest landscapes in terms of its richness, diversity and endemicity. The present study was carried out in the Central Western Ghats: one of the hottest hotspot of biodiversity. The aim of the study was to compare floristic diversity in tropical wet evergreen forest between northern and southern parts of Western Ghats of Karnataka. Kodagu district in southern part and Uttara Kannada district in northern part was chosen to assess the same, as these two districts cover highest forest cover in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. In each district all the evergreen forests were sampled with 1000 m X 5 belt transacts. Totally 22 such samplings were done both southern and northern part of Western Ghats. In each of these transacts all the trees measuring e” 30 gbh were enumerated and botanically identified to the species level and the same was used for computation of diversity indices. The richness and diversity was comparatively higher in southern part compared to northern part of Western Ghats, where as the richness of threatened tree species was comparatively higher in northern part of Western Ghats. In addition to the species richness and diversity, the paper also deals with the dominant tree species and families in both the region.
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Keywords
Diversity, Evergreen forests, Northern region, Southern region, Species richness
References
Ayappa, N. and Parthasarthy, N. (1999). Biodiversity inventories in a large scale permanent plots of tropical evergreen forest at Varagalair, Annamalais, Western Ghats, India. Biodiversity and Conservation, 8: 1533 – 1544.
Bhat, G. K. (2003). Flora of Udupi. Indian Naturalist, Udupi. pp. 913.
Bhuyan, P., Khan, M.L. and Tripathi, R.S. (2003). Tree diversity and population structure in undisturbed and human impacted stands of tropical wet evergreen forests in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India. Biodiversity and Conservation 12: 1753-1773
Boring, L.R., Monk, C.D. and W. T. Swank. (1981). Early regeneration of a clear cut southern Appalachain forest. Ecology, 62: 1244 – 1253.
Chandran, S. and Gadgil, M. (1993). State of Forestry and decline in food resources in the tropical forests of Uttara Kannada, south India. In. Tropical forests, people and food: bio-cultural interactions and applications to development. (eds) C.M. Hladika, A. Hladik, O.F. Linares, H. Pagezy, A. Simple and M Hladik. Vol. 15, p 733 – 744. MAB Series, UNESCO/Parthenon publishing group, Paris.
Chandrashekarareddy, K.M. (2007). Assessment of floristic structure and composition of Kan forests in Sirsi division. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Connell, H.V. (1999). Unsaturation and regional influence on species richness in ecological communities: a review of the evidence. Ecoscience. 6: 303 – 315.
Curtis, J.T. and Mcintosh., R.P. (1951). The upland forest continuum in the prairie-forest border region of Wiscnsin. Ecology, 32: 476-496.
Elouard, C. (2000). Landscape and society. In: Mountain Biodiversity, Demographic and environmental changes. (eds. Ramakrishnan, P.S. Chandrashekara, U.M., Elouard, C., Guilmoto, C. Z., Maikhuri, R.K., Rao, K.S., Sankar, S. and Saxena, K.G.). Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, pp 25-42.
Forest Survey of India, (1995). Report on Inventory of forest resources of Kodagu. South zone, Bangalore.
Ganesh, T., Devy, M.S. and Davidar, P. (2001). Pollination and fruit dispersal in the wet forests of southern Western Ghats. In: Tropical ecosystems: structure, diversity and human welfare. (eds) Ganeshaiah, K.N., Umashaankar, R. and Kamaljit Bawa, Oxford and IBH publishing company Private Limited, pp. 363 – 365.
Ghate, V., Joshi, N.V. and Gadgil, M. (1998). On the Patterns of tree diversity in Western Ghats of India. Current Science, 75: 594-603.
Gordon, J. E. and Newton, A. C. (2006). Efficient floristic inventory for the assessment of tropical tree diversity: A comparative test of four alternative approaches. For. Ecol. Manage., 237: 564–573.
Jeevan, K., (2007). Distribution and reproductive biology of Vateria indica L. in central Western Ghats of Karnataka. M. Sc thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.
Keshavamurthy K.R. and Yoganarasimhan S.N. (1990). Flora of Coorg. Vimsat Publishers, Bangalore.
Khan, M.L., Rai, J.P.N. and Tripathi, R.S. (1986). Regeneration and survival of tree seedlings and sprouts in tropical deciduous and subtropical forests of Meghalaya, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 14: 293 – 304.
Kushalappa, C.G. and Kushalappa, K.A. (1998). Ecological changes in high altitude forests of Kodagu, south India. proceedings of the Inter – Divisional Seoul conference, Seoul, Korea. pp- 91-97.
Kushalappa, C.G. and Kushalappa, K.A. (1996). Preliminary report of the project on impact of working in Western Ghats forests of Kodagu, College of Forestry, Ponnampet.
Lange, T.R. and. Graham. R.C. (1983). Rabbits and the failure of regeneration in the Australian arid zones Acacia. Australian Journal of Ecology, 8: 377 – 381.
Macarthur, R.H. and Wilson, E.O. (1967). The theory of island biogeography. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersy.
Magurran A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and its Measurement. Chapman and Hall, London.
Misra, A. (2001). Revised draft working plan of Virajpet division. Karnataka Forest Department. pp-225.
Padalia, H., Chauhan, N., Porwal, M. C. and Roy, P. S. (2004) Phytosociological observations on tree species diversity of Andaman Islands, India. Curr. Sci., 87: 799–806.
Parthasarthy, N. (1998). A phytogeographic analysis of the flora of Kalakad reserve forest, Western Ghats. Journal of Indian Botanical Society, 67: 342 – 345.
Parthasarathy, N. (1999). Tree diversity and distribution in undisturbed and human-impacted sites of tropical wet evergreen forest in southern Western Ghats, India. Biodivers. Conserv., 8, 1365–1381.
Parthasarathy, N. (2001). Changes in forest composition and structure on three sites of tropical evergreen forests around Sengatheri, Western Ghats. 80 (3): 389 – 393.
Pascal, J. P. (1988). Wet Evergreen Forests of the Western Ghats of India: Ecology, Structure, Floristic Composition and Succession. Institute Francais de Pondicherry, Pondicherry. p. 345.
Pascal, J.P. (1986). Explanatory booklet on the forest map of south India (sheets: Belgaum – Dharwad – Panji, Shimoga, Marcera – Mysore) Travaux de la Section Scientifique et Technique, Tome XX, Institute of Francais de Pondicherry. pp. 88.
Pascal, J.P. and Pelisser, R. (1996). Structure and floristic composition of a tropical evergreen forests in south west India. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 12 (2): 191 – 214.
Pascal, J.P. and Ramesh, B.R. (1987). A field guide to the trees and lianas of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. Institute of Francise, Pondicherry.
Pelissier, R. (1997). Heterogente spatiale et dynamique d’une forest dense humide dans les Ghats Occidentaux de I’inde. Publications du Department d’ Ecologie 37, Institute Francias de Pondichery.
Phillips, O. L. et al. (2003). Efficient plot-based floristic assessment of tropical forests. J. Trop. Ecol., 19, 629–645.
Raghu, D. (2003). Ecological studies on vegetation characteristics of Gersoppa forest range. M.Sc. thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Rai, S.N. and Proctor, J. (1986). Ecological studies on four rain forests in Karnataka, India. Journal of Ecology, 74: 439 – 454.
Ram, J., Arvind Kumar and Bhat, J. (2004). Plant diversity in six tropical forest types of Uttaranchal, Central Himalaya, India. Current Science, 86 (7): 875-878.
Ramesh, B.R. and Pascal, J.P. (1997). Atlas of Endemics of the Western Ghats (India): Distribution of Tree Species in the Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen Forests. Institute Francais de Pondichery, Publications du Department d’ecologie, Pondicherry.Pelissier, 1997.
Robinson, M. (2008). The Tropical Rain Forest. The Regents of the University of Michigan.
Saldanhae, C.J. (1996). Flora of Karnataka (Vol 2). Oxford and IBH publishing company, New Delhi.
Shivraj, B., Barve, N., Kiran, M., Uma Shaanker, R. and Ganeshaiah, K.( 2000). Mapping of forests based on biological diversity toidentify conservation sites: A case study form Udupi and South Canara Districts of Karnataka. J. Indian Inst. Sci, 80: 531–536.
WCMC. (1992). Global Biodiversity: Status of the Earth’s Living Resources. World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
Bhat, G. K. (2003). Flora of Udupi. Indian Naturalist, Udupi. pp. 913.
Bhuyan, P., Khan, M.L. and Tripathi, R.S. (2003). Tree diversity and population structure in undisturbed and human impacted stands of tropical wet evergreen forests in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India. Biodiversity and Conservation 12: 1753-1773
Boring, L.R., Monk, C.D. and W. T. Swank. (1981). Early regeneration of a clear cut southern Appalachain forest. Ecology, 62: 1244 – 1253.
Chandran, S. and Gadgil, M. (1993). State of Forestry and decline in food resources in the tropical forests of Uttara Kannada, south India. In. Tropical forests, people and food: bio-cultural interactions and applications to development. (eds) C.M. Hladika, A. Hladik, O.F. Linares, H. Pagezy, A. Simple and M Hladik. Vol. 15, p 733 – 744. MAB Series, UNESCO/Parthenon publishing group, Paris.
Chandrashekarareddy, K.M. (2007). Assessment of floristic structure and composition of Kan forests in Sirsi division. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Connell, H.V. (1999). Unsaturation and regional influence on species richness in ecological communities: a review of the evidence. Ecoscience. 6: 303 – 315.
Curtis, J.T. and Mcintosh., R.P. (1951). The upland forest continuum in the prairie-forest border region of Wiscnsin. Ecology, 32: 476-496.
Elouard, C. (2000). Landscape and society. In: Mountain Biodiversity, Demographic and environmental changes. (eds. Ramakrishnan, P.S. Chandrashekara, U.M., Elouard, C., Guilmoto, C. Z., Maikhuri, R.K., Rao, K.S., Sankar, S. and Saxena, K.G.). Oxford and IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, pp 25-42.
Forest Survey of India, (1995). Report on Inventory of forest resources of Kodagu. South zone, Bangalore.
Ganesh, T., Devy, M.S. and Davidar, P. (2001). Pollination and fruit dispersal in the wet forests of southern Western Ghats. In: Tropical ecosystems: structure, diversity and human welfare. (eds) Ganeshaiah, K.N., Umashaankar, R. and Kamaljit Bawa, Oxford and IBH publishing company Private Limited, pp. 363 – 365.
Ghate, V., Joshi, N.V. and Gadgil, M. (1998). On the Patterns of tree diversity in Western Ghats of India. Current Science, 75: 594-603.
Gordon, J. E. and Newton, A. C. (2006). Efficient floristic inventory for the assessment of tropical tree diversity: A comparative test of four alternative approaches. For. Ecol. Manage., 237: 564–573.
Jeevan, K., (2007). Distribution and reproductive biology of Vateria indica L. in central Western Ghats of Karnataka. M. Sc thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.
Keshavamurthy K.R. and Yoganarasimhan S.N. (1990). Flora of Coorg. Vimsat Publishers, Bangalore.
Khan, M.L., Rai, J.P.N. and Tripathi, R.S. (1986). Regeneration and survival of tree seedlings and sprouts in tropical deciduous and subtropical forests of Meghalaya, India. Forest Ecology and Management, 14: 293 – 304.
Kushalappa, C.G. and Kushalappa, K.A. (1998). Ecological changes in high altitude forests of Kodagu, south India. proceedings of the Inter – Divisional Seoul conference, Seoul, Korea. pp- 91-97.
Kushalappa, C.G. and Kushalappa, K.A. (1996). Preliminary report of the project on impact of working in Western Ghats forests of Kodagu, College of Forestry, Ponnampet.
Lange, T.R. and. Graham. R.C. (1983). Rabbits and the failure of regeneration in the Australian arid zones Acacia. Australian Journal of Ecology, 8: 377 – 381.
Macarthur, R.H. and Wilson, E.O. (1967). The theory of island biogeography. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersy.
Magurran A.E. (1988). Ecological Diversity and its Measurement. Chapman and Hall, London.
Misra, A. (2001). Revised draft working plan of Virajpet division. Karnataka Forest Department. pp-225.
Padalia, H., Chauhan, N., Porwal, M. C. and Roy, P. S. (2004) Phytosociological observations on tree species diversity of Andaman Islands, India. Curr. Sci., 87: 799–806.
Parthasarthy, N. (1998). A phytogeographic analysis of the flora of Kalakad reserve forest, Western Ghats. Journal of Indian Botanical Society, 67: 342 – 345.
Parthasarathy, N. (1999). Tree diversity and distribution in undisturbed and human-impacted sites of tropical wet evergreen forest in southern Western Ghats, India. Biodivers. Conserv., 8, 1365–1381.
Parthasarathy, N. (2001). Changes in forest composition and structure on three sites of tropical evergreen forests around Sengatheri, Western Ghats. 80 (3): 389 – 393.
Pascal, J. P. (1988). Wet Evergreen Forests of the Western Ghats of India: Ecology, Structure, Floristic Composition and Succession. Institute Francais de Pondicherry, Pondicherry. p. 345.
Pascal, J.P. (1986). Explanatory booklet on the forest map of south India (sheets: Belgaum – Dharwad – Panji, Shimoga, Marcera – Mysore) Travaux de la Section Scientifique et Technique, Tome XX, Institute of Francais de Pondicherry. pp. 88.
Pascal, J.P. and Pelisser, R. (1996). Structure and floristic composition of a tropical evergreen forests in south west India. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 12 (2): 191 – 214.
Pascal, J.P. and Ramesh, B.R. (1987). A field guide to the trees and lianas of the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. Institute of Francise, Pondicherry.
Pelissier, R. (1997). Heterogente spatiale et dynamique d’une forest dense humide dans les Ghats Occidentaux de I’inde. Publications du Department d’ Ecologie 37, Institute Francias de Pondichery.
Phillips, O. L. et al. (2003). Efficient plot-based floristic assessment of tropical forests. J. Trop. Ecol., 19, 629–645.
Raghu, D. (2003). Ecological studies on vegetation characteristics of Gersoppa forest range. M.Sc. thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
Rai, S.N. and Proctor, J. (1986). Ecological studies on four rain forests in Karnataka, India. Journal of Ecology, 74: 439 – 454.
Ram, J., Arvind Kumar and Bhat, J. (2004). Plant diversity in six tropical forest types of Uttaranchal, Central Himalaya, India. Current Science, 86 (7): 875-878.
Ramesh, B.R. and Pascal, J.P. (1997). Atlas of Endemics of the Western Ghats (India): Distribution of Tree Species in the Evergreen and Semi-Evergreen Forests. Institute Francais de Pondichery, Publications du Department d’ecologie, Pondicherry.Pelissier, 1997.
Robinson, M. (2008). The Tropical Rain Forest. The Regents of the University of Michigan.
Saldanhae, C.J. (1996). Flora of Karnataka (Vol 2). Oxford and IBH publishing company, New Delhi.
Shivraj, B., Barve, N., Kiran, M., Uma Shaanker, R. and Ganeshaiah, K.( 2000). Mapping of forests based on biological diversity toidentify conservation sites: A case study form Udupi and South Canara Districts of Karnataka. J. Indian Inst. Sci, 80: 531–536.
WCMC. (1992). Global Biodiversity: Status of the Earth’s Living Resources. World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
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Comparative assessment of floristic structure, diversity and regeneration status of tropical rain forests of Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. (2013). Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 5(1), 157-164. https://doi.org/10.31018/jans.v5i1.300
