Plant Diversity and Floristic Composition of Three Forest Types in Mata Vaishno Devi Forest of Jammu and Kashmir, Western Himalaya, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12974/2311-858X.2015.03.01.2Keywords:
Altitudes, density, plant diversity, mixed- broadleaved forest, Pinus roxburghii forest, Quercus leucotrichophora forest.Abstract
An investigation was carried out to study the plant diversity and floristic composition on three forest types namely, mixed - broadleaved forest (800-1000m), Pinus roxburghii forest (1400-1600m) and Quercus leucotrichophora forest (2000-2200m) in Mata Vaishno Devi forest of J and K, Western Himalaya. Total 58 families, 102 genera and 116 species were recorded in three forests along the altitudes. Mixed- broadleaved forest represented a total of 29 families with 42 genera and 48 species. Pinus roxburghii forest was comprised of 30 families with 44 genera and 45 species while Quercus leucotrichophora forest also represented 30 families with 41 genera and 42 species. It revealed almost similar number of families and genera with little variation in number of species at different forests along altitudes. Cassia fistula, Acacia catechu, Acacia modesta, Bauhinia variegata, and Dalbergia sissoo were the dominant tree species in mixed- broadleaved forest at lower altitude, Pinus roxburghii and Bauhinia variegata were dominant in Pinus roxburghii forest at middle altitude and Quercus leucotrichophora, and Rhododendron arboreum were the dominant tree species in Quercus leucotrichophora forest at upper altitude. Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae, Acanthaceae, Lamiacaea, Mimosaceae, Rosaceae, Urticaceae were the dominant families which were present in all the forest types along altitudes. Maximum numbers of species were characterized by clumped distribution. Stand density was higher in Pinus roxburghii forest whereas richness and diversity were higher in the mixed-broadleaf forests.References
Pande PK, Nagi JDS and Sharma SC. Plant species diversity and vegetation analysis in moist temperate Himalayan Forests. Abstract First Indian Ecological Congress. New Delhi 1996; 27-31: 51.
Saxena AK, Singh SP and Singh JS. Population structure of forest of Kumaon Himalaya: Implication for management. J Environ Manag 1984; 19: 307-324.
Jeet Ram, Kumar A and Bhatt J. Plant diversity in six forest types of Uttaranchal, Central Himalaya, India. Current Science 2004; 86(7): 975-978.
Saxena AK and Singh JS. A phyto-sociological analysis of woody species in forest communities of a part of Kumaon Himalaya. Vegetatio 1982; 50: 2-3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00120674
Singh JS and Singh SP. Structure and functioning of the forest ecosystem of Central Himalaya. Implications for management, regeneration of forest trees: In An Integrated Ecological study of Eastern Kumaun Himalaya with emphasis on National Resources (eds Singh, J.S. and Singh, S.P.), Final report (HCS/DST/187-176), Vol.II, Kumaon University, Nainital, India 1984; 85-113.
Ralhan PK, Saxena AK and Singh JS. Analysis of forest vegetation at and around Nainital in Kumaon Himalaya. Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy 1982; B48: 122-138.
Singhal RM, Rawat VRS, Kumar P, Sharma SD and Singh HB. Vegetational analysis of woody species of some forest of Chakarata Himalaya, India. Indian Forester 1986; 112 (2): 819-823.
Khan ML, Rai JPN and Tripathi RS. Population structure of some tree species in disturbed and protected sub-tropical forests of north-east India. Acta Oecologia: Oecologia Applicata (France) 1987; 8: 247-255.
Champion HG and Seth SK. A Revised survey of forest types in India. Govt. of India Publication, New Delhi 1968.
Mullar-Dombois D and Ellenberg H. Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc 1974.
Curtis JT and Mclntosh RP. The interrelations of certain analytical and synthetic phytosociological characters. Ecology 1950; 31: 434-455. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1931497
Phillips EA. Methods of vegetation study. Henry Hill and Co., New York 1959.
Curtis JT. The vegetation of Wisconsin: An ordination of plants communities. University Wisconsin Press, Medison 1959.
Whitford PB. Distribution of woodland plants in relation to succession and clonal growth. Ecology 1949; 30: 199-208. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1931186
Curtis JT and Cottam G. Plant Ecology Workbook, Laboratory and Field Manual. Burgers Publication Co, Minnesota 1956; pp. 193.
Simpson EH. Measurement of diversity. Nature 1949; 163: 688. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/163688a0
Shannon CE and Weaver W. The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, USA 1963; pp. 1-177.
Margalef FR. Information Theory in Ecology Gen Syst 1978; 3: 36-71.
Roy S and Singh JS. Consequences of habitat heterogeneity for availability of nutrients in a dry tropical forest. J Ecol 1994; 82: 503-509. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2261259
Odum EP. Fundamentals of ecology. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia 1971; pp. 574.
Kumar M, Sharma CM and Rajwar GS. A study on community structure and diversity of a sub-tropical forest of Garhwal Himalayas. Indian Forester 2004; 130(2): 207-214.
Uniyal P, Pokhriyal P, Dasgupta S, Bhatt D and Todaria NP. Plant diversity in two forest types along the disturbance gradient in Dewalgarh Watershed, Garhwal Himalaya. Current Science 2010; 98(7): 938-943.
Upreti NJ, Tewari JC and Singh SP. The oak forests of Kumaon Himalaya; composition, diversity and regeneration. Mountain Research and Development 1985; 5: 163-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3673255
Baduni NP and Sharma CM. Effect of aspect on the structure of some natural stands of Cupressus torulosa in Himalayan moist temperate Forest. Proceedings of Indian National Science Academy 1996; B62: 345-352.
Pandey SK and Shukla RP. Plant diversity and community patterns along the disturbance gradient in plantation forests of Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.). Current Science 1999; 77: 814-818.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2015 A. R. Koul, D. S. Chauhan, N. P. Todaria

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.