Plant Diversity and Distribution Pattern in Tropical Dry …
205
Fig. 9 Disturbance index of the study plots in tropical dry deciduous forest of Sathanur reserve
forest, Eastern Ghats
3.6 Distribution Pattern
The A/F ratio of species in plots indicates the species distribution patterns. Overall, 93.83% of species (of all life forms—trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers) showed
contagious distribution, 5.31% showed a random distribution and 0.86% showed the
regular distribution (Fig. 9). In tree community, 91.55% showed contiguous distribution, 8.27% showed random and 0.18% showed regular distribution patterns. In
shrub community, 81.68% of shrub species showed the contiguous distribution while
13.55% showed random and 4.76% showed regular distribution patterns. Similarly,
contiguous distribution was more common in herb (98.89%) and climber (97.02%)
life forms.
4 Discussion
The plant species richness recorded from 30 (1 ha) plots in the tropical dry deciduous
forest of Sathanur reserve forest, Eastern Ghats was 210, of which, trees and herbs
occupied a significant proportion (35.71% species each) followed by lianas (15.71%)
and shrubs (12.86%). The observed species richness in the present study plots (35–84
species/ha) is greater than those reported in a tropical dry deciduous forest of northern Eastern Ghats (18–55 species/ha; Devi and Behera 2003) and in line with the
findings of Reddy et al. (2008a, b) and elsewhere (Hubbel 1979; Jimenez et al. 2016).
However, total species richness encountered in this study is much lower than those
values (173–218 species/ha) reported by Reddy et al. (2011) from tropical moist
205
Fig. 9 Disturbance index of the study plots in tropical dry deciduous forest of Sathanur reserve
forest, Eastern Ghats
3.6 Distribution Pattern
The A/F ratio of species in plots indicates the species distribution patterns. Overall, 93.83% of species (of all life forms—trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers) showed
contagious distribution, 5.31% showed a random distribution and 0.86% showed the
regular distribution (Fig. 9). In tree community, 91.55% showed contiguous distribution, 8.27% showed random and 0.18% showed regular distribution patterns. In
shrub community, 81.68% of shrub species showed the contiguous distribution while
13.55% showed random and 4.76% showed regular distribution patterns. Similarly,
contiguous distribution was more common in herb (98.89%) and climber (97.02%)
life forms.
4 Discussion
The plant species richness recorded from 30 (1 ha) plots in the tropical dry deciduous
forest of Sathanur reserve forest, Eastern Ghats was 210, of which, trees and herbs
occupied a significant proportion (35.71% species each) followed by lianas (15.71%)
and shrubs (12.86%). The observed species richness in the present study plots (35–84
species/ha) is greater than those reported in a tropical dry deciduous forest of northern Eastern Ghats (18–55 species/ha; Devi and Behera 2003) and in line with the
findings of Reddy et al. (2008a, b) and elsewhere (Hubbel 1979; Jimenez et al. 2016).
However, total species richness encountered in this study is much lower than those
values (173–218 species/ha) reported by Reddy et al. (2011) from tropical moist