scholarly journals Comparative assessment of floristic structure, diversity and regeneration status of tropical rain forests of Western Ghats of Karnataka, India

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. N. Sathish ◽  
Syam Viswanath ◽  
C.G. Kushalappa ◽  
M. R. Jagadish ◽  
K. N. Ganeshaiah
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Regeneration Status ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

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.

scholarly journals The woody flora of Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary, central Western Ghats of Karnataka, India - A checklist

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 20033-20055
Author(s):  
Naveen Babu Kanda ◽  
Kurian Ayushi ◽  
Vincy K. Wilson ◽  
Narayanan Ayyappan ◽  
Narayanaswamy Parthasarathy
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Peninsular India ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

Documenting the biodiversity of protected areas and reserve forests is important to researchers, academicians and forest departments in their efforts to establish policies to protect regional biodiversity. Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is an important protected area located in the central Western Ghats of Karnataka state known for its diverse flora and fauna with distinct ecological features. For the last four decades the sanctuary has witnessed the loss of forest cover, yet the vegetation in few locations is relatively undisturbed. The current inventory was undertaken during 2019–2020 to provide a checklist of woody species from SWS under-researched earlier. The list comprises 269 species of trees, lianas and shrubs distributed in 207 genera and 68 families. The most diverse families are Fabaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Lauraceae, Apocynaceae, Meliaceae, Malvaceae, Phyllanthaceae, and Anacardiaceae, representing 48% of total woody flora. The sanctuary shelters 263 native and six exotic plant species. Thirty-nine species were endemic to the Western Ghats, five species to peninsular India and one species to the Western Ghats and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Four forest types, i.e., dry deciduous, moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, and evergreen forests, are represented in the sanctuary. Of the total species, only seven occurred in all forest types, while 111 species are exclusive to a single forest type. One-hundred-and-four taxa were assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List. Ten species that fall under Near Threatened, Vulnerable, and Endangered categories were encountered occasionally. The baseline data generated on plant diversity will be useful in highlighting the importance of these forests for species conservation and forest management. Such data form a cornerstone for further research. For instance, to understand the effect of invasive species and human impacts on the diversity of the region. 

scholarly journals VEGETATION COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND PATTERNS OF DIVERSITY: A CASE STUDY FROM THE TROPICAL WET EVERGREEN FORESTS OF THE WESTERN GHATS, INDIA

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Giriraj ◽  
M. S. R. Murthy ◽  
B. R. Ramesh
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
The Western Ghats

The composition, abundance, population structure and distribution patterns of the woody species having a girth at breast height of ≥ 10 cm were investigated in the tropical wet evergreen forests of the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in the southern Western Ghats, India. A 3 ha plot was established with an altitudinal range of 1170 to 1306 m. In the study plot 5624 individuals (mean density 1875 ha−1) covering 68 woody species belonging to 52 genera and 27 families were enumerated. The mean basal area was 47.01 m2 ha–1 and the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were 4.89 and 0.95, respectively. Of these woody species nearly 51% are endemic to the Western Ghats. The four dominant species, Cullenia exarillata, Palaquium ellipticum, Aglaia bourdillonii and Myristica dactyloides, account for 34% of the trees and 67% of the basal area, and therefore constitute the main structure of the forest. Within this forest type, five species assemblages corresponding to altitudinal gradient were identified using correspondence analysis. Management of such mid elevation evergreen forests necessarily depends on knowledge of recognisable community types and their environmental variables. The present study provides essential background for formulating strategies for sustainable conservation of forest communities at the local level.

scholarly journals Forest evergreenness and tree endemism in the central Western Ghats, southern India

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 11743
Author(s):  
Divakar K. Mesta ◽  
Ganesh R. Hegde
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Tree Population ◽  
Western Ghats Of India ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Western Ghats ◽  
Very High

Forests of the Western---- Ghats are well known for their evergreenness and high endemism.  The present study carried out in the Sharavathi River Basin in the central Western Ghats of India is to find the relationship between forest evergreenness and tree endemism.  The study was carried out from 2000 to 2006 and the methodology followed is a combination of transect and quadrat method nested with smaller quadrats for shrub layer and herb layer.  A total of 51 endemic tree species belonging to 20 families were recorded.  The results reveal that the composition of endemic tree population is closely associated with the evergreenness of the forest.  With the increase in evergreenness, endemism also increased and almost all the endemic trees of the region occurred in very high evergreen class.  Many of them were exclusively found in very high evergreen forests and ground layer data support this observation.  Such narrow distribution of endemics makes them most vulnerable to extinction.  The present study will be helpful in understanding the association of endemic trees with evergreenness of forest and will be useful in conservation as well as restoration of these endemic trees in their natural habitats. 

Vegetation and gap dynamics of a tropical wet evergreen forest in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India

1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. M. Chandrashekara ◽  
P. S. Ramakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Canopy Gap ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Gap Formation ◽  
Canopy Tree ◽  
Canopy Tree Species ◽  
The Western Ghats

ABSTRACTThe wet evergreen forest of Nelliampathy in the Western Ghats of Kerala in India is a mixed forest with a high species diversity and basal cover. In this relatively undisturbed ecosystem, canopy gaps are largely formed through single tree fall, but gaps through branch fall, crown fall, standing dead trees or multiple tree fall also occur. Canopy gap formation is more (over 82% of the total gaps created) during the monsoon season. The mean number of gaps formed in this forest is 1.13 ha−1 y−1 and the turnover rate is 83 years. The majority of the gaps created (over 70%) are of smaller size (≥ 100 m2). In this forest, while some top canopy tree species (those capable of exceeding 25 m in height at maturity) such as Palaquium ellipticum and Mesua nagassarium are well represented in seedling, sapling and mature tree stages, others like Aglaia exstipulata and Mastixia arborea are observed only as saplings and/or mature trees with no seedling populations. The possible reasons for these two types of regeneration behaviour by top canopy tree species in the context of canopy gap size and seasonality in gap formation are discussed.

scholarly journals A highway to hell: a proposed, inessential, 6-lane highway (NH173) that threatens the forest and wildlife corridors of the Western Ghats, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 16944-16953
Author(s):  
H.S. Sathya Chandra Sagar ◽  
Mrunmayee
Keyword(s):  
Western Ghats ◽  
Road Network ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Vehicular Traffic ◽  
Wildlife Corridors ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Karnataka State ◽  
The World ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
The Western Ghats

 A globally, extensive road network combined with increasing vehicular traffic poses a significant threat to local wildlife, environment, economy, and socio-politics.  India, with nearly 5.9 million kilometers of road, has the second-highest road network in the world; and has plans to exponentially increase its national highways.  In this study, we use a combination of collation of official documents, literature review, and GIS mapping to outline the possible environmental and socio-economic impacts caused by a proposed 6-lane national highway (NH 173).  This highway is set to cut through the low elevation evergreen forests of the central Western Ghats between Mudigere and Nelliyadi towns of Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts, of Karnataka State, respectively.  We further outline the insignificance of the project and recommend workable alternatives that could be considered in the wider public’s interest. 

DNA barcoding of important fruit tree species of agronomic interest in the genus Garcinia L. from the Western Ghats

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayesh Anerao ◽  
Vikas Jha ◽  
Nishaat Shaikh ◽  
Apurva Shivalkar ◽  
Aishwarya Nityanand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Fruit Tree ◽  
The Western Ghats

scholarly journals Tree Diversity and Their Regeneration in the Sacred Groves of Virajpet, Central Western Ghats, India

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 360-369
Author(s):  
Devi A.G. PRASAD ◽  
Shwetha BHARATHI
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Sacred Groves ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Rich Diversity ◽  
Central Western Ghats ◽  
Undisturbed Forest ◽  
The Rich

Sacred groves are one of the finest examples of informal way of conserving the forest wealth. Baseline data collection of their diversity, distribution and regeneration capacity becomes necessary for the management and conservation of these undisturbed forest patches. In this context, the present investigation was carried out using random quadrat method in the sacred groves of Virajpet, Karnataka, India. A total of 132 tree species belonging to 113 genera and 45 families were identified within five sacred groves. Higher basal area (51.73-85.65 m2/ha) and tree density (453.33-515.9 individuals/ha) were observed as compared to other forests of Western Ghats region. The present investigation has revealed a healthy regeneration of tree species. Seedling and sapling composition differed to some extent from the mature tree species composition which could be used in predicting the future possibilities. Protection and conservation of such sacred groves should be of interest, for better regeneration of the rich diversity they harbour.

scholarly journals Northernmost distribution of five tree species to the Western Ghats from the sacred groves of Pune District, Maharashtra, India

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 6093-6100
Author(s):  
Aboli Kulkarni ◽  
Mandar N. Datar ◽  
Umesh Awasarkar ◽  
Anuradha Upadhye
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Sacred Groves ◽  
The Western Ghats

Female courtship calls of the litter frog (Rana curtipes) in the tropical forests of Western Ghats, South India

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Savitha Krishna ◽  
Sharath Krishna
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
South India ◽  
Forest Litter ◽  
Calling Behavior ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Low Volume ◽  
Gravid Females ◽  
Female Call ◽  
The Western Ghats

AbstractWe noticed an uncommon phenomenon of female vocalization in the forest litter frog, Rana curtipes during the breeding season. We digitally recorded the male and female vocalization of the litter frogs in the tropical rain forests of the Western Ghats of South India and analyzed the call characteristics. The female call varied from the male call by being single note in composition. In contrast, the male calls were composed of seven to eight notes and longer in duration. We observed that gravid females, occupying the same location every day, emitted low volume calls when numerous males were found calling at that time. Some females arrived asynchronously and called even in the absence of males possibly to declare their receptive condition. Calling females responded agonistically to receptive conspecifics of the same sex. In addition to declaring receptivity, this calling behavior may be a response to adjacent competing females when the males are few.

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