Journal of Environmental Biology

An ordination of the forest communities in Nainital catchment

of Kumaun Himalaya

 

Geeta Kharkwal*, Yashwant Singh Rawat and Yashpal Singh Pangtey

Department of Botany, DSB Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital - 263 002, India

(Received: May 13, 2008; Revised received: September 27, 2008; Accepted: October 11, 2008)

 

Abstract: Evergreen forest communities distributed within 1580-2600 m above sea level (asl) in Kumaun Himalaya were studied. Quercus leucotrichophora A. Campus, Q. floribunda Lindl. ex Rehder, Q. semecarpifolia J.E. Smith and Pinus roxburghii Sarg. are the dominant tree species in banj-oak, tilonj-oak, kharsu-oak and chir-pine forests, respectively. Total density for tree, shrub and herb layer varied from 3.7 to 10.5 (individual 100 m^-2), 2.0 to 38.8 (individual 100 m^-2) and 5.5 to 44.0 (individual m^-2), respectively. A total of five forests types (27 stands) were identified in the field on the basis of species richness and species diversity by applying polar ordination method. The diversity value for tree, shrub and herb layer ranged from 0 to 3.62, 0.36 to 3.85 and 1.23 to 4.21, respectively. Present study indicates the spatial patterns of vegetation in different forest communities at different altitudes.

 

Key words: Species composition, Density, Diversity, Ordination, Central Himalayan forest

Copyright ? 2009 Triveni Enterprises. All rights reserved. No part of the Journal can be reproduced in any form without prior permission. Responsibility regarding the authenticity of the data, and the acceptability of the conclusions enforced or derived, rest completely with the author(s).