Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

FLORAL DIVERSITY AND STRUCTURE OF PROTECTED AND UNPROTECTED SAL (SHOREA ROBUSTA GAERTN. F.) FOREST: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DOON VALLEY

*Prateek Srivastava, H.B. Vasistha and Santosh Birman

Abstract

Diversity and structure of both flora and fauna depicts the wellness of an ecosystem. However in recent years Sal forests of Doon valley were subjected to numerous anthropogenic perturbations, which have posed a great threat to their existence. Present study observed the existing diversity and structure of an Assisted Natural Regeneration or ANR plot Chandpur-5 situated in Kalsi Forest Division moist Sal forest and compared with adjacent unprotected Sal forest. After analyzing the results, it was found that these forests are still dominated by the Sal tree in both protected and unprotected area studied. However, the structure of shrub and herbaceous layers has different configuration and count. The shrub layer in ANR is dominated by Jasminum sp with the highest IVI of 44.8108 followed by Clerodendrum viscosum with IVI 42.9529, whereas, in the unprotected area the IVI of 91.5584 is maximum in shrub layer for Jasminum sp followed by Clerodendrum viscosum with IVI 53.6601. As far as the herbaceous layer is concerned, for ANR the highest IVI of 108.862 is for Echinocarpus sp followed by Jasminum sp with IVI 33.411. In unprotected area Desmodium cephalotes has the highest IVI of 98.8582 followed by Urena lobata with IVI 46.664. Nowhere in the protected or unprotected area Sal saplings or seedlings has first place in IVI which is a critical state for the concerned operating ANR program. The procedures should be strictly implemented for biotic as well as abiotic disturbances.