V.KRISHNA PRASAD, T. RAJAGOPAUF, YOGESH KANT AND K.V.S.BADARINATH
Abstract
Rampa Agency constitutes hilly northern part of East Godavari District, (Eastern Ghats), Andhra Pradesh, India. Detailed taxonomic inventory of the study area has been done along with phytosociological studies. From the Rampa agency of seven macials total taxa of about 955 species including naturalised exotics, have been recorded of which, the wild species included, 892 species belonging to 578 genera spread over 135 families. The ratio of monocots to dicots in the study area has been found to be 1 to 3.6. Jaccard's generic coefficient for Rampa agency is found to be 64.7%. The higher generic coefficient of more than fifty per cent in the study area indicate more varied nature of the habitat and intra and intergeneric competetion in the area. Comparitive analysis of the flora suggests that Orchid aceae which takes the first position in the Hooker's flora of British India, occupied eighth position in the Rampa agency with Leguminosae (sensu lato) occupying the first position. The four dominant species found in the agency forests are Xylia xylocarpa, Terminalia alata, Anogeissus latifolia, and Pterocarpus marsupium accounting for about 30-42 per cent of the total IVI. Overall the flora of Rampa revenue division represent the culmination of moist dry deciduous, to dry deciduous vegetation. Lastly in the paper, need for conservation of the existing forest resources has been stressed.