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Introduction

Studies on Species Distribution Patterns in TropicalWet Evergreen Forests of Karnataka Using

Permanent Preservation Plots (PPPs)

M.L. Karthik and S. ViswanathTree Improvement and Propagation Division, IWST, Bangalore - 560 003

Nature distributes its valuable biodiversity unevenly across Earth’ssurface. Biodiversity, as measured by the number of plants and vertebratespecies, is greatest in the Western Ghats and the North-Eastern Region.

This is because of the presence of tropical rain forests that are typically the richesthabitats for species diversity. Of the two, the Western Ghats which extend upto1,500 km along the western edge of Indian subcontinent have more endemic species,those that are found nowhere else. It is a region with high endemic flora and faunasince more than 60 per cent of amphibians, 50 per cent of reptiles and 25 per centof flora of Western Ghats are endemic (WCMC, 1992).

The vegetation structure and composition of forests in the WesternGhats is not adequately known and the effects of human activities, includinglogging and fragmentation have also not been adequately quantified. In additionto the floristic composition, studies on regeneration pattern of individualspecies can be a useful tool in analyzing the existing trend in vegetationsuccession and in obtaining a foresight into the future vegetation composition.However, the ecological significance of germination has to be clearlyunderstood in any conservation strategy (Viswanath, 1999). Natural regenerationis important in maintaining the numerical stability and stable age structure ofspecies in a community. But unfortunately, there are very few studies conductedon regeneration process in the ecosystem, and much less about its functioning.

The regeneration of a species and their survival are determined bymany factors such as light penetration below canopy, edaphic and other bioticfactors. Boraiah (2001) reported that mild disturbance accomplished by littlelight penetration rather than a fully dense or highly disturbed conditions favorednatural regeneration. Protection from biotic interferences also has a major rolein natural regeneration. The density of regenerating individuals recorded insacred groves in Kodagu, Karnataka was comparable to that of adjacentevergreen forest in Western Ghats. Regeneration status of Ougeniadalbergioides (Hareesh, 2000), in the Bhagavathi Range of Uttara Kannadarevealed a population structure with less numbers of individuals in lower girthclass suggesting lower regeneration of the species in that area, which is

Permanent preservationplots (PPPs) are also an

individual treasurehouse of information

and should be preserveddiligently along with

records to study theecological successionand stand dynamics in

the coming years. Theserecords could also be

used to monitor impactof climate change onvegetation dynamics

Forestry Bulletin, 12(2), 2012 79

attributed to the different biotic factors. Bhat et al. (2000)reported that in evergreen forest of Western Ghats, thenumber of species, regeneration and occurrence of otherspecies varied from plot to plot and over a period of time,more number of species disappeared in evergreen forestcompared to moist deciduous forests.

Biological diversity is of greater importance tohuman beings. Its conservation has been practiced in Indiasince time immemorial. Accordingly, an idea of establishingpermanent preservation plot (PPP) for conservingbiological diversity and to monitor on long time basis wasproposed in third Silvicultural Conference, 1929 (Vermaand Totey, 1996). Permanent preservation plots areecological models of the existing forest which are importantfor studying ecological succession, recording diversity inplant population with time. The broad objectives of long-term research are to investigate forest composition,structure and dynamics in space and time and to serve asa research base for diverse aspects of tropical ecology.Repeated surveys of PPPs can provide information that iscrucial for conservation and management of tropicalforests.

Materials and Methods

Study AreaThe present investigations were carried out in two PPPs(also called as linear tree increment plots) located intropical wet evergreen forests of Western Ghats inKarnataka, viz., Makutta Forest Range of MadikeriDivision (Kodagu); Malemane (Gersoppa Forest Range)of Sirsi Forest Division (Uttara Kannada). These plotswere established during 1930s by Britishers. These plotswere laid mainly with view to assess the growthcharacteristics mainly the increment in terms of its girth,for which observations related to stand increment weremeasured by Karnataka Forest Department at periodicintervals.

Description of the PlotsI. MakuttaThis linear tree increment plot of 3.70 ha is a typicalrepresentative of the tropical western wet evergreen foresttype. Situated at Bannadapare, Makutta region which isaround N 12° 04’39.2"; E 75° 43’33.6" located at an altitudeof 675 m asl (Fig. 1). The plot is dominated byDipterocarpus indicus, Vateria indica and Kingiodendronpinnatum. The average annual rainfall is 5,300 mm withsandy loam soil.

II. MalemaneThis is a tropical western wet evergreen forest patch onMavinagundi-Honnavar road about 15 km further from theKatlekan plot which is situated around N 14º 16' 0.069'; E 74º41' 507'’; and altitude of 121 m asl (Fig. 2). The plot wasestablished in 1942 and the plot size is 3.20 ha. The area hasan average annual rainfall of 4,800 mm with typical deep,organic matter rich, loamy forest soil. This plot is a typicalrepresentative of the tropical western wet evergreen foresttype and located adjacent to the Honnavar road and appearedto be in a fairly well preserved condition. The over storeytrees like Nephelium longana, Olea dioca, Pterospermum,Garcinia, Myristica, etc. could be identified from pastrecords available with the silviculturist, Northern Circle,Dharwad. Individual trees could be identified from treenumbers affixed on tree trunk.

MethodsRegeneration was studied within 4 X 4 m sub plots alongthe line transect at regular interval in both PPPs and AFAs.A total of 16 m2 constituted the sample size for regenerationassessment in the entire transect. In regeneration plot allplant species below 30 cm gbh were considered asregenerates and enumerated separately into belowmentioned regeneration classes.

Class-I: Individuals below 40 cm heightClass-II: Individuals between 40-100 cm heightClass-III: Individuals more than 100 cm height and less

than 10 cm gbh.Class-IV: Individuals above 10 cm gbh- less than 30 cm gbh

ResultsThe total number of species in both the plots is presentedin Table 1. Around 158 species were recorded out of which80 species were from Makutta which consisted of 24endangered and 13 RET (rare, endangered and threatened)species, and in Malemane 91 species were recorded, out ofwhich 23 were in endangered category and nine RET species(Table 2 and 3).

The regeneration pattern in both Makutta andMalemane are shown in Fig.3 and 4 where more number ofregenerates were in Makutta (56 per cent) and comparativelyless (50 per cent) in Malemane, found in regeneration class I.The regeneration class II contributed about 29 and 23 percent and regeneration class III contributed about 11 and 23per cent, respectively in both Makutta and Malemane, butregeneration class IV was absent in Makutta while fewregenerates (5 per cent) were seen in Malemane.

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S. no. Species with authors Makutta Malemane Family 1. Acrocarpus fraxinifolius (Wight and Arnott) Caesalpiniaceae 2. Actinodaphne hookeri (Meisner) Lauraceae 3. Adenochlaena indica (Bedd) Euphorbiaceae 4. Aglaia roxburghiana (Miq) Meliaceae 5. Alstonia scholaris (R. Brown) Rubiaceae 6. Amoora canarana (Benth) Meliaceae 7. Anacardium occidentale (Linn) Anacardiaceae 8. Antiaris toxicaria (Leschen) Moraceae 9. Aporosa lindleyana (Baill) Euphorbiaceae 10. Artocarpus hirsutus (Lamk) Moraceae 11. Atalantia monophylla (Correa) Rutaceae 12. Atalantia racemosa (Wight and Arnott) Rutaceae 13. Baccaurea courtallensis (Muell) Euphorbiaceae 14. Beilschmiedia wightii (Benth) Lauraceae 15. Beilschmiedia bourdilloni (Nees) Lauraceae 16. Blachia denudata (Benth) Euphorbiaceae 17. Bombax ceiba (Linn) Bombacaceae 18. Butea monosperma (Lam) Taubert Fabaceae 19. Callicarpa lanata (Linn) Verbenaceae 20. Calophyllum apetalum (Willd) Clusiaceae 21. Calophyllum elatum (Bedd) Clusiaceae 22. Calophyllum inophyllum (Linn) Clusiaceae 23. Canarium strictum (Roxb) Burseraceae 24. Canthium didymum (Roxb) Rubiaceae 25. Canthium parviflorum (Lamk) Rubiaceae 26. Carallia integerrima (Bedd) Rhizophoraceae 27. Caryota urens (Linn) Palmaceae 28. Casearia rubescens (Dalz) Flacourtiaceae 29. Cedrela toona (Roxb) Meliaceae 30. Celtis cinnamomea (Lindl) Ulmaceae 31. Chrysophyllum roxburghii (G. Don) Sapotaceae 32. Cinnamomum macrocarpum (Hook.f.) Lauraceae 33. Cinnamomum malabatrum (Burn.f.) Bl. Bijdr Lauraceae 34. Cinnamomum verum (J.S. Presl) Lauraceae 35. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Breyn) Lauraceae 36. Clausena indica (Oliver) Rutaceae 37. Cleidion javanicum (Blume) Euphorbiaceae 38. Croton malabaricus (Bedd) Euphorbiaceae 39. Cryptocarya bourdillonii (Gamble) Lauraceae 40. Cryptocarya wightiana (Thwaites) Lauraceae 41. Dimocarpus longan (Lour) Sapindaceae 42. Diospyros buxifolia (Bedd) Ebenaceae 43. Diospyros candolliana (Wight) Ebenaceae 44. Diospyros melanoxylon (Roxb) Ebenaceae 45. Diospyros nilagirica (Bedd) Ebenaceae 46. Diospyros oocarpa (Thwaites) Ebenaceae 47. Diospyros paniculata (Dalz; Bedd) Ebenaceae 48. Diospyros pruriens (Dalz; Bedd) Ebenaceae 49. Diospyros saldanhae (Koster) Ebenaceae 50. Diospyros ebenum (Koenig; Wight) Ebenaceae 51. Dipterocarpus indicus (Bedd) Dipterocarpaceae 52. Drypetes confertiflora (Hook.f.) Euphorbiaceae 53. Drypetes elata (Bedd) Euphorbiaceae

Table 1. List of species identified in the evergreen forests of Makutta and Malemane

Contd. on next page…

Forestry Bulletin, 12(2), 2012 81

54. Dysoxylum malabaricum (Bedd) Meliaceae 55. Elaeocarpus serratus (Linn) Tiliaceae 56. Embelia tsjeriam-cottam (Wight) Myrsinaceae 57. Eugenia laeta (Ham) Myrtaceae 58. Eugenia macrosepala (Duthie) Myrtaceae 59. Euodia lunu - akenda (Gaertn) Rutaceae 60. Ficus callosa (Willd) Moraceae 61. Ficus nervosa (Roth) Moraceae 62. Garcinia cambogia/ G. gummi-gutta (Linn) Clusiaceae 63. Garcinia indica (Choisy; Pierre) Clusiaceae 64. Grewia serrulata (DC. Prodr) Tiliaceae 65. Hemigyrosa canescens (Thwaites) Sapindaceae 66. Holigarna arnottiana (Hook) Anacardiaceae 67. Holigarna grahamii (Hook) Anacardiaceae 68. Hopea parviflora (Bedd) Dipterocarpaceae 69. Hopea wightiana (Wall) Dipterocarpaceae 70. Humboldtia brunonis (Wall) Fabaceae 71. Hydnocarpus alpina (Wight) Flacourtiaceae 72. Hydnocarpus pentandra (Buch.-Ham) Flacourtiaceae 73. Hydnocarpus wightiana (Blume) Flacourtiaceae 74. Ixora brachiata (Roxb) Rubiaceae 75. Ixora parviflora (Vahl; Wight) Rubiaceae 76. Jambosa laeta (Buch.-Ham) Myrtaceae 77. Kingeodendron pinnatum (Roxb. Ex DC.) Harms Fabaceae 78. Knema attenuata (Hook.f. and Thoms) Myristicaceae 79. Cassia fistula (Linn) Caesalpiniaceae 80. Lagerstroemia flos-reginae (Roxb) Lythraceae 81. Lagerstroemia microcarpa (Wight) Lythraceae 82. Lansium annamallayanum (Bedd) Meliaceae 83. Lapisanthus tetraphylla (Vahl) Radlk Sapindaceae 84. Lapisanthus desipensis Sapindaceae 85. Litsaea coriacea (Heyne) Lauraceae 86. Lophopetalum wightianum (Wight) Celastraceae 87. Macaranga indica (Wight) Euphorbiaceae 88. Machilus macrantha/Persea macrantha (Nees) Lauraceae 89. Macranga peltata (Roxb) Muell Euphorbiaceae 90. Madhuca culabania Sapotaceae 91. Madhuca malabarica Sapotaceae 92. Mallotus aureo-punctatus Euphorbiaceae 93. Mallotus phillipensis (Lamk) Muell Euphorbiaceae 94. Mallotus tetracoccus (Roxb) Kurz Euphorbiaceae 95. Mangifera indica (Linn) Anacardiaceae 96. Memecylon edule (Roxb) Melastomataceae 97. Memecylon talbotianum (Brand) Melastomataceae 98. Memecylon umbellatum (Burm) Melastomataceae 99. Mesua nagassarium (Burm. f.) Clusiaceae 100. Mimusops elengi (Roxb) Sapotaceae 101. Morinda citrifolia (Linn) Rubiaceae 112. Murraya paniculata (Linn) Jack. Mal Rutaceae 113. Myristica fatua (Houtt) Myristicaceae 114. Myristica fragrans (Houltuyn) Myristicaceae 115. Myristica malabarica (Lamk) Myristicaceae 116. Nephelium stipulaccum (Bedd) Sapindaceae 117. Nothopegia beddomii (Gamble) Anacardiaceae

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118. Nothopegia dalzellii (Gamble) Anacardiaceae 119. Nothopegia racemosa (Dalz.) Ramam Anacardiaceae 120. Ochrocarpus longifolius (Benth and Hook) Clusiaceae 121. Olea dioica (Roxb) Oliaceae 122. Pajanelia longifolia (Willd) Bignoniaceae 123. Pajanelia rheedii (Wight) Bignoniaceae 124. Palaquium ellipticum (Benth) Sapotaceae 125. Polyalthia fragrans (Benth and Hook) Annonaceae 126. Pongamia pinnata (Linn.) Pierre Fabaceae 127. Premna tomentosa (Willd) Verbenaceae 128. Pterocarpus marsupium (Roxb) Leguminaceae 129. Pterospermum diversifolium (Bl. Bijdr) Sterculiaceae 130. Pterospermum heyneanum (Wall; Wight) Sterculiaceae 131. Pterospermum reticulatum (Wight and Arn) Sterculiaceae 132. Pterygota alata (Roxb) Sterculiaceae 133. Sageraea laurina Anonaceae 134. Saraca indica (Linn) Caesalpiniaceae 135. Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken Sapindaceae 136. Schleichera trijuga (Willd) Sapindaceae 137. Spondias acuminata (Roxb) Anacardiaceae 138. Stereospermum chelonoides (Wight) Bignoniaceae 139. Strombosia ceylanica (Gardner) Olacaceae 140. Strombosia leprosa Olacaceae 141. Symphyllia mallotiformis (Muell) Euphorbiaceae 142. Syzygium cumini (Linn) Myrtaceae 143. Syzygium gardneri (Thw. Enum) Myrtaceae 144. Syzygium jambolana (Lam; Wight) Myrtaceae 145. Syzygium zeylanicum (Linn) Myrtaceae 146. Tabernaemontana heyneana (Wall) Apocynaceae 147. Terminalia paniculata (Roth) Combretaceae 148. Tetrameles nudiflora (Bedd) Datiscaceae 149. Trewia nudiflora (Linn) Euphorbiaceae 150. Vateria indica (Linn) Dipterocarpaceae 151. Vepris bilocularis (Wight and Arn) Rutaceae 152. Viburnum punctatum (Buch.-Ham. Ex D. Don) Caprifoliaceae 153. Vitex altissima (Linn) Verbenaceae 154. Walsura piscidia (Roxb) Meliaceae 155. Webera canarica (Schreb) Rubiaceae 156. Xanthophyllum flavescens (Roxb) Polygalaceae 157. Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub Leguminaceae 158. Zizyphus xylopyrus (Willd) Rhamnaceae

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Regeneration pattern of Drypetes elata, an endemicspecies showed 65 per cent of regenerates in regenerationclass I, but no regenerates were found in class IV.Kingiodendron pinnatum an RET species in Makutta showed83 per cent of the regenerates in regeneration class I, whereregenerates in class III and class IV was absent (Fig. 5 and 6).

In Malemane adequate regenerates were found inSageraea laurifolia an endemic species whereregeneration class I consisted about 43 per cent, class IIconsisted 27 per cent and class III consisted 30 per cent of

regenerates, similarly in Knema attenuata an RET speciesalso, where regeneration class I consisted 43 per cent,class II consisted 38 per cent and class III consisted about15 per cent (Fig. 7 and 8). But in both the casesregeneration class IV was absent.

Discussion

Regeneration in the forests is an indicator of the wellbeing of the forests. In the present study, proportion of

Forestry Bulletin, 12(2), 2012 83

Fig. 1. An overview of Makutta PPP, Kodagu district. Fig. 2. Tropical evergreen forests in Malemane, UttaraKannada district.

Fig. 3. Regeneration studies in PPP and AFA in Makutta. Fig. 4. Regeneration studies in PPP and AFA in Malemane.

Fig. 5. Regeneration trend for endemic species- Drypeteselata in Bannadapare, Makutta, Coorg.

Fig. 6. Regeneration trend for RET species-Kingiodendron pinnatum in Bannadapare,Makutta, Coorg.

regenerating individuals in different classes acrosslocat ions suggests that the regenerat ing classcontributed more in PPPs and adjoining forest area,Makutta (66 per cent and 47 per cent), Malemane (52 percent and 48 per cent) . But the problem was inregeneration class IV in PPP of Makutta where this classwas absent. This indicates that even though theregenerating class showed high proportion of individuals

they failed to get established which could be attributedto anthropogenic pressure and other biotic disturbanceswhich were also noticed during the current study. Thisplot was under ‘evergreen tending working circle’ duringthe period 1948 to 1957. Fellings were apparently morethan what should have been.

Regeneration of endemic and RET species suchas Drypetes elata and Kingiodendron pinnatum in

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S. no Endemic species Makutta Malemane 1. Actinodaphne hookeri 2. Artocarpus hirsutus 3. Baccaurea courtallensis 4. Blachia denudate 5. Calophyllum apetalum 6. Casearia rubescens 7. Cinnamomum macrocarpum 8. Cinnamomum malabatrum 9. Croton malabaricus 10. Cryptocarya bourdillonii 11. Diospyros candolleana 12. Diospyros nilagirica 13. Diospyros paniculata 14. Diospyros pruriens 15. Diospyros saldanhae 16. Dipterocarpus indicus 17. Drypetes elata 18. Dysoxylum malabaricum 19. Euodia lunu-akenda 20. Garcinia gummi-gutta 21. Garcinia indica 22. Holigarna arnottiana 23. Holigarna grahamii 24. Hopea parviflora 25. Humboldtia brunonis 26. Hydnocarpus pentandra 27. Ixora brachiate 28. Kingeodendron pinnatum 29. Knema attenuate 30. Litsea coriacea 31. Mallotus aureo-punctatus 32. Memecylon talbotianum 33. Myristica fatua 34. Myristica malabarica 35. Nothopegia beddomei 36. Palaquium ellipticum 37. Polyalthia fragrans 38. Pterospermum reticulatum 39. Sageraea laurifolia 40. Vateria indica 41. Vepris bilocularis

Table 2. List of Endemic species in Makutta andMalemane

Table 3. List of RET species in Makutta and Malemane

Fig. 7. Regeneration trend for endemic species- Sageraealaurifolia in Malemane, Gersoppa, Uttara Kannada.

Fig. 8. Regeneration trend for RET species-Knemaattenuata in Malemane, Gersoppa, UttaraKannada.

Makutta, Sageraea laurifolia and Knema attenuata inMalemane also faced the same problem where moreextraction pressure by local people for medicinal uses wasnoticed.

Such studies in PPPs can have implications forin-situ conservation of tropical evergreen forest types.Periodic annual increment (PAI), mean annual increment(MAI), species composition and growth models forimportant evergreen tree species can be developed.Permanent preserva t ion p lo ts (PPPs) a re a l soan individual treasure house of information and shouldbe preserved diligently along with records to studythe ecological succession and stand dynamics in thecoming years. These records could also be used tomonitor impact of climate change on vegetationdynamics. However, for conservation of RET species,systematic recording of data, protection from bioticdisturbances and maintenance are required on regularbasis.

Forestry Bulletin, 12(2), 2012 85

References

Bhat, D.M.; Naik, M.B.; Patagar, S.G.; Hegde, G.T.; Kanade,Y.G.; Hagde, G.N.; Shastri, C.M.; Shetti, D.M. andFurtado, R.M. 2000. Forest dynamics in tropicalrain forests of Uttara Kannada district in WesternGhats, India. Current Science, 79(7): 975-985.

Boraiah, K.T. 2001. Regeneration studies in the sacredlandscapes of Kodagu, Karnataka. M.Sc. thesis.University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.

Hareesh, T.S. 2000. Phenology, regeneration andpropagation studies in Ougeinia dalbergioides

Benth. M.Sc. thesis. University of AgriculturalSciences, Dharwad.

Verma, R.K. and Totey, N.G. 1996. Vegetation diversity in thepermanent preservation plot in Malyagiri, Orissa.My Forest, 32(1): 49-56.

Viswanath, S. 1999. Soil seed bank dynamics and germinationeco-physiology of some selected species inHimalayan moist temperate forests (India). Ph.D.thesis. Kumaun University, Nainital. 179p.

WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre). 1992.Global biodiversity: Status of earth’s livingresources. London, Chapman and Hall.