Floral diversity under monoculture plantations of Populus deltoides, Ulmus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara in Kashmir valley.

摘要

The present study deals with the species composition, diversity, concentration of dominance, biomass, density and similarity and dissimilarity indices of floor vegetation under 9-year old monoculture plantations of Populus deltoides, Ulmus wallichiana and Cedrus deodara in Kashmir valley (Jammu and Kashmir), India. The number of ground flora species under P. deltoides, U. wallichiana and C. deodara monoculture plantations was 17, 27 and 34, respectively. Poa pratensis was the most dominant species under monoculture plantations of P. deltoides and C. deodara whereas the stand of U. wallichiana was mostly dominated by Oenothera erythrocephala. Biomass and density of floor vegetation was highest under monoculture stand of C. deodara followed by U. wallichiana and P. deltoides. The indices for species richness, evenness and diversity were least under P. deltoides stand followed by U. wallichiana and C. deodara. However, the concentration of dominance showed an opposite trend being maximum under P. deltoides and minimum under C. deodara. Index of dissimilarity among monoculture plantations were high indicating remarkable degree of dissimilarity in ground flora species growing under the plantations.