SPECIES COMPOSITION AND COMMUNITY STRUCTURE OF SUBTROPICAL FOREST STANDS IN WESTERN HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS OF KASHMIR

摘要

Lesser Himalayan subtropical forests have unique species composition due to diverse climatic and topographic factorswhich create numerous microhabitats. Phytosociological characteristics, structural attributes and biological spectrum ofplant communities in the forests of Himalayan foothills in Kashmir were analyzed. A total of 65 species belonging to 26plant families were recorded constituting 6 plant communities. Average value of diversity recorded for the communities was2.44; species richness 4.01; whereas evenness was found to be 0.48. The species data indicated random distribution ofspecies with a hump shaped diversity pattern directly correlated with increasing altitude. Themeda anathera was thedominant species with an importance value percentage of 14.7% followed by Pinus roxburghii (9.6%), Mallotusphilippenensis (5.2%), Malvastrum coromandelianum (5.1%), Acacia modesta (5%), Olea ferruginea (3.8%) and Oxaliscorniculata (3.2%). Vegetation was dominated by Therophytes (30%) and megaphanerophytes (23.3) with dominant leafspectrum as leptophylls (31.6%). Thirty seven percent plants had medicinal values followed by 31% having fodder valueswhere as 12% used as fuel. Principal component analyses and cluster analyses revealed the association of dominant specieswith specific sites due to prevailing environmental conditions. The distribution of species in ordination diagrams indicated acontinuous change in species composition along the altitudinal gradient. Key stone tree species were subject to immense treefelling resulting in deteriorating changes in forest structure. Visual indicators showed over grazing at all the studied sitesevident from the dominance of unpalatable species. Local forest stands demand immediate attention of policy makers aswell as forest management so that local diversity and floristic richness could be conserved and rehabilitated.