Biodiversity Inventory as a Tool to Determine Forest Degradation: a Case Study from Tropical Forests of Bodamalai, Eastern Ghats, India

摘要

This study aims to assess the status of forest degradation through inventory of tree species in the tropical forests of Bodamalai, Indian Eastern Ghats. The Bodamalai complex was divided into ten 6.25 km × 6.25 km grids. Within each grid a 0.5 ha transect (5 m × 1 km) was inventoried for tree diversity. A total of 64 tree species (≥ 30 cm girth at breast height) representing 50 genera and 32 families were recorded from the total 5 ha area inventoried. The stand density, basal area and AGB for the total 5 ha area were 1449 stems, 27.12 m~2 and 315.91 Mg, respectively. A positive correlation was obtained between altitude and stand density, species richness, basal area and AGB, and also with density of evergreen species. While a negative correlation was obtained between altitude and the density of dominant species Euphorbia antiquorum (one of the indicator species of scrub/ degraded forests). This reveals that tropical forests of Bodamalai located at low altitudes are prone to high degradation. Although, Bodamalai is included under reserve forest category, the human population has unlimited and unspecified right of firewood collection, felling, lopping and herding cattle for grazing, browsing, etc. Further, illegal extraction of Santalum album (sandal wood), one of the valuable bioresources is also witnessed. We recommend the following for developing the degraded forest land of Bodamalai: (ⅰ) to create awareness on forest degradation among the local people, (ⅱ) planting some important indigenous trees and (ⅲ) to organize a village committee for maintenance of afforested landscape.