Tree species composition and diversity in montane forests of Garhwal Himalaya in relation to environmental and soil properties

作     者：Dinesh Singh RAWAT P.TIWARI Sudipta Kumar DAS J.K.TIWARI Dinesh Singh RAWAT;P.TIWARI;Sudipta Kumar DAS;J.K.TIWARI

作者机构：Department of Botany&MicrobiologyHNB Garhwal UniversitySrinagar(Garhwal)-246174UttarakhandIndia Central National HerbariumBotanical Survey of IndiaHowrah-711103West BengalIndia 

出 版 物：《Journal of Mountain Science》 (山地科学学报（英文）)

年 卷 期：2020年第17卷第12期

页      面：3097-3111页

核心收录：

学科分类：0709[理学-地质学] 0819[工学-矿业工程] 07[理学] 0303[法学-社会学] 0708[理学-地球物理学] 0818[工学-地质资源与地质工程] 0705[理学-地理学] 0815[工学-水利工程] 0706[理学-大气科学] 0816[工学-测绘科学与技术] 0813[工学-建筑学] 0704[理学-天文学] 0833[工学-城乡规划学] 0713[理学-生态学] 0834[工学-风景园林学（可授工学、农学学位）] 

基　　金：HNB Garhwal University 

主　　题：Diversity Tree species Montane forests Soil properties Western Himalaya 

摘      要：The montane forests of Garhwal Himalaya were investigated for tree species composition and diversity in relation to environmental and edaphic variables.A stratified random sampling approach was adopted to collect the field data from each forest.A total of 39 tree species belonging to 31 genera and 23 families were recorded from the sampling area(6 forest stands ×10 plots in each).Lauraceae with 5 species was the largest family while Quercus(4 species) emerged as the largest genus.Species-area curve(asymptote) predicted more species than the observed number of species.Cluster analysis has shown that the two Abies pindrow dominant forest stands had the highest similarity in tree species composition.The tree stem density ranged from 540-1170 ha-1,basal area 23.01-55.94 m^2 ha-1,ShannonWiener diversity index 1.69-2.49,evenness index0.42-0.74,beta diversity 0.40-0.82 and similarity index 0.17-0.54 in the six studied forests.Two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN) identified four distinct tree communities in the study area with Daphniphyllum himalayense,Abies pindrow,Quercus oblongata,and Pinus roxburghii as indicator species of corresponding communities.Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) ascertained the TWINSPAN results and revealed the relation of tree species with environmental and edaphic variables.The phytosociological attributes of tree species varied from one forest stand to another;however,the tree species richness,density,and diversity peaked at intermediate elevation on the north aspect.Findings reveal that tree composition and diversity in the montane forests of Garhwal Himalaya are influenced by both environmental(elevation and slope aspect)and soil variables(texture,water holding capacity,moisture content,available N,exchangeable P,and pH).This study will help in understanding the forest distribution across the western Himalaya,guiding the conservationists and policymakers in carrying out conservation-related management activities,designing the long-term monitoring studies and assessing the effects of ongoing and future climate change and disturbances.