ISSN 2348-313X (Print) International Journal of Life Sciences Research ISSN 2348-3148 (online) Vol. 8, Issue 2, pp: (1-10), Month: April - June 2020, Available at: www.researchpublish.com
Study of interrelation of plants species richness found in different habitats in Uttarakhand Himalaya 1
Dr. Jagdish Chandra, 2Dr. Subodh Kumar
1
Depatment of Botany, Govt Degree College Barkot (Uttarkashi), Uttrakhand, India
2
Depatment of Botany, Govt Degree College Gaisain (Chamoli), Uttrakhand, India Email: jchandra1977@gmail.com
Abstract: A total of 229 plants species were present in the study area. Out of which 35 were trees, 52 shrubs, 110 herbs and 12 climbers, 17 tree trunk vegetation ( in which 7 epiphytes, 5 pteridophytes, and 5 bryophytes) and 3 parasites occurring on stem and on branches of trees and shrubs. The study are divided into two elevations and per elevation four forest habitats as stream bank, dry, ridge and moist habitats. The maximum tree species were recorded on moist habitat at low elevation, stream bank and moist habitats at high elevation (19 spp each) whereas minimum on stream bank habitat at low elevation. The maximum shrubs species were recorded on ridge and at low elevation and minimum on ridge habitat at high elevation. The maximum herbs species were recorded on stream bank, dry and moist habitats (39 spp each) at low elevation. The minimum herbs species was stream bank habitat at high elevation. The maximum Climbers species were recorded on ridge and moist habitats at high elevation (6 spp each) whereas minimum on ridge habitat at low elevation. The mean trees species richness was found maximum on stream bank habitat (6.3±0.2) at low elevation and minimum on ridge habitat (3.5±0.2) at high elevation. The mean shrubs species richness was found maximum on moist habitat(6.1±0.3) at low elevation and mean species richness of herbs was found maximum on ridge habitat (10.3±0.4) at low elevation However, minimum shrubs and herbs species richness on stream bank habitat (3.2±0.3), (6.4±0.3) at low elevation. The mean climber species richness recorded was maximum on moist habitat (1.5±0.4) at low elevation and minimum on ridge habitat (0.7±0.1) at high elevation. The value of similarity was varied from 52.94% - 8 5.71% for trees layer, 48.28% - 75.00% for shrubs layer, and 22.45% - 68.04% for herbs layer and 42.86% - 76.92% for climbers layer respectively. It was high similarity on stream bank and moist habitats in both elevations. Keywords: Species richness, Vegetation, Habitat, Similarity, Elevation.
I. INTRODUCTION Central Himalaya, accounting for 8.68% of the total Indian Himalayan area (594.36km 2), harbours a great variety of forest, ranging from tropical dry deciduous in foothills to alpine scrub near the timberline [1]. Ecologists face the complex task of identifying pertinent scales of variation of community structure, determining biological and environmental characteristic of species-habitat relationships and examining mechanisms that can relate processes at one scale to patterns at another [2]. Species richness, the number of biological species, is related to community productivity for a broad range of organisms found in different type of ecosystems [3],[4].[5],[6]. Often biological species richness increases with increase in productivity are associated with a decline in species richness [7]. Principal environmental factors such as climatic, soil type and disturbances strongly influence ecosystem functioning [8], but likewise organisms can effect their environment[9]. The forest vegetation of Himalaya has been of major interest to ecologists since long. Chamoli District is a home of species richness in Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand state. The Badrinath forest division was cover of many species of plant. The species presently in habitating Earth are the result of over 3 billion years of natural selection likely
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