Vegetation-edaphic correlation and importance value index in himalayan 'ecotone' temperate conifer forest using the...

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Botany
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Himalayan Ecotone temperate conifer forests are vital ecosystems for biodiversity.
• Despite their importance, these unique habitats remain understudied.
• Understanding their floristic structure is crucial for conservation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the floristic structure and important value index (IVI) of the Himalayan Ecotone temperate conifer forest.
• To analyze the influence of topographic and edaphic variables on vegetation distribution.
• To identify distinct floral communities within the study area.

Main Methods:

• Vegetation sampling using the circular quadrant method (10m x 10m) from 2019-2020.
• Identification and enumeration of species across upper-storey, middle-storey, and ground-storey layers.
• Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Ward's agglomerative clustering for community analysis.

Main Results:

• The forest comprises 17 tree species, 23 shrub species, and 43 herb/grass/fern species.
• Pinus roxburghii dominated the upper-storey, while Dodonaea viscosa was prevalent in the middle-storey.
• Three distinct floral communities were identified with varying IVI values, influenced by temperature, rainfall, soil pH, altitude, and topography.

Conclusions:

• The Himalayan Ecotone temperate conifer forest exhibits a rich and diverse floristic structure.
• Environmental variables play a significant role in shaping floral community composition and distribution.
• Further research is needed to fully understand and conserve these valuable ecosystems.