**2.1.2 Vegetation distribution**

152 The Dynamical Processes of Biodiversity – Case Studies of Evolution and Spatial Distribution

Peddacheruvu, a chenchu tribal hamlet in Nallamalais of Kurnool district which receives mean annual rainfall about 900-1000mm. Site 5 is located about 4km from Talakona, a Yanadi tribal hamlet in Seshachalam hills of Chittoor district which receives mean annual rainfall 800-900mm. Site 6 is located about 2km from Kuntlapalli village, Anantapur district receives mean annual rainfall about 600-700mm. The rocks are of Kurnool-Cuddapah formations (quartzite and slate formation predominate) and altitude ranges from 400-600m. Thus, these sites show variability in rainfall pattern even though phytogeographical range is

**Sites Location Forest type Elevation (m) Rainfall (mm)**  1 Sukkumamidi Moist Deciduous 500 1200-1400 2 Maredumulli Moist Deciduous 700 1400-1600

4 Peddacheruvu Dry Deciduous 600 900-1000 5 Talakona Dry Deciduous 700 800-900 6 Kuntlapalli Dry Deciduous 800 400-600

Table 1. Study area detail for the continuous plots on its forest type, elevation and rainfall

The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along eastern coast of Peninsular India extending over 1750 km with the average width of about 100 km and extends from 10005' to 22030' N Latitude and 76023' to 86050' E longitude (Fig. 2). The Eastern Ghats are ΄tors΄ of geological antiquity and are geologically older than Himalayas and Western Ghats. Eastern Ghats cover four states (Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and small portion of Karnataka) and present study was undertaken in the Eastern Ghats part of Andhra Pradesh lying approximately between 12 – 19 N latitude and 76 – 84 E longitudes. It is bounded by Eastern coast on the East, Deccan plateau on the West, South and North covers the Eastern

Study area includes Eastern Ghats districts of Andhra Pradesh viz., parts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Khammam, Krishna, Mehbubnagar, Nalgonda, Guntur, Kurnool, Anantapur, Prakasam, Kadapa, Nellore and Chittoor (Fig. 2). The total geographical area covered under Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh is 98,662 km2 having 23,894 km2 of forest area. Major rivers like Godavari, Krishna and Pennar cut the range into discontinuous blocks of hills along the East coast in Andhra Pradesh. Major forest range includes the Upper Sileru range in north, lower Velikonda Range lies to the east, and the higher Palikonda-Lankamalla-Nallamalla ranges in the west. Eastern Ghats also harbours wide range of wild crops (millet, rice) and economic and medicinal plants. Endemic plants of this region are basically Palaeo-endemics and are localized. They have very narrow distribution range and several studies indicate that they are under gradual process of extinction (Reddy et al., 2006). Nearly, 54 tribal communities

pattern in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

Semievergreen 900 1600-1800

3 Lankapakala Moist Deciduous -

Ghats part of Tamil Nadu and Orissa state respectively.

contiguous.

**2.1.1 Geographical extent** 

Andhra Pradesh ranks first amongst the states and Union Territories in terms of area under tree cover (SFR, 2001). The total forest area of the state is 44,637 km2, which occupies 16% of the total geographical area of 2,75,068 km2 (SFR, 2001). The forests in the region are broadly classified into Semi Evergreen, Moist Deciduous, Dry Deciduous, Thorn and Scrub forests and are comparable with the existing (Champion & Seth, 1968) classification.
