**3.1.1 Tree species richness and diversity indices**

Results on the phytosociological parameters for the random plots are presented in Table 2. A total of 278 (zone-1) and 679 plots (zone-2) covering major vegetation types were enumerated to assess species richness, composition and diversity patterns. A sum of 25,621 individuals belonging to 963 species, 512 genera and 133 families were observed in the entire study area. It was observed that species richness was higher in zone-2 with 818 species belonging to 124 families as compared to 372 species of 95 families in zone-1. Herb species richness in zone-2 (350) was higher than in zone-1 having 101 species (Table 2). A total of 57 grass species majority of which belong to Poaceae followed by Cyperaceae were observed in this study.


Table 2. Species Richness in different vegetation type and habits in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India


Table 3. Consolidated results for the six transect sites in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

Spatial Patterns of Phytodiversity - Assessing Vegetation Using (Dis) Similarity Measures 159

**Site 1 Site 2 Site 3**

**Species IVI Species IVI Species IVI** Xylia xylocarpa 72.46 Xylia xylocarpa 67.23 Schleichera oleosa 39.98 Dillenia pentagyna 20.97 Bursera serrata 26.43 Pterocarpus marsupium 26.05 Lagerstroemia parviflora 20.82 Terminalia alata 20.09 Bauhinia vahlii 22.52 Dendrocalamus strictus 18.04 Ougenia oojeinensis 18.04 Grewia tilaefolia 21.41 Anogeissus latifolia 17.98 Grewia tilaefolia 13.43 Mangifera indica 17.18 Buchanania lanzan 15.68 Pterocarpus marsupium 11.64 Mallotus philippensis 14.54 Cleistanthus collinus 12.81 Syzygium cumini 7.96 Gmelina arborea 13.53 Terminalia alata 12.39 Diospyros sylvatica 7.89 Cassia fistula 12.69 Terminalia bellirica 10.35 Semecarpus anacardium 7.04 Garuga pinnata 11.39 Pterocarpus marsupium 10.22 Bombax ceiba 6.47 Terminalia alata 9.43

**Species IVI Species IVI Species IVI** Chloroxylon swietenia 41.84 Pterocarpus marsupium 27.96 Terminalia pallida 35.19 Albizia amara 28.47 Lannea coromandelica 24.97 Pterocarpus santalinus 30.96 Diospyros chloroxylon 19.95 Anogeissus latifolia 20.86 Anogeissus latifolia 22.00 Ixora arborea 17.09 Dalbergia paniculata 20.39 Terminalia chebula 14.79 Premna tomentosa 16.65 Mitragyna parvifolia 13.72 Gardenia gummifera 14.45 Anogeissus latifolia 16.40 Grewia tilaefolia 12.01 Dolichandrone atrovirens 12.14 Acacia chundra 11.26 Lagerstroemia parviflora 10.98 Buchanania lanzan 10.15 Hildegardia populifolia 10.72 Bambusa arundinacea 10.81 Phyllanthus emblica 9.70 Commiphora caudata 9.59 Terminalia alata 10.68 Chloroxylon swietenia 9.04 Santalam album 9.52 Madhuca indica 8.46 Madhuca indica 8.88

Table 4b. Important value index for the dominant tree species based continuous plots in

In the Southern Eastern Ghats (Zone-2) of Andhra Pradesh, we observed locale-specific formation, which is, characterized as Red-sander (*Pterocarpus santalinus*) mixed forest and Hardwickia (*Hardwickia binata*) mixed forest. Red-sander mixed forests are primarily deciduous system having *Pterocarpus santalinus* (36.72) as dominant species and secondary composition of *Anogeissus latifolia* (30.13), *Hardwickia binata* (9.08) and *Terminalia coriacea* (7.80). In Hardwickia mixed forest, *Hardwickia binata* (41.50) forms a community with *Anogeissus latifolia* (17.24), *Pterocarpus marsupium* (8.15) and *Cochlospermum religiosum* (8.08). These forests in both the zones are mainly dominated by *Cleistanthus collinus* species and

For the transect of the 6 sites the dominance (IVI) varied a lot with very less species common in all the sites. Site 1 and 2 was predominated by *Xylia xylocarpa* (72.46 and 67.23 respectively), followed by *Dillenia pentagyna* (20.97), *Lagerstroemia parviflora* (20.82) and *Anogeissus latifolia* (17.9) in site 1 (Table 4b). In the case of site 3 the structure was predominantly of *Schleichera oleosa* (39.98), *Pterocarpus marsupium* (26.05), *Grewia tilaefolia* (21.41) and *Mangifera indica* (17.18). Contrastingly zone-2 was characterized by dry deciduous forest with Chloroxylon sweitenia (41.84), *Pterocarpus marsupium* (27.96) and

For the random plots, a total of 95 families having 8,323 individuals were recorded from zone-1 and 17,383 individuals belonging to 124 families in zone-2. Taxonomically well-

Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

also existences of some primary and secondary succession species.

*Terminalia pallida* (35.19) dominating site 4, 5 and 6 respectively.

**3.1.3 Tree family dominance** 

**Site 4 Site 5 Site 6**

For the six transects in both the zones results are presented in Table 3. A total of 6 transect of 0.5ha covering major vegetation types were enumerated to assess species richness, species composition and species diversity patterns. A total of 2,457 individuals belonging to 197 species, 139 genera and 57 families were observed in the entire study area. It was observed that species richness was higher in site 3 with 72 species belonging to 39 families as compared to other sites (Table 3). Least species diversity was found in site 1 and highest in site 5.
