**3.1.2 Species density, dominance, rarity**

The first ten dominant species explains the dominance and structure of the forests. In zone-1, semi-evergreen forests are predominated by *Mangifera indica* (40.15), *Garuga pinnata* (15.98), *Xylia xylocarpa* (15.39) and *Stereospermum suaveolens* (15.38) (Table 4a) and this forest type doesn't exist in zone-2. In the case of Moist deciduous forests of the zone-1, it was represented by *Terminalia alata* (39.99), *Xylia xylocarpa* (22.22), *Pterospermum xylocarpum* (19.26) and *Bursera serrata* (9.15). Contrastingly zone-2 was characterized by *Limonia acidissima* (10.47), *Cassia fistula* (10.15), *Terminalia alata* (9.42) and *Madhuca indica* (7.28). Deciduous forest are the dominated forests among all the forest type, which is composed of *Xylia xylocarpa* (45.89), *Anogeissus latifolia* (24.48), *Terminalia alata* (12.42) and *Stereospermum suaveolens* (11.71) in zone-1, while in zone-2 *Chloroxylon sweitenia* (14.83), *Anogeissus latifolia* (9.50), *Cochlospermum religiosum* (9.27) and *Sterculia urens* (8.15) dominates. The difference in species composition is mainly due to the variations in altitudinal and precipitation gradients and also certain degree of disturbance prevailing in this forest type.


Table 4a. Important value index for the dominant tree species based on random for different vegetation types analyzed in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

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

The first ten dominant species explains the dominance and structure of the forests. In zone-1, semi-evergreen forests are predominated by *Mangifera indica* (40.15), *Garuga pinnata* (15.98), *Xylia xylocarpa* (15.39) and *Stereospermum suaveolens* (15.38) (Table 4a) and this forest type doesn't exist in zone-2. In the case of Moist deciduous forests of the zone-1, it was represented by *Terminalia alata* (39.99), *Xylia xylocarpa* (22.22), *Pterospermum xylocarpum* (19.26) and *Bursera serrata* (9.15). Contrastingly zone-2 was characterized by *Limonia acidissima* (10.47), *Cassia fistula* (10.15), *Terminalia alata* (9.42) and *Madhuca indica* (7.28). Deciduous forest are the dominated forests among all the forest type, which is composed of *Xylia xylocarpa* (45.89), *Anogeissus latifolia* (24.48), *Terminalia alata* (12.42) and *Stereospermum suaveolens* (11.71) in zone-1, while in zone-2 *Chloroxylon sweitenia* (14.83), *Anogeissus latifolia* (9.50), *Cochlospermum religiosum* (9.27) and *Sterculia urens* (8.15) dominates. The difference in species composition is mainly due to the variations in altitudinal and precipitation gradients

**Semi-Evergreen Forest IVI Moist Deciduous Forest IVI Dry Deciduous Forest IVI Degraded Forest IVI** Mangifera indica 40.15 Terminalia alata 39.99 Xylia xylocarpa 45.89 Cleistanthus collinus 53.14 Garuga pinnata 15.98 Xylia xylocarpa 22.22 Anogeissus latifolia 24.48 Anogeissus latifolia 40.89 Buchanania lanzan 15.86 Pterospermum xylocarpum 19.26 Terminalia alata 12.42 Xylia xylocarpa 36.66 Xylia xylocarpa 15.39 Bursera serrata 9.15 Stereospermum suaveolens 11.71 Lannea coromandelica 17.00 Stereospermum suaveolens 15.38 Cassia fistula 8.53 Lannea coromandelica 10.97 Terminalia alata 14.51 Terminalia alata 15.18 Bombax ceiba 7.74 Grewia tilaefolia 9.96 Grewia tilaefolia 14.50 Macaranga peltata 15.15 Terminalia bellirica 7.38 Tectona grandis 9.78 Garuga pinnata 11.98 Memecylon edule 10.20 Anogeissus latifolia 7.36 Garuga pinnata 8.78 Stereospermum suaveolens 7.55 Syzygium cumini 9.66 Syzygium cumini 6.81 Pterospermum xylocarpum 7.29 Dalbergia paniculata 7.29 Pterospermum xylocarpum 8.10 Lannea coromandelica 6.67 Lagerstroemia parviflora 6.75 Diospyros melanoxylon 6.44

> **Moist Deciduous Forest IVI Dry Deciduous Forest IVI Degraded Forest IVI** Limonia acidissima 10.47 Chloroxylon swietenia 14.83 Cleistanthus collinus 23.55 Cassia fistula 10.15 Anogeissus latifolia 9.50 Madhuca indica 7.52 Terminalia alata 9.42 Cochlospermum religiosum 9.27 Mangifera indica 6.99 Madhuca indica 7.28 Sterculia urens 8.15 Vitex peduncularis 6.94 Sterculia urens 7.19 Tectona grandis 8.10 Butea monosperma 6.57 Polyalthia cerasoides 6.98 Pterocarpus marsupium 7.55 Melia dubia 6.08 Mangifera indica 6.71 Cassia fistula 7.42 Anogeissus latifolia 5.82 Chloroxylon swietenia 6.60 Terminalia alata 7.09 Wrightia arborea 5.69 Cochlospermum religiosum 6.40 Madhuca indica 6.80 Holoptelea integrifolia 5.49 Mallotus philippensis 6.23 Boswellia serrata 5.96 Cassia fistula 5.48

other sites (Table 3). Least species diversity was found in site 1 and highest in site 5.

and also certain degree of disturbance prevailing in this forest type.

**Red Sanders Mixed Forest IVI Hardwickia Mixed Forest IVI Southern Thorn Forest IVI** Pterocarpus santalinus 36.72 Hardwickia binata 41.50 Acacia chundra 30.67 Albizia odoratissima 30.13 Anogeissus latifolia 17.24 Chloroxylon swietenia 21.32 Anogeissus latifolia 12.87 Pterocarpus marsupium 8.15 Lannea coromandelica 10.75 Hardwickia binata 9.08 Cochlospermum religiosum 8.08 Diospyros chloroxylon 9.26 Terminalia alata 7.80 Terminalia alata 6.98 Acacia leucophloea 8.08 Polyalthia cerasoides 6.22 Sterculia urens 6.76 Albizia amara 7.70 Cassia fistula 5.99 Soymida febrifuga 6.19 Gyrocarpus americanus 7.04 Cochlospermum religiosum 5.95 Bauhinia racemosa 5.10 Hardwickia binata 6.65 Sterculia urens 5.90 Limonia acidissima 4.64 Bridelia montana 6.36 Chloroxylon swietenia 5.67 Boswellia serrata 4.50 Atalantia monophylla 6.03

Table 4a. Important value index for the dominant tree species based on random for different vegetation types analyzed in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

**3.1.2 Species density, dominance, rarity** 

**Zone-1**

**Zone-2**



Table 4b. Important value index for the dominant tree species based continuous plots in Northern and Southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

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 also existences of some primary and secondary succession species.

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