**3.1.3 Tree family dominance**

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-

Spatial Patterns of Phytodiversity - Assessing Vegetation Using (Dis) Similarity Measures 161

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 Sample size (ha)

Fig. 3b. Species accumulation curve for the six transects in Northern and Southern Eastern

be characterized and analysed based further on its altitudinal and climatic conditions to derive a species-area relation. The species-accumulation curves for the continuous plots of the six sites are given in Fig 3b. Site 1 and 4 were initially steep, and later we observed a tendency towards flattening and similar such pattern was observed for the Site 5 & 6. Site 2 & 3 didn't reach an asymptote due to high species richness and as well landscape

Stand density and basal area for the random plots in both the zones of deciduous forest is higher compared to other forest classes (Table 2). In zone-1 of deciduous forest stand density was much higher (486 stems ha-1 and 19.04 m2ha-1 basal area), when compared to zone-2 having 386 stems ha-1 and 14.67 m2ha-1 basal area. Moist deciduous forest of the zone-1 & 2 are in the range of 257-370 stems ha-1. Similarly such patterns were also observed in dry evergreen forests (266-334 stems ha-1). Degraded forest in zone-1 was relatively higher (449 stems ha-1) due to the selective felling for its timber extraction when compared to zone-2. Thorn forest in both the zones is having least stand density class compared to other types. Stand density and basal area (BA) for the continuous plots in *site* 1, 2 and 3 is higher compared to *site* 4, 5 and 6 (Table 2). *Site* 2 has high stand density of 1050 stems ha-1 (BA 17.61 m2ha-1) as compared to *site* 3 having high basal area of 24.42 m2ha-1 (990 stems ha-1). Least basal area is seen in *site* 4 (4.35 m2ha-1) and least stand density in *site* 5 (614 stems ha-1). This is due to the dry deciduous forest in zone-2 having less density and less biomass. The girth class distribution pattern for all the sites except *site* 3 and 5 is basically "L" shaped for

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6

20

heterogeneity.

Ghats of Andhra Pradesh

**3.1.5 Stand density and basal area** 

30

40

50

Cumulative no. of specie

60

70

80

represented families include Fabaceae (101), Euphorbiaceae (58), Rubiaceae (51) and Acanthaceae (48). Dominant families with respect to number of individuals are Euphorbiaceae (1786), Mimosaceae (1669), Combretaceae (1606), Fabaceae (1577), Rubiaceae (1368) and Caesalpinaceae (1282). Families with rare occurrences represented by single and double species were 66 for the whole study area.

For the continuous plot of the six sites, a total of 57 families belonging to 2,457 individuals were recorded from the present study. Taxonomically well-represented families include Rubiaceae (18), Euphorbiaceae (16), Fabaceae (11) and Caesalpiniaceae (9). Dominant families with respect to number of individuals are Mimosaceae (337), Combretaceae (274), Fabaceae (191), Rubiaceae (154) and Caesalpinaceae (138). Families with rare occurrences represented by single and double species were 36 for both the study sites. Top ten families explain the species characteristics and found to be 66% (1620 individuals out of 2,457 individuals) dominant for the study site.
