Analysis of spatial diversity of sal (Shorea robustaGaertn.f) forests using neighbourhood-based measures

Abstract

The study presents an analysis of spatial and structural diversity of Sal ( Shorea robusta ), the dominant species of sal forests in Bangladesh by using a neighbourhood analysis approach. The simple field method permits relatively unskilled persons to collect data. Most of the indices can be calculated in the field and the data analysis is comparatively easy. Therefore, the applicability of the method was tested by using different setting of reference trees compared with the full sampling for each plot in the Madhupur sal forests. The results indicate that a group of one reference tree and its four neighbours can be used efficiently to describe the spatial and structural diversity in homogeneous young forests at low costs and in short time. The indices can be easily interpreted allowing quantitative comparisons between different types of forest stands. Sal can be considered as the dominant and comparatively faster growing species than other associate species.