Abstract
The present ecological investigation was carried out in the understorey of tropical moist deciduous forest of Udhayagiri fort hills, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu. A total number of 171 species were documented in the understory of the study area and among them 163 species were recognized as economically important.The secured value of ecological attribute, importance value index (IVI) indicates that the species like Tephrosia purpurea, Clerodendron infortunatum Acalypa indica, Aerva lanata, Asystasia gangetica, Belpharis maderaptensis, Cleome viscosa, Dodonia viscose, Glycosmis pentaphylla, Leucas aspera, Limnophila indica,Martynia annua, Oldenlandia umbellate, Pavetta indica, Phyllanthus amarus and Rhynchosia minima are well established in the study area. On the other hand, 55 plant species are considered to be ecologically weaker in the community. Hence priorities must be given to these species for natural regeneration and hence theirconservation as well.
Highlights
Western Ghats is among the ecologically richest of India, next to the Himalaya in the diversity of its biological species (Gadgil, 1984)
Among the different types of vegetations in the Western Ghats, The present study area, Udhayagiri Hills is dominated by the tropical moist deciduous forests
A total number of 171 species were documented in the understory of the study area and among them 163 were recognized as economically important (Table 1)
Summary
Western Ghats is among the ecologically richest of India, next to the Himalaya in the diversity of its biological species (Gadgil, 1984). It encompasses many types of ecosystems such as tropical wet evergreen forests, dry deciduous forests, moist deciduous forests, thorny scrub jungles and the fragile montane shoals with associated grasslands (Champion and Seth, 1968). Among the different types of vegetations in the Western Ghats, The present study area, Udhayagiri Hills is dominated by the tropical moist deciduous forests. The present ecological investigation was carried out to enlist economically important plants and to assess their ecological position through phytosociological analysis in the understory of the study area
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