Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of Trees Outside Forests: A Case Study from Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Central India

Abstract

Alike forests, trees outside forest play a critical role in providing ecosystem services as well as biodiversity conservation. They include all those trees which has attained 10 cm or more diameters at breast height (DBH), available on land which is not notified as forest or other wooded land. Trees outside forest especially roadside trees have attracted little attention for their role in providing ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation due to their discontinuous occurrence and lack of documentation. The present study was conducted in Dr. Harisingh Gour University campus to document floristic diversity and their potential contribution towards ecosystem services. All the trees and shrubs having 10 cm or more DBH present along roads were documented and categorized for nativity, uses and ecosystem services. A total of 1252 individuals belonging to 85 species, 73 genera and 38 families were recorded. The habitat inhabits , a vulnerable species Santalum albumand an endangered species escaped from natural and semi-natural forests indicating suitable habitat for them. The Cordia macleodii documented species were dominated by native flora (65 sp.) and 20 non-native species. Most of the species were food providing, ethnomedicinal, fodder, fuel wood and timber species. Further, 34 species including 4 religious species ( , , Aegle marmelos Ficus religiosaPhyllanthus emblica Santalum album and ) were found to provide cultural services.