ABUNDANCE, DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF UNDERSTORY VEGETATION ALONG THE ALTITUDNAL GRADIENTS AND OVERSTORY COMPOSITION TYPES IN TEMPERATE REGION OF HIMACHAL PARDESH
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Date
2023-09-26
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present study entitled “Abundance, diversity and composition of understory vegetation
along the altitudinal gradients and overstory composition types in temperate region of Himachal
Pradesh” was conducted in the temperate region of Himachal Pradesh, The aim of the study was to
understand the pattern of understory diversity, abundance and species composition of understory
vegetation communities along the altitudinal gradients and overstory composition types. A total of 93
understory species including 31 species in the shrub layer, 62 species in the ground layer vegetation (55
vascular and 7 non-vascular) were recorded in the present study. The abundance, species diversity and
composition of shrub and total understory vegetation differed significantly along the altitudinal
gradients and dominant overstory composition types. Vascular and non-vascular species responded
differently along the altitudinal gradients and dominant overstory types. The hump shaped pattern along
the altitudinal gradients appeared to be the most dominant pattern of plant abundance and species
diversity and call for more conservation concern towards the mid elevation zones in the temperate
Himalayan region. The study also highlighted the importance of dominant overstory composition types
in driving the abundance, species diversity and composition of shrub and total understory vegetation in
the Temperate Himalayan region. Therefore management interventions should aim at maintaining
diverse range of overstory composition types for conserving biodiversity and their ecological functions
in the temperate Himalayan region. The study also found the positive correlation of vascular and
shrubs cover to the vascular and shrub species diversity, and negative correlation of vascular and shrub
layer cover to non-vascular species diversity, and supported the positive diversity and productivity
hypothesis in the temperate Himalayan region. However, the magnitude and direction of diversity–
productivity relationships was context specific and dependent on the surrounding environmental
conditions.