Sreekandan Nair, GSarada, SKAU2020-11-032020-11-032000171679https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810154210PGA study on 'Biodiversity of medicinal plants In oil palm plantations' was carried out at the oil palm plantations, Kulathupuzha of the Oil palm India Ltd., Kollam district from Januarv 1998 to ., January 1999. The objectives of the study were to identify the medicinal plants in the oil palm plantations, to study the growth behaviour of selected medicinal plants and to assess the inf1uence of shade on pharmacologi.cally active constituents. A total of 80 sampling units were taken us rug stratified random sampling technique, the strata being young, medium and mature oil palm plantations and open conditions. The medicinal plants In the inter spaces of young, medium and mature oil palm plantations and in the open were identified and quantified by random sampling technique using 1.0m2 frame. A total of 85 plants species were identified in the four different strata belonging to 79 genera and 36 families. No ne of the plants were endemic. There were 74 indigenous and 10 exotic/naturalized plants Ten important medicinal plant species were selected for detailed study and there growth behaviour was monitored for one year. They were Chro mol aena odorata, Cyclea p elt at a, E l e p h a nt o p u s scaber, Em if i a so nchifol ia, H emidesmus in dicu s, Hypt is s u av eol ens, Phyll antlius am arus, Si d a rh omb ifol i a, So/anum m el o ngena var. insariurn and Vernonia cinerea. Ch rys op o gon acicul at us dominates all the four strata \\.j b high relative density and frequency. Cyrt o cocc um trigonum is another dominating species with high relative density in young and 0):11 re oil palm plantations. Nar egami a a/ala is a dominant and abundant species occurnng in mature plantation. He mi d e s nius in die us is o cc urr i ng f re que n t I y in all the f 0 u r s t r a t a. E! e ph a nt 0 p 11 S sea b e roe cur s fr e ,- u e nt 1 v m young plantation and Chromolaena odorata in medium plantation. Phyll anth us amarus is more frequent in mature plantation and open conditions. H olo st emma adakodien also occur frequently in mature plantation. Young oil palm plantation and open conditions were found to be the most similar strata with more number of species m common. Mature oil palm plantations and open conditions were found to be the most dissimilar strata in vegetation pair wise analysis. Medi urn oil palm plantation was found to have higher concentration of dominance as expressed by Simpso n ' s Index. Abundant species occurs more in mature oil palm plantation and very abundant species occurs more in medium oil palm plantation. Evenness index was maximum in open conditions. Growth characters like plant height, number of branches, plant spread, height of first branch, number of leaves, inter nodal length and stem girth showed the lanky growth of the selected ten medical plants in medium and mature oil palm plantations which were more shaded compared to young plantation and open conditions. Fresh and dry weight of officinal part was more In young plantation and open conditions compared to medium and mature oil palm plantations. Higher biomass production was also obtained in young oil palm plantation compared to medium and mature plantations. The amount of essential oil in the roots of He m id esm us ind i c us was highest under open conditions and lowest in mature oil palm plantation. There was no significant difference between the amount of essential oil in the roots under young and medium oil palm plantations. • . I, The solasodine content in the fruits of Solanum mel ongena var. i ns anum was highest under open conditions and lowest in medium oil palm plantation. There was no significant difference between the solasodine content in fruits in young plantation and open conditions; medi urn plantation and mature plantation. The solasodine content in roots was also highest under open conditions and lowest is mature plantation. There was no significant difference between the so lasodine content in roots in young plantation and open conditions; medium plantation and mature plantation.EnglishThesis