Factors Affecting the Distribution of Tree Species in a Dry Zone Montane Forest in Sri Lanka

Jayasuriya, A. H. M.; Pemadasa, M. A.

doi:10.2307/2259735

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The individuals of plant species falling precisely on the line were recorded. The data from each sampling site was calculated using phytosociological characters (i.e., density, frequency, cover and their relative values, as well as importance value) [46][47][48]. The IV was further used to rank each plant species and species with the highest IV were considered as the dominant species [46,47].…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental variables drive plant species composition and distribution in the moist temperate forests of Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan

et al. 2022

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By assessing plant species composition and distribution in biodiversity hotspots influenced by environmental gradients, we greatly advance our understanding of the local plant community and how environmental factors are affecting these communities. This is a proxy for determining how climate change influences plant communities in mountainous regions ("space-for-time" substitution). We evaluated plant species composition and distribution, and how and which environmental variables drive the plant communities in moist temperate zone of Manoor valley of Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan. During four consecutive years (2015–2018), we sampled 30 sampling sites, measuring 21 environmental variables, and recording all plant species present in an altitudinal variable range of 1932–3168 m.a.s.l. We used different multivariate analyses to identify potential plant communities, and to evaluate the relative importance of each environmental variable in the species composition and distribution. Finally, we also evaluated diversity patterns, by comparing diversity indices and beta diversity processes. We found that (i) the moist temperate zone in this region can be divided in four different major plant communities; (ii) each plant community has a specific set of environmental drivers; (iii) there is a significant variation in plant species composition between communities, in which six species contributed most to the plant composition dissimilarity; (iv) there is a significant difference of the four diversity indices between communities; and (v) community structure is twice more influenced by the spatial turnover of species than by the species loss. Overall, we showed that altitudinal gradients offer an important range of different environmental variables, highlighting the existence of micro-climates that drive the structure and composition of plant species in each micro-region. Each plant community along the altitudinal gradient is influenced by a set of environmental variables, which lead to the presence of indicator species in each micro-region.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental variables drive plant species composition and distribution in the moist temperate forests of Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan

et al. 2022

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“…This could happen if large trees had higher levels of mortality in small sholas because of greater vulnerability to high-speed winds prevailing during the southwesterly monsoon (Meher-Homji 1967;Vishnu-Mittre and Gupta 1968;Jayasuriya and Pemadasa 1983;Caner et al 2007). The closed, well-integrated canopy characteristic of the larger sholas might reduce wind turbulence and thereby protect shola trees from the ravages of severe wind (Lawton 1982;Leigh 1983Leigh , 1999.…”

Section: Dbh Classmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between area, and vegetation structure and diversity in montane forest (shola) patches in southern India

Mohandass

Davidar²

2010

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background:The montane forests of the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats in southern India, called 'sholas', are naturally patchy and closely juxtaposed with grasslands. Palaeoclimatic studies have indicated that the sholas have expanded in warmer climatic regimes and the grasslands during colder climates. Therefore during the present post-glacial climatic regime sholas may be in the expansion phase. Aims: We aimed to test if sholas are in an expansion phase; in particular, if smaller sholas could be at earlier successional stages than larger sholas. Methods:We enumerated all non-climbing plants (≥ 1 cm dbh) in 18 shola patches ranging from 0.09 ha to 15 ha in area. We tested whether species richness, basal area, and proportion of large trees (≥ 30 and ≥ 60 cm dbh) increased with shola size, and rare and 'ecotone' species decreased with shola size. Results: As predicted, species richness, basal area and the proportion of large trees (≥ 60 cm dbh) increased with shola size, whereas the proportion of rare and 'ecotone' species decreased with shola size, and species in smaller sholas were a nested subset of those in larger sholas. Conclusions: These results suggest that shola forests are a highly structured plant community, possibly driven by succession.

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“…The surveyed sites were divided into 23 stands, and three sampling points within each stand were sampled along a 50 meter transect (total = 69 transects). The phytosociological attributes (i.e., density, frequency, cover and their relative values, and importance value) were used for the calculation of the data from each sampled point [42][43][44]. The IV was further used to rank each species, and those with the highest IV were considered as the dominant species [42,43].…”

Section: Vegetation Sampling and Plant Identificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Typology of Pure Deodar Forests Driven by Vegetation–Environment Relations in Manoor Valley, Northwestern Himalaya

et al. 2022

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The current research was carried out to characterize the phytosociology of the forests of one of Pakistan’s most valuable tree species (Deodar) across its native range. In this context, our main hypothesis was that, along the altitudinal gradient, we would find different plant communities that would be driven by different environmental variables (climatic, edaphic, and physiographic). Therefore, to assess the vegetation structure of the pure Deodar forests of the unexplored Manoor Valley (Northwestern Himalaya), Pakistan, frequent field visits were carried out during different seasons of 2015–2018. Ecological methods: Line transects sampling (23 stands) and phytosociological attributes were evaluated in relation to geographical and environmental variables. Various statistical software applications (i.e., PCORD, RStudio 4.0, and R 3.6.1) were used to examine all of the gathered data of plant species and environmental variables. A total of three different plant communities (Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon, Cedrus–Cynodon–Dryopteris, and Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium) were identified by grouping 162 species and 23 stands in pure Deodar forests under the influence of geographic, slope, edaphic, and climatic variables, ranging from 1580.8 to 2373.8 m. The altitude (1936–2373 m), slope angle (25–85°), sandy (29–48%) and loamy soil texture, wind speed (1.45 ms−1), and temperature (25.8 °C) all had a strong influence on the Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium community. In contrast with this, the Cedrus–Cynodon–Dryopteris community showed a positively significant relationship with the northeastern slope, silty (32–58%) and sandy (15.8–55%) loamy soil texture, and barometric pressure (814.3 pa). Nonetheless, the Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon community revealed a significant positive association with the northeastern to southwestern slope, pH (6.3), wet bulb (19.7), and dew point (17.7). We found significant differences (p < 0.001) among the three communities found in the pure Deodar forests in the four diversity indexes. The Sambucus–Cedrus–Desmodium community has the maximum number of plants (129 species), Shannon’s diversity (H’ = 3.7), and Simpson’s dominance (0.98) values among the recorded communities. The Pielou’s evenness index value was led by the Cedrus–Isodon–Cynodon community (0.97). Beta diversity showed a dissimilarity lower than 50% among the three communities. Simple term effects in the canonical correspondence analysis model revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences in altitude, slope angle, slope (southeastern), and wind speed variables. The present investigation sheds light on vegetation pattern and species contribution as a function of environmental gradients and provides a baseline for future studies.

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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Tree Species in a Dry Zone Montane Forest in Sri Lanka

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

Environmental variables drive plant species composition and distribution in the moist temperate forests of Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan

Environmental variables drive plant species composition and distribution in the moist temperate forests of Northwestern Himalaya, Pakistan

The relationship between area, and vegetation structure and diversity in montane forest (shola) patches in southern India

Typology of Pure Deodar Forests Driven by Vegetation–Environment Relations in Manoor Valley, Northwestern Himalaya

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