Table 5.11. 10: Calculation of species density for the basal and middle regions of Purandar fort 353 Table 5.11. 11: Analysis of Raunkier's frequency class for the basal and middle regions 353 Table 5.11. 12: Canopy cover assessment for the basal and middle regions 353 Table 5.11. 13: List of families in descending order of species number on Purandar fort 354 Table 5.11. 14: Status of largest families (in descending order) in arboreal vegetation on Purandar fort 355 Table 5.11. 15: Jaccard’s similarity index in between basal - middle and middle - top regions 355 Table 5.12. 1: List of species on fort 368 Table 5.12. 2: Vegetation composition with respect to taxa on Mahimangad fort 372 Table 5.12. 3:Community structure 372 Table 5.12. 4: Total number of species distributed at each defined location 372 Table 5.12. 5: Species distribution pattern with respect to defined locations372 Table 5.12. 6: List of families in descending order of species number on Mahimangad fort 373 Table 6. 1: Overall vegetation community structure on all the forts 386 Table 6. 2: Comparative account of the species diversity present on all forts 387 Table 6. 3: Community structure vegetation on all the forts 388 Table 6. 4: Total number of species observed at each location 390 Table 6. 5: Overall species distribution pattern with respect to defined habitats on forts 391 Table 6. 6: Overall status of species with restricted distribution at defined locations 391 Table 6. 7: Defined altitude ranges on each fort (in m from MSL) 394 Table 6. 8: Number of species distributed on all the forts in the altitude range of 100m to 1400m MSL 394 Table 6. 9: Overall species distribution on slopes of all forts397 Table 6. 10: List of total plant families observed on all forts with descending order of species number 397 Table 6. 11: Species distribution of dominant families on forts 399 Table 6. 12: Classification of families based on the number of genera and species 400 Table 6. 13: Calculations of Beta diversity in between the defined zones of forts 401 Table 6. 14: Calculations of Beta diversity for the forts in same zone 401 Table 6. 15: List and distribution of all the species on all the forts under study 403

List of Graphs Graph 5.1. 1: Periphery and locations of PCQ points on fort 52 Graph 5.1.2: Mapping of F. hispida and F. benghalensis by GPS on Khanderi 52 Graph 5.1.3: Comparison of vegetation groups on Khanderi 53 Graph 5.1. 4: Comparison of vegetation with respect to life-forms of species 53 Graph 5.2. 1: Vegetation composition on Padmadurg 65 Graph 5.2. 2: Species distribution pattern on Padmadurg 65 Graph 5.2. 3: Comparison of arboreal and non-arboreal vegetation with respect to plant groups 66 Graph 5.3. 1: Composition of the vegetation with respect to taxa, on Vasai fort 89 Graph 5.3. 2: Vegetation composition with respect to life-forms, on Vasai fort 89

xi Graph 5.3. 3: Species distribution with respect to defined locations on Vasai fort 90 Graph 5.3. 4: Canopy cover on Vasai fort 90 Graph 5.4. 1: Vegetation composition with respect to life-forms 105 Graph 5.4. 2: Vegetation composition with respect taxa on 106 Graph 5.4. 3: The species distribution with respect to defined locations 106 Graph 5.4. 4: Species distribution pattern with respect to altitude ranges on Korlai fort 107 Graph 5.5. 1: Periphery of the each region of fort by GPS 141 Graph 5.5. 2: Periphery of the top plateau (700-755 m) and positions of the quadrats 141 Graph 5.5. 3: Periphery of the basal region (50-400m) with quadrats locations 142 Graph 5.5. 4: Periphery of the middle plateau (400-460m) with quadrat locations on Prabalgad fort 142 Graph 5.5. 5: Raunkier’s frequency class for the Middle Plateau of Prabalgad fort 143 Graph 5.5. 6: Raunkier's frequency class for the Top Plateau 143 Graph 5.6. 1: Periphery of the basal region and positions of PCQ points on 174 Graph 5.6. 2: Periphery of the middle region and sampling points with GPS 174 Graph 5.6. 3: Periphery of the top region and sampling points with GPS on Bhairavgad 175 Graph 5.6. 4: Periphery of all the regions and quadrat sampling points 175 Graph 5.6. 5: Vegetation composition on Bhairavgad fort 176 Graph 5.6. 6: Arboreal species distribution pattern with respect to altitude on Bhairavgad fort 176 Graph 5.6. 7: The largest families on the Bhairavgad fort 177 Graph 5.6. 8: Arboreal species distribution pattern with respect to defined locations 177 Graph 5.7. 1: Periphery of Dhakoba fort and its basal region showing PCQ point locations (marked with red points) 212 Graph 5.7. 2; Periphery of the middle region showing outer boundary and inner boundary of plateau, Sacred Grove (yellow points) and quadrat locations (red points) 212 Graph 5.7. 3: Periphery of the top region showing summit at center and quadrat locations on Dhakoba fort 213 Graph 5.7. 4: Periphery of all the regions and quadrat locations in each region 213 Graph 5.7. 5: Community structure on Dhakoba fort 214 Graph 5.7. 6: Analysis vegetation showing contribution in percentage of each taxonomic group 214 Graph 5.7. 7: Comparison of Jaccard's similarity index for Base-Middle and Middle- Top regions of Dhakoba 215 Graph 5.7. 8: Overall species distribution with respect to altitude 215 Graph 5.8. 1: Periphery of Makarandgad fort and quadrat locations 248 Graph 5.8. 3; Vegetation composition on Makarandgad fort 248 Graph 5.8. 2: Periphery of middle and top regions of Makarandgad fort with quadrat locations 248 Graph 5.8. 4: Community structure of vegetation on Makarandgad fort 249 Graph 5.8. 5: Species distribution pattern with respect to altitude showing number of species in each altitude range 250 Graph 5.8. 6: Beta diversity among the life-forms on Makarandgad fort 250 Graph 5.9. 1: Periphery and quadrat locations in the basal region of fort 285

xii Graph 5.9. 2: Periphery of the middle region with GPS 285 Graph 5.9. 3; Periphery of the top region with GPS on Tikona fort 286 Graph 5.9. 4: Periphery of all the three regions and quadrat locations 286 Graph 5.9. 5: Comparative status of taxonomical groups on Tikona fort 287 Graph 5.9. 6: Vegetation composition on Tikona fort 287 Graph 5.9. 7: Arboreal species distribution at each defined location 288 Graph 5.9. 8: Species distribution pattern with respect to altitude ranges 288 Graph: 5.10. 1: Periphery of the hill, part of basal region with PCQ point locations (outer region) and periphery of middle region (inner area) with quadrat locations on fort 322 Graph: 5.10. 2: Periphery of the top region showing position of dyke on the fort 322 Graph: 5.10. 3: Map of all the regions and sampling points on Kamalgad fort 323 Graph: 5.10. 4: Vegetation analysis with respect to taxa 323 Graph: 5.10. 5: Community structure on Kamalgad fort 324 Graph: 5.10. 6: Distribution pattern of arboreal and non-arboreal species within each altitude region 324 Graph 5.11. 1: Periphery of the Purandar hill (outer), basal region (gray coloured) and middle region (black coloured) with sampling point locations in the basal region (red coloured) 356 Graph 5.11. 2: Periphery of the middle (outer, blue coloured) and top (inner, black coloured) regions along with sampling point in the middle region (red coloured) and summit points (green coloured) 356 Graph 5.11.3: Map of all the regions and location of summit points with GPS tracks and waypoints 357 Graph 5.11. 4: Vegetation classification according to taxa on Purandar fort 357 Graph 5.11.5: Community structure on Purandar fort 358 Graph 5.11. 6: Distribution pattern of species noted on the slopes of all the regions 358 Graph 5.12. 1: Periphery of basal hill (outer) and top plateau (inner) of the Mahimangad fort by GPS 374 Graph 5.12. 2: Comparative status of taxonomical groups of the vegetation on Mahimangad fort 374 Graph 5.12. 3: Community structure on Mahimangad fort 375 Graph 5.12. 4: Species distribution pattern with respect to defined locations on Mahimangad fort 375 Graph 6. 1: Species distribution pattern of species from Polypetalae group on all the forts 386 Graph 6. 2: Species distribution pattern of Gamopetalae and Apetalae group 386 Graph 6. 3: Species distribution pattern of Monocots group on all the forts 387 Graph 6. 4: Percentage of number of species present on each fort 387 Graph 6. 5: Status of alpha diversity on each fort 388 Graph 6. 6: Tree distribution pattern on all the forts in the study area 389 Graph 6. 7: Shrub distribution pattern on all forts in the study area 389 Graph 6. 8: Liana distribution pattern on all the forts389 Graph 6. 9: Herb distribution pattern on all the forts 390 Graph 6. 10: Climber distribution pattern on all the forts in study area 390 Graph 6. 11: Overall species distribution pattern at defined locations 391 Graph 6. 12: Species distribution pattern of trees with respect to defined locations on all the forts 392

Xlll Graph 6. 13: Shrub distribution pattern with respect to defined locations on all the forts 392 Graph 6. 14: Liana distribution with respect to defined locations 392 Graph 6. 15: Herb distribution with respect to defined locations 393 Graph 6. 16: Climber distribution with respect to defined locations on all the forts 393 Graph 6. 17: Species distributed pattern from Seacoast to Deccan plateau (altitude range Om to 1400 m MSL) 395 Graph 6. 18: Composition and distribution of arboreal and non-arboreal vegetation according to altitude range 395 Graph 6. 19: Community structure in each altitude range 396 Graph 6. 20: Species distribution in the range of 500m from Seacoast to Deccan Plateau 396 Graph 6. 21: Overlapping alrtitude ranges of the vegetation on forts 396 Graph 6. 22: Species distribution pattern on the slope regions of all forts 397 Graph 6. 23: Distribution pattern of selected families from sea-coast to edge of Deccan Plateau 400 Graph 6. 24: Beta diversity in between the defined zones of the forts (Longitudinal) 401 Graph 6. 25: Beta diversity within the forts of same zone (Latitudinal) 402 Graph 6. 26: Pattern of community structure along the altitude gradient (Longitudinal) 402 Graph 6. 27: The trend of alpha diversity distribution on the number of forts under study 402

List of Maps Map 1.1: of 2 Map 1.2: Study area and locations of all the forts under study Map 5.1. 1: Khanderi fort on Google Earth image 41 Map 5.1. 2: Khanderi fort on Google Earth image overlays with mapped periphery by GPS 41 Map 5.2. 1: Padmadurg fort on Google Earth image 56 Map 5.2. 2: Periphery of Padmadurg fort mapped with GPS, overlays on Google Earth image 56 Map 5.2. 3: Map of Padmadurg fort and locations of tree species by GPS 66 Map 5.3. 1: Map of Vasai fort on Google Earth image 70 Map 5.3. 2: Map of Vasai fort on Google Earth image overlays with GPS data 70 Map 5.3. 3: Periphery of the Vasai fort and locations of the PCQ points 88 Map 5.4. 1: Map of Karlai fort on Google Earth image 93 Map 5.4. 2: Map of Korlai fort on Google Earth image overlays with GPS waypoints and tracks 93 Map 5.4. 3: Periphery of Korlai fort mapped with GPS 105 Map 5.5. 1: Map of Prabalgad fort on Google Earth image 112 Map 5.5. 2: Map of Prabalgad fort overlays with waypoints and periphery by GPS on Google Earth image 112 Map 5.6. 1: Map of the Bhairavgad fort on Google Earth image 147 Map 5.6. 2: Map of Bhairavgad fort on Google Earth image overlays with GPS waypoints and tracks 147 Map 5.7. 1: Map of Dhakoba on Google Earth image 181 Map 5.7. 2: Map of Dhakoba on Google Earth image overlays with GPS waypoints and tracks 181

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