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A Phytogeographic Analysis for Conservation Significance of Tree Flora of the Eastern Ghats in South India L

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A Phytogeographic Analysis for Conservation Significance of Tree Flora of the Eastern Ghats in South India L Journal of Global Biosciences ISSN 2320-1355 Vol. 3(2), 2014, pp. 499-510 http://mutagens.co.in Date of Online: 15, April- 2014 A PHYTOGEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS FOR CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE OF TREE FLORA OF THE EASTERN GHATS IN SOUTH INDIA L. Arul Pragasan Department of Environmental Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – 641 046, India . Abstract Phytogeography is a branch of biogeography which deals with the geographical distribution of plants. The aim of this study was to analyze the geographic distribution of tree flora in the Eastern Ghats of south India, for their conservation significance. Of the total 272 tree species assessed, 36% of the species were found restricted to Asia, 19% were endemic to India and only one species ( Hildegardia populifolia ) was found endemic to Eastern Ghats. The present phytogeographical analysis revealed that 59% of the tree species inventoried from Eastern Ghats of south India were common to Sri Lanka and supported their close geographic affinity. Species recovery programs are of urgent need for conservation of species with geographically limited distribution . Key words: Phytogeography, Eastern Ghats, Plant distribution, Tree flora, South India . INTRODUCTION Currently, the earth is experiencing tremendous changes in the natural environments. Destruction and degradation of natural habitats are widespread and profound and their implications for the sustainability of natural resources are of global significance [1]. Biodiversity loss is a global phenomenon but its impact is greatest in the tropics, where the majority of species are distributed [2]. Though, the tropical forests occupy only 7% of the total land surface area of earth, they hold more than 50% of total species of the world. However, now, they are getting disappeared at a rate of 0.8 to 2% per year [3]. Many conservationists have increased concern on biodiversity loss in tropical forests due to deforestation and improper infrastructure development in the name of modernization [4]. Phytogeography is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species. It is an effective tool for clarifying the historical-ecological interpretation of a large area [5], and for prioritizing species for conservation. A few phytogeographical studies available worldwide include: Neotropics [6], Friulian plain, NE Italy [7], Western Europe and Eastern Greenland [8], Tasmanian alpine flora [9], Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts [10], Yukon territory, NW Canada [5], Grasslands of Mexico [11], Yucatan Peninsula [12], Arid mountain of Oman [13], Coastal vegetation of Yucatan Peninsula [14], Bryophytes of Hong Kong [15]. Although, there are many studies on plant biodiversity focusing on the population status [16, 17], only a few records are available on the distribution patterns of plant species in India. The aim of this study was to analyze the geographic distribution of tree species of the Eastern Ghats of South India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area The phytogeographic analysis was carried out for the tree species inventoried from the discontinuous range of mountains of Eastern Ghats (11˚ 08.5' - 12˚ 06.0' N; 78˚ 07.5' - 78˚ 48.5' E) in South India. The mountain range covered an area of 3477 km 2, with altitudes varying from 200 m to 1649 m above mean sea level. They were composed of masses of Charnockite associated with gneisses and varied metamorphic rocks, and the soil was red loamy and lateritic. The mean annual temperature and rainfall for the region was 28.3 ˚C and 1058 mm, respectively. The bulk of the rainfall was received from August to October. Journal of Global Biosciences Vol. 3(2), 2014 pp. 499-510 ISSN 2320-1355 Phytogeograghic analysis The entire stretch of the Eastern Ghats of South India was divided into 6.25 km × 6.25 km grids, and within each grid a 0.5 ha belt transect (5 m × 1000 m) was established, and all live trees with ≥ 30 cm girth at breast height (GBH) were enumerated [18]. Phytogeographic analysis of the tree flora was made by studying the distributional pattern of the inventoried 272 species by referring to several national and regional floras and other publications [19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]. The following classification of geographic area was made for analysis: 1. Eastern Ghats, 2. Peninsular India, 3. India, 4. Sri Lanka, 5. Peninsular India & Sri Lanka, 6. Asia, 7. Africa, 8. Australia, 9. America, and 10. Europe. RESULTS Summary of tree inventory A total of 27,412 trees representing 272 species in 62 families were inventoried from 120 transects (0.5 ha each, covering 60 ha area) distributed in the Eastern Ghats of South India [18]. Tree diversity was 29 (±12) species per transect, and it ranged from 9 to 71 species per transect. Tree density was 228 (±75) trees per transect, and it ranged from 96 to 477 trees per transect. The abundance of the 272 tree species varied from one individual for 33 species to a maximum of 2122 individuals for Albizia amara (Mimosaceae) for the total 60 ha sampled (Table 1). The dominant species, A. amara had a wide range of geographic distribution (Table 1). Phytogeographic analysis The tree species of Eastern Ghats of South India had a unique geographic distributional spectrum. Of the total 272 species recorded, 269 species (98.9%) are common to the entire Eastern Ghats region (Figure 1), and the rest three species, Antiaris toxicata and Dimocarpus longan were new additions to Eastern Ghats, which were earlier recorded only from the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka hot spot, and Memecylon parvifolium , formed a new record to tree flora of India [27]. Out of the total 272 species analyzed, 100 species (37%) were found common to Peninsular India, and 271 species (99.6%) were common to India (Figure 1). A total of 161 species (59%) were common to Sri Lanka, and 203 (75%) species were common to Peninsular India & Sri Lanka. In case of continent, all the species were found common to Asia, 11% of species were common to Africa, 10% were common to Africa, 4% were common to America and only 2 species ( Callitris rhomboidea and Ficus microcarpa ) were found common to Europe. Overall, only one per cent (3 species, Acacia farnesiana , Beilschmiedia bourdilloni and Gyrocarpus asiaticus ) out of the total 272 species had pantropical distribution (i.e. geographic distribution in Africa, Asia and Americas), four per cent (12 species) of the species had neotropic distribution (species restricted to the Americas) and ten per cent (27 species) of the total species analysed were of palaeotropics (species distributed in Africa and Asia). Species endemism Thirty-six percent of the total species studied were endemic to Asia i.e. species restricted to Asia and not found elsewhere in the world, 19% were restricted to India, 14% were restricted to peninsular India, 27% were endemic to peninsular India and Sri Lanka geographic regions, and only one species, Hildegardia populifolia was found endemic to Eastern Ghats. Hildegardia populifolia and Grewia laevigata were the only two rare, endemic, threatened (RET) species found in Eastern Ghats of South India. DISCUSSION In the past, plant biodiversity inventory mostly focused on the population status of species in a particular geographic area, and less attention was shown to study their patterns of geographical distribution. In the present study, a phytogoegraphical analysis was carried out for tree species inventoried [18] from Eastern Ghats of South India. Out of the 272 tree species inventoried, fifty nine per cent of the species were found common to Sri Lanka, revealing the close geographic affinity of tree species of Eastern Ghats in South India with that of Sri Lanka. Similarly, Parthasarathy [28] had reported that a maximum (240 species, 43 %) of the total 550 species of vascular plants enumerated from Kalakad, Western Ghats of South India, were found common to Sri Lanka. However, according to a research based on mineral occurences, mainly gems and graphite, Sri Lanka was found closely associated with southern part of Madagascar than with the Archean granulites of South India [29]. http://mutagens.co.in 500 Journal of Global Biosciences Vol. 3(2), 2014 pp. 499-510 ISSN 2320-1355 Conservation significance Biologists have long known that the smaller the population, the more susceptible it is to extinction [30]. Out of the 272 tree species inventied from a total of 60 ha in the Eastern Ghats of South India, 12% of species were represented by only one individual, the two RET species H. populifolia and G. laevigata were represented by 4 and 2 individuals, respectively [18], and M. parvifolium , a new addition to Indian tree flora, was represented by only one individual [27]. This situation forces an immediate conservation measure to avoid those species from local extinction. Topographic variables (elevation, slope, aspect, etc.) have a strong influence on the forests and also contribute to the maintenance of species richness [31]. However, the major threats to plant species are the growing human population, expanding crop agriculture, improper harvesting methods and over- exploitation of the plant resources [32]. Though, deforestation, is happening mostly for the conversion of land to food crops, it is the most destructive force in tropical forests worldwide, and the other important disturbance such as the selective harvest of the timber have increased in rate as well as in magnitude [33]. The Eastern Ghats of South India is subjected to various forest disturbances, such as cattle grazing, collection of fuel wood and non-timber forest products, illegal extraction of timber, soil mining, besides invasion of the weeds. Hence, there is an immediate need of action plan for checking all the threatening forces that exist in Eastern Ghats of South India, not only for conserving the geographical distribution range of tree species in this region, but, also for the survival of a variety of wild fauna supported by the plant communities.
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