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Ecological and Phytogeographical Observations on the Ferns and Fernallies of Nagpur Block (Chamoli Garhwal), Western Himalayas

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Ecological and Phytogeographical Observations on the Ferns and Fernallies of Nagpur Block (Chamoli Garhwal), Western Himalayas Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant Sci.), Vol. 89, Number 4, August 1980, pp. 307-313. 9 Printed in India. Ecological and phytogeographical observations on the ferns and fern- allies of Nagpur block (Chamoli Garhwal), Western Himalayas D K AWASTHI and M P SHARMA Department of Botany, M M PG College, Modinagar 201 204, India MS received 3 December 1979; revised 27 June 1980 Abstract. The ferns and fern-allies of Nagpur block (Chamoli Garhwal), Western Himalayas are discussed. In all 79 species (74 ferns and 5 fern-allies) have boon collected of which eight species are new record for the western Himalayas. Botrychium daucifolium have been recorded for the first time from the Himalayas. Ecological observations for each species have been recorded. This region is rich in epiphytie vegetation. Among the fern-allies Lycopodium lucidulum and L. setaceum constitute a part of epiphytic vegetation. The ferns and fern-allies of the region are more akin to Eastern Himalayan species as 81% species are common to both the regions. Keywords. Ecology; phytogeography; ferns. 1. Introduction A review of earlier literature reveals very little published data on the ferns and fern-Miles in Garhwal region of Western Himalayas. Clarke (1880) collected 388 species of ferns from northern India. Of these, only a few were collected from Garhwal. Later, Rau (1961) surveyed the area for the northern circle of Botanical survey of India and recorded 738 species of plants which include a few species of ferns and fern-allies from North Garhwal. Nathani (1967) also contri- buted to the systematics of this region by listing 201 species of flowering plants and ferns from this region. In this paper an attempt has been made to explore this region to study the ecological distribution of ferns and fern-allies. This region has attracted our attention because of the fact that it lies in the middle of the Western Himalayas. Moreover, no detailed report for this region is available while the other regions in the Western Himalayas have been explored by different workers (Beddome 1883; Hope 1899-1904; Mehra 1939; Stewart 1942, 1945, 1951; Schelpe 1954; Loyal and Verma 1960; Bir 1963; Mehra and Bir 1964; Mehra and Dhir 1968 ; Pande 1973 ; Dhir and Sheera 1975). 2. Geography Garhwal region lies in the Western Himalayan Chain. To the east of Garhwal lie the districts of Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh, on the west it is separated 3O7 308 D K Awasthi and M P Sharma from Himachal Pradesh by the Tons, and on the north by the snow-clad peaks of Tibet (Kharkwal 1977). Topographically, this region has been divided into five districts viz. Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Tehri, Pauri Garhwal and Dehradun. The district Chamoli lies 29.55' x 32" and 31.4' x 22" latitude and 78.54' x 26" and 80.6' x 4" longitude, almost entirely bordered by the high peaks of Nilkantha, Chaukhamba, Trisul and Nandadevi. The Nagpur block which the authors have explored, fails in the limits of Chamoli District. For convenience, it is divided into nine sectors viz., Brahmin khal (1200 m), Nagnath (2400 m), Bhikona (1800 m), Mohankhal (2400 m), Gaduna (1200 m), Choptta (2100 m), Bamoth (700m), Langasu (900m), and Kugasu (1500 m). Each sector was visited frequently in four consecutive years (July 1975 to September 1979) so as to collect as many plants as possible and to make a complete note of different habitats of the species. 3. Climate anti soil The conspicuous features of the weather of this region are valley winds in narrow valleys, heavy fog during winters in wide valleys, variation of exposure to sun- light and to rain bearing winds. All these factors contribute to a very compli- cated pattern of local climate. Therefore, in such an area microclimates are of considerable importance in comparison to macroclimate. The climate of this region exhibits seasonal fluctuations. The monsoon breaks in these hills usually by the end of June and lasts generally till the middle of September. The zone of maximum precipitation during both summer and winter lies between 1200-- 2400 m. The precipitation of every locality is directly related to both the altitudinal zone in which it exists and to its situation in relation to the ridge. The coldest months are December and January. Mohankhal and Nagnath are usually covered with snow in the month of January. April and May are marked by thunder and occasional hailstorms. The soil in this area is generally sandy to gravelly with large stones and at places clayey in patches. The colour of the soil is generally brownish black to grey. The nature of the soil is generally alkaline. In the forest regions it is covered with humus and organic matter. The area can edaphically be characterised into three categories : (i) alluvial soils which are mainly restricted to lower altitudes i.e., 900 m, (ii) brown forest soils at 900-1800 m altitude, and (iii) brown soil in deciduous and grey soil in coniferous forests at 1800-2400 m altitude. 4. General vegetation The major part (62~o) of the region is covered with forests of mixed type of vegetation constituting an enormous wealth of the region. On the drier and exposed sides of hills Pinus roxburghii is the dominant species between 1500 and 1800 m and above this it is replaced by Cedrus deodara Lound. In Pinus and Cedrus forests the ground flora generally consist of grasses and few herbs viz., Desmodium, Crotolaria, Flemingia, Campylotropis, etc. Towards its lower limits Pinus forests pave into forests of mixed species viz., Phyllanthus emblica Linn., Ecology and phytogeography of ferns and fern-allies 309 Eugenia sp., Bauhenia variegata Linn., Ficus roxhburghii wall., and Hameltonia species. In the forests of Quercus dilatata Lindi. which is ordinarily found between 1650-2400 m, few common undercover plants are Berberis asiatica Roxbo ex DC., B. chitria Flare. ex. Don., Desmodium tilioefolium Don., Indigofera gerardiana wall., Myrisine africana Linn., Strobilanthes alatus Nees., S. dalhausianus C. B. Clarke, and Elscholtzia tiara Benth. On the shaded side humus accumulates and is very much favourable for the lush growth of ferns. The vegetation on the shaded side of the slope is of mixed type and is represented by different species viz., Quercus semicarpifolia Sin., Q. dilatata Lindl., along with Rhododendron arboreum Smith., Lyonia ovalifolia (Wail.) Drude., Viburnum, Litsea, Myricanagi Thunb., Comus capitata wallq Alnus nepalensis Don., Caprinus, Ilex, etc. Occasionally a few individuals of Cupressus torulosa Don., Taxus baccata Linn., Picea smithiana Limk., Aesculus indica colebr., Juglans regia finn. etc. may be seen between 1200-2100 m. The deciduous forests are found upto 1800 m. The common trees are Terminalia tomentosa W. and A. Prodr., Bauhenia variegata Linn. B. retusa Buch., Mallotus, philippinensis Muell., Sapium insigne Benth., Sterculia villosa Roxb., [Shrubs are largely subdeeiduous such as Indigofera pulchella Roxb., Rhus parviflora Roxb. Woodfordia fructicosa (L.) Kurz., Murraya koengii Spreng., or evergreen shrubs are Adhatoda vesica Nees., Colebrookia oppositafolia Sin., Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Linn., Pogostemon plactranthoides Desf., Spermodictyon, etc. 5. Ecological observations On the basis of habitat the ferns and fern-allies have been grouped into following categories. 5.1. Epiphytes The epiphytes form an important part of vegetation in this area. They are mainly restricted to the higher elevations (above 2100 m) only viz., Mohankhal, Choptta, and Nagnath hills which experience snow fall during January-February. These ephiphytes grow on trunks of mainly Quercus species and occasionally on Rhododendron species. The conifers harbour very little epiphytic vegetation. Only two species of ferns viz., Lepisorus nudus (Hook) Ching. and L. excavatus (Bory.) Ching. are found growing on the conifers and also on the Quercus species in the thick spongy mats of mosses storing large amount of water and humus. The rhizomos of epiphytes ramify in the spongy mats and perenates over the dormant period, when the fronds wither away. In February to April the rhizome grows vigorously producing new off springs and new fronds. Among the fern-allies Lycopodium lucidulum Michx., L. setaceum Ham. in Don., occur as epiphytes on tree trunks of Quercus and Rhododendron species. These have pendulous aerial branches and form thick patches on the tree trunks and preferably at the point of branching where humus accumulates. Some ferns e.g., Sphenomeris chinensis (L.) Maxon, Athyrium puncticaule (BI.) Moore, Polystichum obliquum (D. Don) Moore, Oleandra pistillaris (Sw.) C. Chr., O. wallichi (Hook.) Pr., Araiostegia pseudocystopteris (Kze.) Copel., A. multi- dentata (Wall.)Bedd., Asplenium dalhousiae Hook., Cyclosorus megaphyllus 310 i) K Awasthl and M P Sharma (Mett.) Ching, Loxogramme involuta (D. Don) Presl., Pyrrosia mollis (Kze.) Chlng., Polypodium argutum Wail., P. microrhizoma clarke ex Bak., Microsorium membra- naeeum (D. Don) Ching., M. pteropus (B1.) Copel, Phymatodes malacodon (Hook.) Copel., P. stewartii (Bedd.) Copel., P. oxyloba (Wall.) Presl., etc., are also common epiphytes on the tree trunks of Quercus and Rhododendron species, on the shaded side of the hills at 2100-2400 m altitude. Like the Lycopodium species, these ferns also form thick patches on the tree trunks. Polypodium argutum Wall. have pendant fronds like that of Lycopodium lucidulum Michx, The closeups of Microsorium membranaceum (D. Don) Ching. are reported from Bhikona and Nagnath growing at the base of trees under shade in excessive humus. Pyrrosia mollis (Kze.) Ching. (from Bhikona) on the other hand grows on the top of the branches and is thus exposed to direct sunlight. Botrychium lanugi- nosum Wall. and B. lunaria (L.) Sw. also accordingly grow as epiphytes on Quercus and Rhododendron trees. 5.2. Terrestrial species 5.2a. Climbers: Only two species were found growing as climbers. They are Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. and L.japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. L.flexuosum was very common in Pine forests and grows profusely in the dry soil in association with plants of Gramineae and Leguminoseae at 1200 m altitude near Gaduna.
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