Impact OF ASPECT ON association OF QUERCUS SPECIES: A CASE STUDY FROM mukteshwar MAHADEV TEMPLE FOREST, KUMAUN himalaya Poonam Mehta*1, 2, Balwant Kumar2, Kapil Bisht1, Shashi Upadhyay1 and K. Chandra Sekar1 1Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Management, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand, India 2Biodiversity Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, S.S.J. Campus, Kumaun University, Almora, Uttarakhand, India *Correspondence:
[email protected] ABSTRACT Community structure and composition are the important factors affecting diversity pattern in plant communities. Pertinently, species diversity along altitudinal gradient and variation of aspect differs in different layers at different scale. Hence, the present study was conducted in Mukteshwar Mahadev temple forest in Nainital district of Uttarakhand to understand the vegetation structure, regeneration pattern and impact of aspect on the association of Quercus species. An altitudinal gradient of 2100- 2300m asl with different aspects was selected for present study. The study site was divided into four compartments with respect to different aspects. One plot of 50x50 m was laid down in each compartment and phytosociological analysis was conducted. In the present study, Quercus floribunda Lindl. ex A. Camus showed dominance in three aspects viz. North East, North and West, while in the South aspect Q. leucotrichophora A. Camus was the dominant species followed by Q. floribunda with different associates in each compartment. The under story vegetation was better in northern and eastern slopes in comparison to the southern slopes possibly due to the invasion of Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) R.M. King & H. Rob. The regeneration of Q.