Check List 5(2): 254–269, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Angiosperms of North Andaman, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India Pillutla Rama Chandra Prasad 1, 6 Chintala Sudhakar Reddy 2 Raparla Kanaka Vara Iakshmi 3 Parasa Vijaya Kumari 4 Syed Hasan Raza 5 1 Lab. for spatial Informatics, International Institute of Information Technology. Gachibowli, Hyderabad, 500032. India. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Forestry and Ecology Division, National Remote Sensing Agency, Dept of Space. Balanagar, Hyderabad - 500037 India. 3 Department of Botany Viveka Vardhini College of Arts, Commerce and Science. Jam Bagh, Hyderabad - 500195, India. 4 Department of Botany, Bhavan’s New Science. Narayanaguda, Hyderabad -500029, India. 5 5Aurora’s Scientific Technological & Research Academy. Bandlaguda, Hyderabad - 500005, India Abstract The present paper focus on the phytosociological survey carried out in North Andaman part of Andaman and Nicobar islands and enlists the plant species with their habit and forest types they belong. The study area showed five important forest types viz., evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, mangroves and littoral. The survey in these islands encountered 241 tree species, 119 climbers, 45 shrubs and 49 herbs from 62, 41, 24 and 23 families respectively from a sample of 203 quadrats of 0.1 ha size. Euphorbiaceae is found to be dominant family represented by 34 species belong to 21 genera. The result of the survey indicates the potential species richness of the study site that encompasses a vivid biodiversity. It also provides a data base on North Andaman plant species which can be utilized in the context of species conservation and future inventories. Introduction Tropical rain forests are one of the nature’s most ground herb forming distinct layers or synusiae. complicated landscapes and deserve special The flora shows affinities towards the Burmese attention as they harbor high species richness and and Malaysian type (Hajra et al. 1999) and the diversity and function as invaluable gene banks. isolated island ecosystem nature favored these Within Indian sub continent these forest are found forest in maintaining high endemism, rarity and in the Andaman and Nicobar islands (A&N), the flora distinct from the neighbouring land. Due to Western Ghats and the greater Assam region in the inaccessibility in approaching these islands as the North east. A&N islands popularly known as well as due to the presence of primitive tribes Bay islands, located between 10° 13' and 13° 30' much study was not carried out in these areas N latitudes and 92°15' and 93°10' E longitude, related to phytodiversity. stretching over 800 km in Bay of Bengal comprise 572 islands, reefs and rocks (Figure 1). However in the recent past considerable floristic and ecological studies (Balakrishnan and Rao These islands are one of the national wealthy 1983; Ananda and Chakraborti 1987; Dagar 1989; forest regions enriched with variety of flora, Pradeep 1998; Hitendra et al. 2004; Roy et al. structuring from tall canopy trees to the under 2005; Prasad et al. 2007; 2008; Reddy et al. 2008) 254 Check List 5(2): 254–269, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES were initiated to reveal the species richness and deciduous, Mangroves and Littoral forest (Figure diversity of these islands. Under the Jaivigyan 2). The study of Prasad et al. (2007; 2008) science and technology mission project a study concluded these islands as repository of high was carried out in these emerald islands, entitled species richness and phytodiversity. A “Biodiversity characterization at landscape level considerable extent of islands species richness is in Andaman and Nicobar islands using remote also contributed by the Saddle peak national park sensing and GIS”. The primary objective with an altitude of 732 m above m. s. l. (Reddy et of the project is to prepare a vegetation cover al. 2008). type and density map of the A&N islands along with detailed assessment of biodiversity and Data collection its distribution at community level. The present As the part of project, a field inventory was paper focus on the phytosociological survey carried out to collect phytosociological data carried out in North Andaman Islands of A&N within different forest types of North Andaman and enlists the plant species encountered during Islands. Keeping in view of time and accessibility the study belonging to various habit and forest to the plot, quadrats were sampled covering all the types. vegetation types in different disturbance regimes and micro climatic conditions. The size of the Materials and methods quadrat was determined using species area curve Study area and finally 0.1 ha size was considered as optimum North Andaman is the northern most islands and unit for sampling. About 203 quadrats of 0.1 ha form one of the major divisions of Andaman size were sampled distributed in different region (Figure 1). The showers from the dual vegetation types viz., evergreen (62 plots), semi monsoons keep the forest in wet evergreen evergreen (58), moist deciduous (75), mangrove condition and house different species belonging to (5) and littoral (3). Within each plot all the life trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, etc. Champion and forms encountered were listed. Species were Seth (1968) classified vegetation of North identified with the help of field botanist, literature Andaman into Andaman tropical evergreen, and from the authentic specimens of Botanical Andaman semi evergreen, Andaman moist survey of India, Port Blair, South Andaman. Figure 1. Location map of North Andaman Islands. 255 Check List 5(2): 254–269, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Figure 2. Forest types of North Andaman Islands. ———————————————— Results and discussion with 34 species represented by 21 genera. Out of Ecosystem integrity of an island ecosystem 34 species, 30 belong to tree storey, 3 to shrubs depends on plant cover which inturn influenced and one climber. Rubiaceae (22 species and 18 by the type of vegetation and its stability. The genera) and Annonaceae (18 species and 12 North Andaman forest showed typical tropical genera) were observed to be the dominating forest physiognomy represented by top, middle family next to Euphorbiaceae. The result of the and lower canopy of trees entangled with lianas survey indicates the potential species richness of and climbers along with under ground shrub and the study site that encompasses a vivid herb strata. The floristic survey in these islands biodiversity with in an area of 1458 km2. This can encountered about 241 tree species, 119 climbers, be attributed, mainly to the existence of a broad 45 shrubs and 49 herbs from 62, 41, 24 and 23 range of ecological habitats and high diverse set families respectively (Appendix 1). of ecosystems varying from sandy beaches / Euphorbiaceae is found to be species rich family littoral to dense humid evergreen forest. 256 Check List 5(2): 254–269, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES The present survey provides a data base on North in the extinction of species (Prasad et al. 2009). Andaman plant species which can be utilized in Apart from anthropogenic interferences forest loss the context of species conservation and future also occurs because of natural causes like soil inventories. Conservation of rare, endangered and erosion and displacement of organic matter due to endemic species is necessary for preservation of high tides and much more by hazards like tsunami species diversity. Currently forests of these (Roy and Krishnan 2005). Continuous field islands are also prone to various anthropogenic studies that updates the data base to know the activities resulting in the fragmentation of forest status of species and conservation policies and into patches. Fragmentation process shows effect programmes to certain extent may help in on species, especially on unique, rare and understanding and protecting the unique endemic, threatening their survival and resulting ecosystem of these islands. ———————————————— Acknowledgements The study was carried out under Jaivigyan Science and Technology Mission project. Authors are thankful to the colleagues of forestry and ecology division for their assistance during the project. Also the officials of Andaman forest are duly acknowledged for their extended help during field inventory. ———————————————— Literature cited Ananda, R. T. and S. Chakraborti. 1987. Distributional Phytosociological data. Research Journal of resume of coastal elements in the Andaman and Environmental Sciences 2 (1): 1-12. Nicobar Islands. Current Science 56: 11-21. Prasad, R. C. P., A. N. Sringeswara, C. S. Reddy, Balakrishnan, N. P. and M. K. V. Rao. 1983. The Nidhi. Nagabhatla, K. S. Rajan, A. Giriraj, M. S. R. dwindling plant species of Andaman and Nicobar Murthy, S. H. Raza, and C. B. S. Dutt. 2009. Islands; p. 186-202 In Author of the book (ed.). An Assessment of Forest Fragmentation and Species assessment of threatened plants of India. Calcutta: Diversity in North Andaman Islands (India) – A Naba Mudran Private Limited. Geospatial Approach. International Journal of Champion, H. G. and S. K. Seth. 1968. A revised Ecology Survey of the Forest Types of India: Government of and Development 13:35-48. India Publication Division, New Delhi. 413 p. Reddy, C. S. and P. R. C. Prasad. 2008. Tree flora of Dagar, J. C.1989. Endemic Plant species of Bay Saddle Peak National Park, Andaman, India. Journal Islands. Journal of Andaman Science Association 5: of Plant Sciences 3 (1): 1-17. 161-168. Roy, P. S., P. Hitendra, N. Chauhan, M. C. Porwal, S. Hajra, P. K., P. S .N. Rao, and V. Mudgal. 1999. Flora Biswas, and R. Jagdale. 2005. 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