Plant Science Research, Vol. 34, 2012

Tree diversity in moist deciduous forests of Similipal biosphere reserve, Odisha, India

The phytosociological study was conducted in moist deciduous forests of Similipal Biosphere Reserve of Mayurbhanj, Odisha to assess species structure, distribution, diversity and dominance of trees. Enumeration of all tree species ≥ 30 cm GBH yielded a total of 3214 individuals belonging to 141 species, under 105 genera and 41 families. The most dominant families were Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae, Moraceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Fabaceae. Shanon- Weiner Index (H’) was calculated as 3.46 with Simpson Index of dominance of 0.90. Analysis of population density of trees across the girth class interval showed that nearly 31.83 % of individuals belong to 30-50 cm GBH. The result of the study renders a helping hand to the forest managers in preparing a conservation plan for the highly species diverse and threatened ecosystem of moist deciduous forests of Similipal Biosphere Reserve, Mayurbhanj, Odisha.