2012, Issue-2, Volume 4

ASSESSMENT OF POPULATION STRUCTURE OF MAJOR TREE SPECIES IN FIRE AFFECTED AREAS OF ACHANAKMAR-AMARKANTAK BIOSPHERE RESERVE

Bhimappa Kittur1 and Manoj Kumar Jhariya2*

 Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Kerala Agriculture University, College of Forestry, Thrissur (Kerala).

Department of Forestry, College of Agriculture, I.G.K.V., Raipur (Chhattisgarh)

*Author for correspondence: manu9589@gmail.com

Abstract : Assessment of population structure of major tree species in fire affected areas of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve was carried out for the study by using stratified random sampling technique. The population structurewas analyzed in different fire zones (i.e., High, Medium, Low and Non-fire zone) of the region. The trees and saplings were analyzed by randomly laying out five quadrats of size 20 x 20 m. A subquadrat of 5 x 5 m size was randomly laid for measuring seedlings. The studyconcluded that the species population in the moist deciduous forests, instead of continuous distribution of all size classes in these forests there had a discontinuation in size classes of several important major tree species in the forests vegetation due to repeated fire effect on these forests more importantly the major species population behaved differently in different fire zones.

Keywords Fire zone, Population structure, Size classes, Species

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