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Annpurna Devi and Manoj Kumar Jhariya*
Department of Farm Forestry, Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya,
Sarguja, Ambikapur- 497001 (C.G.), India
Email: manu9589@gmail.com
Received-18.05.2026, Revised-09.06.2026, Accepted-27.06.2026
Abstract: The understory or vegetation beneath the forest canopy, or undergrowth, flourishes under the stratum of the forest stand and has significant distribution and impact on diversity, regeneration, nutrient cycling, and ecological functions. These are diverse life forms and have a substantial role in forest ecology, silvicultural aspects, and wildlife perspectives. Generally, the occurrence, distribution, and diversity of understory depend upon the canopy closure, light availability, site quality, and environmental conditions that can favor or limit it in a particular region. The present investigation was carried out in five forest land uses (i.e., degraded forest, moderately dense forest, regenerated forest, dense forest, and teak plantation) in the Duldula region of northern Chhattisgarh. Stratified simple random sampling techniques were used for data collection. A total of 89 species (28 tree species, 14 shrub species, 17 climber species, and 30 herb species) were recorded in different forest stands of the Duldula region of Jashpur (C.G.). In the overall floristic richness tree, shrub, climber, and herb contribute 31.46%, 15.73%, 19.10%, and 33.71%, respectively, in total. The frequency class distribution showed mostly species restricted to Classes A and B, reflecting their infrequent or moderate distribution. The origin of species or nativity analysis reflects that most of the species that occurred in different forest stands are native to India and South Asia. These floristic resources need to be preserved, conserved, and protected for future generations and to achieve sustainability.
Keywords: Distribution, Floristic, Flora, Diversity, Regeneration
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