Phytosociology and Stand Structure of Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Jharkhand, Eastern India

Assessing the composition and structure of ecosystems is of the utmost importance for the conservation of forests. Tree species diversity, distribution pattern and stand structure provide baseline information for conservation and management of the forest. The present study was conducted in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary to assess the diversity, composition, richness and stand structure. Standard sampling method was used for vegetation sampling and data collection. An aggregate of 2876 individuals belonging to 41 species, 34 genera and 22 families were identified from 2.5 ha sampling area. The sanctuary recorded tree density of 1151 ind./ha with a total basal area of 510.807 sq. m. Analysis of IVI value revealed that S. robusta (65.207), B. cochinchinensis (22.451), A. latifolia (18.071), T. tomentosa (15.604) and D. melanoxylon (12.449) were the dominant tree species in the sanctuary. The family Fabaceae was the most species-rich family with 9 species. Over 70% of tree species showed contiguous distribution pattern in the studied area. The sanctuary recorded diversity index (H') of 3.204, richness index (R') of 4.504 and evenness index (E) of 0.863. The stand structure indicates a natural satisfactory regeneration and healthy population in the studied forest areas. Density-girth class distribution showed that more than 75% of the total population was dominated by seedlings and saplings. The research findings suggests that the sanctuary is an ecolologically rich site with an expanding population. An efffective management and conservation strategy will ensure a sustained biodiversity and richness of this protected site.