Effect of disturbance, habitat fragmentation and alien invasive plants on floral diversity in dry tropical forests of Vindhyan highland: a review

(Uploaded by Plazi for the IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment) Effect of disturbance, habitat fragmentation and exotic plant species invasion on plant diversity is documented for the dry deciduous forests of India's Vindhyan highlands. Plant communities were identified with the help of satellite imagery and ground data, and community wise diversity was estimated. Analysis of landscape matrices using satellite images and GIS tools showed deforestation of smaller fragments, and fragmentation and degradation of larger ones. Fragments of smaller size had lesser number of plant communities compared to larger fragments. Generally large size fragments were species rich and more diverse as compared to smaller fragments. Lagestoemia-Acacia-Lannea community was richest for both tree and herb strata, whereas Shorea-Buchanania community was the richest when all vascular flora were considered. The study indicates that species rich communities of the dry tropical forests are not only being reduced in area but they are also becoming species poor and less diverse due to rapid deforestation and forest fragmentation. The communities most vulnerable to alien invasive plants were Acacia-Terminalia, Terminalia-Shorea and Hardwickia-Acacia. Ecological implications of plant invasion are discussed and conservation measures suggested.