Research Article | Published: 01 June 2004

Evaluation of plant diversity and soil quality under plantations raised in surface mined areas

R. K. Verma, K. S. Kapoor, S. P. Subramani and Ranjeet S. Rawat

Indian Journal of Forestry | Volume: 27 | Issue: 2 | Page No. 227-233 | 2004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2004-338Y28 | Cite this article

Abstract

Studies to evaluate the changes in plant diversity and chemical properties of soil under the plantations of Cupressus torulosa D. Don and Robinia pseud-acacia Linn. raised on mine overburden areas near Paonta Sahib in Sirmour District of Himachal Pradesh were carried out during August, 2000. The number of ground flora species as recorded under Cupressus torulosa and Robinia pseud-acacia plantations were 30 m-2 and 42 m-2 respectively. On the basis of Importance Value Index (IVI), Oplismenus compositus and Eupatorium adenophorum were found to be the dominant herbs under Cupressus torulosa and Robinia pseud-acacia plantation respectively.  In general, distribution of most of ground flora species was contiguous. Index of dominance was lower and index of diversity was higher for ground flora under plantations as compared to the exposed mine overburden area.  The ground flora under Robinia pseud-acacia has highest diversity index (4.223). The index of dissimilarity between plantations and exposed mine overburden area was high indicate remarkable degree of dissimilarity in ground flora species. However, there was plenty of similarity between two plantations as far as ground flora under them was concerned. Soil under plantations revealed better fertility status in comparison to exposed mine overburden area.

Keywords

Access Options

250/-

Buy Full Access in HTML Format

Instant access to the full article.

Get access to the full version of this article. Buy Full Access in HTML Format

References

1. Curtis, J.T. and Cottam, G. (1956).  Plant Ecology Work Book: Laboratory Field Reference Manual. Burgess Publishing Co., Minnesota. 193 pp.

Google Scholar

2. Curtis, J.T. and McIntosh, R.P. (1950). The inter-relations of certain analysis and synthetic phyto-sociological characters. Ecology, 31: 434-455.  https://doi.org/10.2307/1931497

Google Scholar

3. Jackson, M.L. (1973). Soil Chemical Analysis. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, 498 pp.

Google Scholar

4. Kershaw, K.A. (1973). Quantitative and Dynamic Plant Ecology. Edward Arnold Ltd., London. 308 pp.

5. Kunhikannan, C.; Verma, Ram K.; Verma, Raj K.; Khatri, P. K. and Totey, N.G. (1998). Ground flora, soil micro-flora and fauna diversity under plantation ecosystem on bhata land of Bilaspur, Madhya Pradesh. Environment & Ecology, 16(3): 539-548.

Google Scholar

6. Pande, P.K.; Bisht, A.P.S. and Sharma, S.C. (1988). Comparative vegetation analysis of some plantation ecosystems. Indian Forester, 114: 379-389.

Google Scholar

7. Parrotta, J.A. (1993). Secondary forest regeneration on degraded tropical lands: the role of plantations as ‘foster ecosystem’. In: H. Lieth and M. Lohmana (Eds.). Restoration of Tropical Forest Ecosystem. Kluwar Academic Publishers, Netherlands. pp. 63-73.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2896-6_6

Google Scholar

8. Prasad, Ram and Pandey, R.K. (1985). Natural plant succession in the rehabilitated bauxite and coal mine overburden of Madhya Pradesh. Journal of Tropical Forestry, 1(4): 309-320.

Google Scholar

9. Shannon, C.E. and Wiener, W. (1963). The Mathematical Theory of Communication. Univ. of Illinois Press, Illinois, U.S.A.

Google Scholar

10. Simpson, E.H. (1949). Measurement of Diversity. Nature, 163: 688.  https://doi.org/10.1038/163688a0

11. Sorenson, T. (1941). Temperature Relations and Phenology of the North East Greenland Flowering Plants.  Meddel Greenland,  125: 305.

Google Scholar

12. Singh, A.K. and Totey, N.G. (1985). Physico-chemical Properties of Bhata Soils of Raipur (M.P.) as affected by plantation of different tree species. Journal of Tropical Forestry,  1(1): 61-69.

Google Scholar

13. Singh, J.S. and Yadava, P.S. (1974). Seasonal variation in composition, plant biomass and net primary productivity of a tropical grassland at Kurukshetra, India. Ecology Monograph, 44: 357-375.  https://doi.org/10.2307/2937034

Google Scholar

14. Soni, P.; Vasistha, H.B. and Kumar, Om (1989).  Biological Diversity in Surface Mined Areas after Reclamation. Indian Forester, 115: 475-482.

Google Scholar

About this article

How to cite

Verma, R.K., Kapoor, K.S., Subramani, S.P. and Rawat, R.S., 2004. Evaluation of plant diversity and soil quality under plantations raised in surface mined areas. Indian Journal of Forestry, 27(2), pp.227-233. https://doi.org/10.54207/bsmps1000-2004-338Y28

Publication History

Manuscript Published on 01 June 2004

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: