Floristic composition and ecological assessment of tree species diversity in tropical forests of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Background and Aim: Phytosociological investigation of vegetation serves as a pre-requisite for investigating the details of the
primary productivity of an ecosystem. The present study deals with Environmental Statistics and Ecological Assessment of tree
species diversity in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: The present investigation deals
with the comparison of species diversity indices of plant species i.e., Simpson’s index, Shannon –wiener index, species richness
with other counter parts. Importance Value Index = Relative density + Relative frequency + Relative dominance Based on the
frequency classes of tree species were determined. According to Raunkiaer classify to There are 5 frequency classes, i.e. 'A' class
with the species of frequency ranging from 1-20%; 'B' class 21- 40%; 'C' class 41-60%; 'D' class 61-80% and 'E' class 81- 100%
based on the frequency pattern of the community, the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the vegetation. Results: The study
resulted in documentation of total 165 tree species, belonging to 119 genera and 50 families were recorded, and 160 are dicots and
5 are monocots. The ecological studies have taken up to visualize the positive impact of protection on tree diversity. Conclusion:
An understanding of the distribution of tree species and their assemblages must play an important role in elucidating the larger
patterns of distribution of diversity. The quantitative inventory of tree species diversity revealed a considerable variation in the
composition of dominant species and density in various forest areas and the estimations of IVI have helped to understanding the
ecological significance of the species, present in different communities.