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Liana diversity and host relationships in a tropical evergreen forest in the Indian Eastern Ghats
Author(s) -
Chittibabu C. V.,
Parthasarathy N.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1703.2001.00414.x
Subject(s) - liana , biology , evergreen , basal area , evergreen forest , host (biology) , botany , ecology , population , demography , sociology
In tropical evergreen forest in the Kolli Hills of the Indian Eastern Ghats, four 2 ha (100 m × 200 m) replicate plots (two plots each in undisturbed and human‐impacted sites), were inventoried for species diversity of lianas ≥5 cm girth at breast height (g.b.h.) and their relationships with ≥30 cm g.b.h. host trees. Liana diversity included 26 species from 18 families and 24 genera. The population density and basal area of lianas in the study plots were 48 individuals ha −1 and 0.23 m 2 ha −1 , respectively, while those of the trees were 478 stems ha −1 and 43.6 m 2 ha −1 , respectively. As the lianas and their hosts had often been cut in the disturbed sites, their diversity was less there than in the undisturbed sites. Five (19%) liana species were common to all four sites. Three lianas, Hiptage benghalensis (Malpighiaceae), Elaeagnus indica (Elaeagnaceae) and Gnetum ula (Gnetaceae) were dominant. The twining mechanism (54% of liana species and 71% of individuals) and zoochorous diaspores (73% of species and 77% of individuals) predominated. A total of 336 trees from 39 species, 34 genera and 22 families hosted 345 lianas. The ratio of liana : host for species was 1 : 1.5 and for individuals was 1 : 1. Liana preferences for certain host trees, host girth classes and trellis heights were evident.