Biodiversity, richness and spatial distribution of extant Pteridophytes in Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, India

Authors

  • Shaiesh Morajkar Department of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Biotechnology, St Aloysius College (Autonomous), Mangalore, Karnataka 575 003, India; Goa State Wetland Authority, O/o Goa State Biodiversity Board, DSTE complex, Saligao, Bardez, Goa 403 511, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3993-0921
  • Smitha Hegde Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science and Research (NUCSER) Mangalore, Karnataka 575 018, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5978-6835

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2021.8.4.1057

Keywords:

Ferns, Indexing methods, Qualitative, Quantitative, QGIS

Abstract

Pteridophyte richness and diversity in Kudremukh National Park (KNP) was assessed using qualitative and quantitative diversity indexing methods, along with the geographic spatial distribution of the extant pteridophyte flora. The field research design employed a stratified random sampling method and was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 included the survey, identification and distribution of the pteridophyte flora and Phase 2 was to study the diversity of the extant pteridophytes throughout the KNP using seven transects. The region exhibited rich and highly diverse (Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index of 3.38), non-homogenous (compared to normal Raunkiaer’s frequency curve) stand of 46 different unevenly (evenness index 0.64) distributed pteridophyte flora. The study region was dominated by two unambiguous pteridophyte species of weedy nature (Pteridium aquilinum and Dicranopteris linearis), with a high Simpson's dominance index of 0.96. The study reports eight endemic, two rare, five at risk and seven vulnerable and near-threatened IUCN listed pteridophyte species in the study region. The quantitative diversity indices i.e. frequency, density, abundance, relative abundance and important value index of each extant pteridophyte is calculated. The study also noted that some endemic species such as Osmunda huegeliana and Cyathea nilgirensis present in KNP needed immediate conservation efforts. This study gives an extensive report on the extant pteridophyte flora of KNP and will help future taxonomic surveys and research, as well as conservation and sustenance measures.

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Author Biography

Smitha Hegde, Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science and Research (NUCSER) Mangalore, Karnataka 575 018, India

Professor at Nitte University, Karnataka.  Ph.D. in Botany. she has 28 research publication in peer reviewed Journals and is actively working on Phytoremediation, Biodiversity, Environmental Sciences and Plant tissue culture studies in Pteridophytes.

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Published

21-08-2021 — Updated on 01-10-2021

How to Cite

1.
Morajkar S, Hegde S. Biodiversity, richness and spatial distribution of extant Pteridophytes in Kudremukh National Park, Western Ghats, India. Plant Sci. Today [Internet]. 2021 Oct. 1 [cited 2024 Nov. 4];8(4):848–858. Available from: https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/1057

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Research Articles