Assessment of eco-diversity status of Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott and its habitat in tropical forest of Indian Eastern Himalaya

Authors

  • Khumukcham Ronald Forest Systematic and Ethnobiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8139-6339
  • Padma Raj Gajurel Forest Systematic and Ethnobiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0152-1540
  • Binay Singh Forest Systematic and Ethnobiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2019.6.2.435

Keywords:

Arunachal Pradesh, Tropical forest, Homalomena aromatica, Eastern Himalaya, Population status, Species association and Threats

Abstract

Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott is one of the economically important plant species occurring in the North east and Eastern Himalayan region of India which received least attention in its ecological and conservation studies. The current study has been undertaken in the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The population, phytosociological status of its habitat, regeneration and species association of H. aromatica were worked out using standard ecological methods. Out of the 15 selected forest sites for survey, H. aromatica was found only in 9 sites. A total of 288 species representing 99 families are documented from the selected sites where Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae, Araceae, Dipterocarpaceae and Poaceae are found dominant in all the 9 sites. Species diversity index (H?) of all the three habits i.e. the tree, shrub, and herb were found highest in Happy Valley site followed by Ganga Lake. A total of 219 individuals of H. aromatica recorded which were found confined within the altitudinal ranges of 350m-450m asl. The IVI (1.95 to 9.64) and Frequency % (5 to 12.5) range of H. aromatica found significantly low at all the survey sites. Pearson’s correlation analysis reveals that there is a positive relationship between the population size and the species diversity index, where shrub showed the strongest relationship (r(7)=0.900, P=0.001) followed by tree r(7)=0.736, P=0.024 and the herbs with weakest relationship (r(7)=0.39, P=0.269). The Chi-square test of association indicated significant association of 10 species with H. aromatica in the various sites where Alocasia acuminate (Aracaceae), Amomum sp. (Zingiberaceae) and Pteris sp. (Pteridaceae) showed highest association with higher Chi square value. The poor population status with average density of 3041.67/hectare and 8.89 frequency percentage as well the existing anthropogenic threats to the species recorded in the present study has warrants for its immediate conservation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Khumukcham Ronald, Forest Systematic and Ethnobiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Ph.D Scholar in the deprtment of forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh

Binay Singh, Forest Systematic and Ethnobiology Laboratory, Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, Arunachal Pradesh, India

Professor in department of forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Nirjuli, Arunachal Pradesh

References

1. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 and the Aichi targets. Montreal 2010; Available at http://www.cbd.int/doc/strategic-plan/2011–2020/Aichi-Targets-EN.pdf.

2. Pimm SL, Russell GJ, Gittleman JL, Brooks TM. The future of Biodiversity Science 1995; 269 (5222): 347–530 Available at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/269/5222/347

3. Broennimann O, Vittoz P, Moser D, Guisan A. Rarity types among plant species with high conservation priority in Switzerland. Botanica Helvetica 2005; 115(2): 95-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00035-005-0713-z

4. Lavergne S, Thuiller W, Molina J, Debussche M. Environmental and human factors influencing rare plant local occurrence, extinction and persistence: a 115-year study in the Mediterranean region. Journal of Biogeography 2005; 32(5): 799–811. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01207.x.

5. Lomba A, Pellissier L, Randin C, Vicente J, Moreira F, Honrado J, et al. Overcoming the rare species modelling paradox: A novel hierarchical framework applied to an Iberian endemic plant. Biological Conservation 2010; 143(11): 2647–2657. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.007

6. Hoffmann MH, Ermakov NB. Biogeographical study of West Siberian hemiboreal forest associations with species range overlay methods. Flora 2008;203(3): 234-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2007.01.004

7. The Plant List Available at http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Araceae/Homalomena/

8. Botanical Survey of India. Checklist of Plants of India: Araceae. 2019. Available at http://efloraindia.nic.in/efloraindia/genusList_PCL.action?resultType=familyWise&parent_Id=1830&parent_Name=ARACEAE

9. K?enová Z, Lepš J. Regeneration of a Gentiana pneumonanthe population in an oligotrophic wet meadow. Journal of vegetation Science 1996; 7(1): 107-12.

10. Kusuma YW, Astuti IP. Population and microhabitat characteristic of Homalomena bellula Schott in Mount Slamet, Central Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity 2009; 10(4): 201-205. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d100407

11. Choudhury BI, Khan ML, Arunachalam A, Das AK. Ecology and conservation of the critically endangered tree species Gymnocladus assamicus in Arunachal Pradesh, India. International Journal of Ecology 2007;5. https://doi.org/doi:10.1155/2007/59282

12. Paul A, Gajurel PR, Das AK. Threats and conservation of Paris polyphylla an endangered, highly exploited medicinal plant in the Indian Himalayan Region. Biodiversitas 2015; 16:2. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d160226

13. Das AK, Singha LB, Khan ML. Community structure and species diversity of Pinus merkusii Jungh. & de Vriese forest along an altitudinal gradient in Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Tropical Ecology 2017; 58(2): 397–408.

14. Kehie P, Pfoze NL. Phytochemical and ethnopharmacological overview of endangered Homalomena aromatica Schott: An aromatic medicinal herb of Northeast India. Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources (IJNPR)[Formerly Natural Product Radiance (NPR)]. 2017;8(1):18-31.

15. Ahmed, M. Hand book on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. (Package of Practices). NEDFi, Guwahati. 2005; 33-38.

16. Nath M, Dutta BK, Hajra PK. Medicinal plants used in major diseases by Dimasa tribe of Barak valley. Assam University Journal of Science and Technology 2011; 7(1):18-26.

17. Kar A, Borthakur SK. Wild vegetables of Karbi-anglong district, Assam. Natural Product Radiance 2008; 7(5): 448-460.

18. Duta Choudhury M. Ethnomedico botanical aspects of Reang tribe of Assam: a comprehensive study. Ph. D. thesis, Gauhati University, India 1999 Available at http://ir.inflibnet.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10603/66333/12/12_discussion.pdf

19. Majumdar K, Datta BK. A study on ethnomedicinal usage of plants among the folklore herbalists and Tripuri medical practitioners: Part-II. Natural product Radiance 2007; 6(1): 66-73.

20. Khan MH, Yadava PS. Herbal remedies of asthma in Thoubal district of Manipur in North East India. Indian Journal of Natural Products & Resources 2010; 1(1): 80-84.

21. Rana S, Islam M, Bosunia SN, Mahmud SR, Santa SA, Snigdha SH, Mahal MJ, Rahmatullah M. A survey of medicinal plants used by a village folk medicinal practitioner in Sreemangal Upazila of Maulvibazar district, Bangladesh. American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 2014; 8(1): 1-9.

22. Baruah M. Micro morphology and antimicrobial activity of Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott: A potential aromatic. In S.I. Bhuyan and Sony Kumari (Eds.), Advance in Plant Research. 2015; 228-235, EBH Publishers Guwahati, India. ISBN: 9789383252619.

23. Gramer A. Antibiotic Sensitivity and Assay Test. Butterworth and Co., London 1976.

24. Policegoudra RS, Goswami S, Aradhya SM, Chatterjee S, Datta S, Sivaswamy R, Chattopadhyay P, Singh L. Bioactive constituents of Homalomena aromatica essential oil and its antifungal activity against dermatophytes and yeasts. Journal of Medical Mycology 2012; 22(1): 83-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mycmed.2011.10.007

25. Chandana CB, Anindita T, Acheenta GB, Debesh CP. Ulcer protective activity of ethanolic extract of Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott. Araceae) Root. Advanced Techniques in Biology and Medicine 2014; 2(1): 2-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/albm.1000117

26. Hazarika S, Dhiman S, Rabha B, Bhola RK, Singh L, Smagghe G. Repellent activity of some essential oils against Simulium species in India. Journal of Insect Science 2012; 12(1):5. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.012.0501

27. Watkinson G. Homalomena lauterbachii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened species 2013: e.T44393130A44528996. http://dx.doi.org/102305/IUCN. UK.2013-1.RLTS.T44393130A44528996.en.

28. Nayar MP, Sastry ARK. Red Data Book of Indian Plants. Vol. 1-3. Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta 1990.

29. Ved DK, Kinhal GA, Haridasan K, Ravikumar K, Ghate U, Sankar RV, Indresha JH. (eds.). Conservation assessment and management prioritisation for the medicinal plants of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim. Proceedings of the workshop ‘Conservation assessment and management prioritisation for the medicinal plants of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim,’ Guwahati, 27 February to 1 March 2003. Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bangalore, India.

30. Gajurel PR, Ronald Kh, Buragohain R, Rethy P, Singh B, Potsangbam S. On the present status of distribution and threats of high value medicinal plants in the higher altitude forests of the Indian eastern Himalaya. Journal of Threatened Taxa 2015; 7(6): 7243-7252. https://doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o4041.7243-52

31. Ronald KH, Gajural PR, Buragohain R, Rethy P, Singh B. Poor phyto-sociological status of medicinal plants in Eastern Himalaya: Case study on the present scenario of some rare and economically important medicinal plants. Folia Malaysiana 2016; 18(1): 43-56.

32. Wikipedia, 2017. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Himalaya

33. Champion SH, Seth SK. A revised survey of the forest types of India. A revised survey of the forest types of India. 1968.

34. Kaul RN, Haridasan K. Forest types of Arunachal Pradesh: a preliminary study. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 1987; 9(2): 379-389.

35. Jain SK, Rao RR. A Handbook of Field and Herbarium Technique. Today and Tomorrow Publishers, New Delhi, India. 1977.

36. Misra R. Ecology Work Book. Oxford and IBH Publishing Company, New Delhi, India. 1968;244.

37. Mueller-Dombois D, Ellenberg H. Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology. John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA 1974:547.

38. Shannon CE, Weaver W. The Mathematical Theory of Communities. University of Illionis Press, Urbana 1963.

39. IBM Corp. Released 2010. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.

40. Whitford PB. Distribution of woodland plants in relation to succession and clonal growth. Ecology 1949; 30: 199–208

41. Shankar U. A case of high tree diversity in a Sal (Shorea robusta)-dominated lowland forest of Eastern Himalaya: floristic composition, regeneration and conservation. Current Science 2001; 81(7): 776-786.

42. Whittaker, R.H. Communities and Ecosystems. 2nd edn. Macmillan, New York. 1975.

43. Cramér H. Methods of Mathematical Statistics. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1946.

44. Hore DK. Bioprospecting of Two Wild Plants: Paved Their way towards Commercialization. In Proceeding of International Seminar on "Multidisciplinary Approaches in Angiosperm Systematics" at Kalyani University, Kalyani. 2008; 726-729.

45. Nath PC, Arunachalam A, Khan ML, Arunachalam K, Barbhuiya AR. Vegetation analysis and tree population structure of tropical wet evergreen forests in and around Namdapha National Park, northeast India. Biodiversity & Conservation 2005; 14(9): 2109-2135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-004-4361-1

46. Sarkar M, Devi A. Assessment of diversity, population structure and regeneration status of tree species in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, Northeast India. Tropical Plant Research 2014;1(2): 26-36.

47. Lalfakawma, Sahoo UK, Roy S, Vanlalhriatpuia K, Vanalalhluna PC. Community composition and tree population structure in undisturbed and disturbed tropical semi-evergreen forest stands of north-east India. Ecology and Environmental Research 2009; 7: 303–318

48. Kent M, Coker P. Vegetation Description and Analysis: A practical Approach. Belhaven Press, London 1992.

49. Swamy PS, Sundarandian SM, Chandrasekar P, Chandrasekaran S. Plant species diversity and tree population structure of a humid tropical forest in Tamil Nadu, India. Biodiversity Conservation 2000; 9:1643-1669.

50. Bhuyan P, Khan ML, Tripathi RS. Tree diversity and population structure in undisturbed and human-impacted stands of tropical wet evergreen forest in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India. Biodiversity Conservation 2003; 12(8): 1753-1773.

51. Richards PW. The Tropical Rain Forest. Cambridge University Press, London 1952.

52. Ashton PS. A quantitative phytosociological technique applied to tropical mixed rain forest vegetation. Malayan Forester 1964; 27: 304-317

53. Campbell DG, Stone JL, Rosas AJr. A comparison of the phytosociology and dynamics of three floodplain (Varzea) forests of known ages, Rio Jurua, western Brazilian Amazon. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 1992; 108: 213-237

54. Barbhuiya AR, Arunachalam A, Nath PC, Khan ML, Arunachalam K. Leaf litter decomposition of dominant tree species of Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, northeast India. Journal of Forest Research 2008; 13(1): 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-007-0044-6

55. Burgess PF. The Structure and Composition of Lowland Rainforest in North Borneo. Malayan Forester 1961; 14: 66-80.

56. Sundarapandian SM. Ecological studies on forest ecosystem at Kodayar in Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu. Ph. D. Thesis, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, 1997;113

57. Waide RB, and Lugo AE. A research perspective on disturbance and recovery of a tropical forest. In J.G. Goldammer (ed.), Tropical Forests in Transition. Birkhauser, Basel, Switzerland, 1992;173–189.

58. Whitmore TC, Burslem DFRP. Major disturbances in tropical rainforests. In D.M. Newbery, H.H.T. Prins, and N.D. Brown (eds), Dynamics of Tropical Communities. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, 1998; 549–565.

59. Chazdon RL. Tropical forest recovery: Legacies of human impact and natural disturbances. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 2003; 6(1-2): 51-71.

60. Banerjee AK, Mukherjee A, Dewanji A. Potential distribution of Mikania micrantha Kunth in India? evidence of climatic niche and biome shifts. Flora 2017; 234: 215-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2017.08.001

61. Gokhale Y, Negi AK (eds). Community-based Biodiversity Conservation in the Himalayas. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi. 2011.

62. Parthasarathy N. Biodiversity and population density of woody species in a tropical evergreen forest in Courtallum reserve forest, Western Ghats, India. Tropical Ecology 1997; 38: 297–306.

63. Dattagupta S. Inventory and assessment of plant and animal NTFP in inner line reserve Forest Cachar, Assam, India. Ph. D thesis, Assam University, Shilchar. 2011 Available at http://hdl.handle.net/10603/92880

64. Medel-Narvaez A, de la Luz JL, Freaner-Martinez F, Molina-Freaner F. Patterns of abundance and population structure of Pachycereus pringlei (Cactaceae), a columnar cactus of the Sonoran Desert. Plant Ecology 2006; 187(1):1-4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9128-1

65. Spellerberg IF. Conservation Biology. Longman Publisher, Harlow, England 1996.

66. Lyngdoh MK. Population ecology of threatened ethno_medicinal plant species in relation to forest fragmentation in Kanchendzonga Biosphere Reserve Sikkim. Ph. D thesis, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. 2011.

67. Munishi PK, Temu RA, Soka G. Plant communities and tree species associations in a Miombo ecosystem in the Lake Rukwa basin, Southern Tanzania: Implications for conservation. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment 2010; 3(2): 63-71.

Downloads

Published

31-03-2019

How to Cite

1.
Ronald K, Gajurel PR, Singh B. Assessment of eco-diversity status of Homalomena aromatica (Spreng.) Schott and its habitat in tropical forest of Indian Eastern Himalaya. Plant Sci. Today [Internet]. 2019 Mar. 31 [cited 2024 May 10];6(2):71-83. Available from: https://horizonepublishing.com/journals/index.php/PST/article/view/435

Issue

Section

Research Articles