Impact of anthropogenic disturbances on the liana diversity and need for conservation of resource valued species - Evidences from Indian tropical dry evergreen forests

Impact of anthropogenic disturbances on the liana diversity and need for conservation of resource valued species - Evidences from Indian tropical dry evergreen forests

Re-inventory of lianas were performed in two 1-ha permanent plots at a 19-year interval (2001–2020) in two tropical dry evergreen forest sites (TDEF; Oorani -OR and Puthupet - PP) of Coromandel Coast of India. Overall, 1964 lianas representing 30 species belonging to 24 genera and 18 families were recorded in this study. Liana species richness declined in both the sites since initial inventory. The TDEF sites revealed an overall increase in stem density for the families Loganiaceae, Papilionaceae, Tiliaceae, Combretaceae, and Celastraceae. The site PP subjected to extreme anthropogenic disturbances reported considerable decrease in its stem density. The diameter class 1–3 cm also revealed substantial decline in its stem density. The endemic species Derris ovalifolia showed an increase in its stem density in 19 years. Anthropogenic disturbances resulted in significant decrease in abundance of species such as Gymnema sylvestre and Jasminum angustifolium, which are known for their medicinal value. The present results provide insights on how anthropogenic disturbances alter species diversity, abundance, and resource values of lianas in TDEFs over a period of time, which will certainly be beneficial for proposing management strategies in the conservation of this forest type.