Community composition and tree population structure in a sub-tropical broad-leaved forest along a disturbance gradient

Abstract

Floristic composition, diversity, dominance and distribution pattern of species and tree population structure were studied in three stands of a sub-tropical wet hill broad-leaved forest of Meghalaya, India, along a disturbance gradient. Tree species diversity declined with increasing disturbance. Disturbed stands showed low equitability or high dominance and the undisturbed stand exhibited high equitability or low dominance. Contagious distribution among the tree species increased with increasing intensity of disturbance. Species showing regular distribution were restricted only to the undisturbed stand. Effect of disturbance on tree population structure was analysed using density-diameter curves. In the disturbed stands tree species showed reverse J-shaped and/or negative exponential curves, while those in the undisturbed stand exhibited sigmoid to bimodal mound shaped curves.