Ecology of amorphophallus species in Uttara Kannada District of the Karnataka State, India: implications for conservation

Abstract

Several Amorpbopballus species are cul tivated for their edible tubers Nine of their congenerics are present in the Western Ghats The abundance, spatial distribution patterns, and ecology of these species were studied. Based on abundance the habitat preference for these species in decreasing order is as follows: open scrub, mesa, Acacia auriculiformis plantations, disturbed evergreen forests, cashew and eucalyptus plantations, casuarina plantations, and be telnut orchards Within a particular habitat, the spatial distribution patterns were clumped. The reasons behind such clump ing could lie in their dispersal, reproduc live ecology, and species associations, The implications of such distribution patterns on in situ conservation measures for these plant species are discussed. Amorpbopbal lusspecies seem to be plants of humid hab itats preferring an intermediate level of disturbance but not large scale habitat trans formations. Large scale habitat transfer mations seem to be breaking their ecological links with their pollinators and dispersal agents resulting in reduction of their populations.