The Phytosociological study of fire impacted tropical grasslands in northeast India
Phytosociological study of fire impacted tropical grasslands
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/eurojecol.v11i2.21193Keywords:
Imperata cylindrica, Spermacoce pusilla, Poaceae, Importance Value Index, annuals, cryptophytes, life-form, perennials, phenophases, propagation, therophytes, vegetativeAbstract
Tropical grasslands in South Assam, northeast India originated as a result of secondary succession on the abandoned lands after cultivation or deforestation. The grasslands are dominated by Imperata cylindrica and maintained under fire management as a customary practice. The rice farming communities exploit these grasslands for obtaining thatch leaves. This paper therefore, explores the culturally old grassland in Dorgakona, South Assam, northeast India and the impact of fire regime on its herbaceous flora and grasses. It presents 1) vegetation study to generate quantitative information on analytical characters of grasses and associated species and 2) an analysis of life-forms, biological spectrum and phenology of the grassland herbaceous flora followed by citing the significance of the current vegetation studies. Imperata cylindrica was dominant based on IVI (132. 27 and 141.68) for the burnt and unburnt plots respectively. Borreria pusilla (co-dominant) with IVI of (63.10 and 29.75) was fire dependent species as revealed by the data sequentially placed for burnt and unburnt plots respectively. Fire induced grasses (Chrysopogon aciculatus and Sacciolepis indica), tuber (Colocasia esculenta) were restricted to burnt plot. Multifold proliferation in the therophytes and cryptophytes occurred over Raunkiaer’s spectrum assigned with thero-cryptophytic climate. Plant phenological study revealed sequential changes in the phenoogical events. The tropical grasslands are predominated with fire resistant I. cylindrica and are adapted to the indigenous management procedures. It is recommended that the outcome of this study will generate valuable database for future researches on the degraded lands.
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