Author(s):

Sonam Rajput, Dr. CL Thakur and Jayashree Behera

Abstract: In this present study, we aimed to determine the plant diversity and floristic composition in temperate natural forest of western Himalaya. We selected three altitude range viz., lower, middle and higher altitudinal range on four aspects viz., northern, southern, western and eastern. Oak is the dominant tree species followed by pine in the case of tree species at the study site. Berberis aristata and Sarcococca saligna were dominant shrub species which belong to berberidaceae and buxaceae families. In the case of herb species, Cyperus rotundas and Viola serpens were most dominant herb species which belong to cyperaceae and violaceae families whereas, Arisaema sp. was inferior herb species which belong to araceae family. Higher number of tree and shrub species were observed at lower altitudinal range on western aspect and southern aspect whereas, least number of tree and shrub species were observed at higher altitudinal range on eastern aspect but in the herb species, maximum number were recorded at higher altitudinal range on northern aspect and minimum at lower altitudinal range on eastern aspect. In vegetation indices, tree species diversity ranged from 0.47 to 1.28, simpson’s dominace between 0.51 to .021 and species richness from 1.08 to 0.35 and shrub species diversity ranged between 2.09 to 1.40, simpson’s dominace from 0.98 to 057 and species richness ranged from 2.28 to 1.11. In herbaceous, species diversity ranged from 2.45 to 1.66, simpson’s dominace from 093 to 0.51 and species richness between 2.59 to 1.34. A pattern of tree and shrub species reduced with increasing altitude on all aspect but herb species increased with increasing altitude with all aspects. However, tree and shrub species showed similar trend but herb species showed reversed pattern to the tree and shrub species.

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