Study of Chir Pine (Pinus roxburghii Sarg.) Community along an Altitudinal Gradient in Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Present study reports vegetational analysis of a forest dominated by Pinus roxburghii at different slopes. Competition was observed in shrub layer between Berberis aristata and Rhus parviflora, Rubus ellipticus and Pyrus pashia, and Pyrus pashia and Berberis aristata. Community diversity, beta-diversity and concentration of dominance ranged from 1.31 to 2.87; 2.0 to 2.96; and 0.09 to 0.207, respectively. Community diversity was highest (2.87) on the upper slope and was directly related to the number of shrub species. The concentration of dominance followed the opposite trend of diversity index at all the slopes.