Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India

Himalayas provide high altitudinal gradients and extreme slopes which may rapid changes in climatic zones over a small distance which reflects noticeable changes in the forest community structures. We identified and analyzed various aspects of forest community composition with the effect of climatic...

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Main Authors: Sheila Sinha, Hemant K. Badola, Bijoy Chhetri, Kailash S. Gaira, Jhony Lepcha, Pitamber P. Dhyani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2018-06-01
Series:Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287884X18300554
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author Sheila Sinha
Hemant K. Badola
Bijoy Chhetri
Kailash S. Gaira
Jhony Lepcha
Pitamber P. Dhyani
author_facet Sheila Sinha
Hemant K. Badola
Bijoy Chhetri
Kailash S. Gaira
Jhony Lepcha
Pitamber P. Dhyani
author_sort Sheila Sinha
collection DOAJ
description Himalayas provide high altitudinal gradients and extreme slopes which may rapid changes in climatic zones over a small distance which reflects noticeable changes in the forest community structures. We identified and analyzed various aspects of forest community composition with the effect of climatic variables and altitudes in the Singalila National Park (SNP), Khangchendzonga Landscape in Eastern Himalayas (India). We encountered 2075 woody individuals of 70 species within a transect (2000 m-3636 m asl). The entire forest regime reflected a dominance of young trees and the species richness showed a negative correlation with the altitude. Climatic variables (actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration and moisture index) are the measures of available environmental energies which drive the final shape of forest community structure. Our study revealed that these forces showed a significant relationship with species richness and altitude of the forest which provides the present shape of forest community composition structure of the SNP.
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spelling doaj.art-12e67aa38ece4a869337c08e0b859aa42022-12-21T23:35:26ZengElsevierJournal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity2287-884X2018-06-0111226727510.1016/j.japb.2018.01.012Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, IndiaSheila Sinha0Hemant K. Badola1Bijoy Chhetri2Kailash S. Gaira3Jhony Lepcha4Pitamber P. Dhyani5G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit, Gangtok, Sikkim 737 101, IndiaG.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit, Gangtok, Sikkim 737 101, IndiaG.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit, Gangtok, Sikkim 737 101, IndiaG.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit, Gangtok, Sikkim 737 101, IndiaG.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Unit, Gangtok, Sikkim 737 101, IndiaG.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Uttarakhand 263 643, IndiaHimalayas provide high altitudinal gradients and extreme slopes which may rapid changes in climatic zones over a small distance which reflects noticeable changes in the forest community structures. We identified and analyzed various aspects of forest community composition with the effect of climatic variables and altitudes in the Singalila National Park (SNP), Khangchendzonga Landscape in Eastern Himalayas (India). We encountered 2075 woody individuals of 70 species within a transect (2000 m-3636 m asl). The entire forest regime reflected a dominance of young trees and the species richness showed a negative correlation with the altitude. Climatic variables (actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration and moisture index) are the measures of available environmental energies which drive the final shape of forest community structure. Our study revealed that these forces showed a significant relationship with species richness and altitude of the forest which provides the present shape of forest community composition structure of the SNP.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287884X18300554altitudinal gradientEastern Himalayaenvironmental factorsforest community compositionSingalila National Park
spellingShingle Sheila Sinha
Hemant K. Badola
Bijoy Chhetri
Kailash S. Gaira
Jhony Lepcha
Pitamber P. Dhyani
Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity
altitudinal gradient
Eastern Himalaya
environmental factors
forest community composition
Singalila National Park
title Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
title_full Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
title_fullStr Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
title_full_unstemmed Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
title_short Effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of Singalila National Park in Khangchendzonga Landscape, Eastern Himalaya, India
title_sort effect of altitude and climate in shaping the forest compositions of singalila national park in khangchendzonga landscape eastern himalaya india
topic altitudinal gradient
Eastern Himalaya
environmental factors
forest community composition
Singalila National Park
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2287884X18300554
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