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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Elsevier
2018-06-01
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Series: | Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity |
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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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issn | 2287-884X |
language | English |
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publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
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series | Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity |
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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