Spatial pattern of tree diversity and impacts of ecological disturbances on forest structure in tropical deciduous forests of Central India

Abstract

Tropical forests are the most complex and diverse terrestrial ecosystems on earth, which are undergoing rapid fragmentation, degradation (Janzen, 1998), and deforestation posing an enormous threat to global biodiversity (Barlow et al., 2016;Hare et al., 1997). It covers only 7% of the earth's land surface with >50% of the known species that are disappearing at a rate of 0.8-2.0% year −1 (Sagar et al., 2003) with the global declining rate of 13.5 Mha of forests year −1 (Kobayashi, 2004). More than half of the forest tree species worldwide are being threatened with anthropogenic disturbances and environmental changes (ter Steege et al., 2015) of which ~7800 tree species are threatened with extinction (Oldfield et al., 1998).

Biodiversity of India: Evolution, biogeography, and conservation

“…Kumar et al (2022) provide a detailed account of tree diversity, population structure, regeneration status, and ecological disturbances in tropical deciduous forests in Central India. These forests show high regeneration potential consisting of a large number of seedlings followed by saplings and adult trees.…”

“…Shivaprakash et al (2022), through phylogenetic analyses and trait mapping of the Myristicaceae trees in the Western Ghats, identify environmental heterogeneity and seasonal flooding as important drivers of diversification and evolution of the trees of this family in the Western Ghats in India. Kumar et al (2022) provide a detailed account of tree diversity, population structure, regeneration status, and ecological disturbances in tropical deciduous forests in Central India. These forests show high regeneration potential consisting of a large number of seedlings followed by saplings and adult trees.…”