Biodiversity inventory as a tool to determine forest degradation: A case study from tropical forests of Bodamalai, Eastern Ghats, India

Abstract

This study aims to assess the status of forest degradation through inventory of tree species in the tropical forests of Bodamalai, Indian Eastern Ghats.  The Bodamalai complex was divided into ten 6.25 km X 6.25 km grids.  Within each grid a 0.5 ha transect (5 m X 1 km) was inventoried for tree diversity.  A total 64 tree species (>30 cm girth at breast height) representing 50 genera and 32 families were recorded from the total 5 ha area inventoried. The stand density, basal area and AGB for the total 5 ha area were 1449 stems, 27.72 m2 and 315.91 Mg, respectively. A positive correlation was obtained between altitude and stand density, species richness, basal area and AGB, and also with density of evergreen species.