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Assessment of Floristic Diversity and its Structural Composition in Tapi District, South Gujarat, India

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Biology Department, B.K.M. Science College, Valsad, Gujarat, India and Biosciences Department, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, Gujarat, India
  • 2Biology Department, B.K.M. Science College, Valsad, Gujarat, India

Int. Res. J. Biological Sci., Volume 14, Issue (3), Pages 1-12, August,10 (2025)

Abstract

This study examines the floristic diversity and structural composition in the Tapi district of South Gujarat, employing a stratified random sampling method for vegetation assessment. The survey recorded 77 plant species, which included 47 tree species, 20 shrub species, 3 herb species, 2 climber species, 2 grass species, and 1 weed species across 18 families. The vegetation analysis indicated that the plant communities were predominantly from the Lamiaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Asteraceae families, highlighting significant variations in site conditions. The forest's good condition is reflected in the high diversity levels and substantial basal area of woody plant species. Nonetheless, there are observed impacts of human activities and stressors, suggesting the need for proper management to maintain or improve current species diversity. The most dominant species documented, which also had the highest biomass and carbon content, were Butea monosperma, Tectona grandis, Terminalia arjuna, and Terminalia crenulata. Nearly all species exhibited a contagious distribution pattern. The Shannon index values indicate extremely high diversity for all plant habits except for shrub species.

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