Abstract
Construction of big dams on rivers develops artificial lakes or water reservoirs which conceive alterations in soil properties of the upstream catchment area. An undulating topography and freckly soil properties cause ups and downs in tree diversity, composition and distribution. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Gobind Sagar reservoir on soil properties relative to the distance from it and aßsess its effect on tree diversity, evenness and their distribution in tropical and subtropical forests. Based on data analysis it was found that the soil moisture and organic carbon decreased along with increasing distance from the reservoir. It played a significant role in varying tree diversity. The sites distributed within 0–2 km showed significantly higher a and β-diversity indices. Tree species richness and diversity indices showed a strong correlation (p < 0.05) with soil moisture and organic carbon content. Simpson’s and McIntosh evenness indices showed a strong negative correlation with soil bulk density. Indirect Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) identified soil moisture and soil organic carbon as two major environmental gradients that influenced tree diversity and their distribution in five tropical and four subtropical forests in an upstream catchment of the reservoir. Mixed forests inhabited moist sites and Acacia-Pinus forests showed an inclination to dry areas. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that the tree species in tropical forests were mainly affected by driving forces such as soil moisture, organic carbon and bulk density whereas, in subtropical forest tree species were influenced by elevation, soil pH, EC and clay content.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allen SE, Grimshaw HM, Parkinson JA, et al. (1974) Chemical Analysis of Ecology Materials. Blackwell Scientific Publication, Oxford. p 565.
Anonymous (2005) Unravelling Bhakra: Assessing the temple of resurgent India. Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, Badwani, India. p 201.
Baniya CB, Solhoy T, Vetaas OR (2009) Temporal changes in species diversity and composition in abandoned fields in a trans-Himalayan landscape, Nepal. Plant Ecology 201: 383–399. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-008-9473-3
Battigelli JP, Spence JR, Langor DW, et al. (2004) Short-term impact of forest soil compaction and organic matter removal on soil meso-fauna density and oribatid mite diversity. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 34(5): 1136–1149. DOI: 10.1139/x03-267
Bhattarai KR, Vetaas OR, Grytnes JA (2004) Fern species richness along a central Himalayan elevational gradient, Nepal. Journal of Biogeography 31(3): 389–400. DOI: 10.1046/j.0305-0270.2003.01013.x
Bouyoucos GJ (1962) Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analysis of soils. Agronomy Journal 54: 464–465. DOI: 10.2134/agronj1962.00021962005400050028x
Chaturvedi RK, Raghubanshi AS (2014) Species composition, distribution, and diversity of woody species in a tropical dry forest of India. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 33: 729–756. DOI: 10.1080/10549811.2014.925402
Chen YN, Zilliacus H, Li WH, et al. (2006) Ground-water level affects plant species diversity along the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Western China. Journal of Arid Environments 66: 231–246. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.11.009
Cunha DDA, Ferreira LV (2012) Impacts of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam construction on pioneer vegetation formations along the Xingu River, Para State, Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Botany 35(2): 159–167. DOI: 10.1590/S0100-84042012000200005
Curtis JT, McIntosh RP (1951) An upland forest continuum in the prairie-forest border region of Wisconsin. Ecology 31: 476–496. DOI: 10.2307/1931725
Devi LS, Yadava PS (2006) Floristic diversity assessment and vegetation analysis of tropical semi-evergreen forest of Manipur, north east India. Tropical Ecology 47(1): 89–98.
Dorgeloh WG (1999) Diversity of the herbaceous layer in mixed bushveld. Journal of Range Management 52: 519–524.
EI-Ghareeb RM, EI-Sheikh MA, Testi A (2006) Diversity of plant communities in coastal salt marshes habitat in Kuwait. Rendiconti Lincei 17(3): 311–331. DOI: 10.1007/BF02904769
Esler K, Cowling RM (1993) Edaphic factors and competition as determinants of pattern in South African Karoo vegetation. South African Journal of Botany 59(3): 287–295.
Gairola S, Sharma CM, Ghildiyal SK, et al. (2012) Chemical properties of soils in relation to forest composition in moist temperate valley slopes of Garhwal Himalaya, India. Environmentalist 32: 512–523. DOI: 10.1007/s10669-012-9420-7
Gautam MK, Manhas RK, Tripathi AK (2014) Plant species diversity in unmanaged moist deciduous forest of Northern India. Current Science 106(2): 277–287.
Gautam MK, Tripathi AK, Manhas RK (2007) Indicator species for the natural regeneration of sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.). Current Science 93: 1359–1361. DOI: 10.1007/s12040-011-0008-2
Ghanbarpour MR, Zolfaghari S, Geiss C (2013) Investigation of river flow alterations using environmental flow assessment and hydrologic indices: Tajan River Watershed, Iran. International Journal of River Basin Management 11(3): 311–321. DOI: 10.1080/15715124.2013.823978
Goldblatt P, Manning JC (2002) Plant diversity of the Cape region of Southern Africa. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89: 281–302. DOI: 10.2307/3298566
Hill MO (1973) Diversity and evenness: A unifying notation and its consequences. Ecology 54: 427–432. DOI: 10.2307/1934352
Hill MO, Gauch HG (1980) Detrended correspondence analysis: An improved ordination technique. Vegetatio 42(1-3): 47–58. DOI: 10.1007/BF00048870
Hussain MS, Sultana A, Khan JA, et al. (2008). Species composition and community structure of forest stands in Kumaon Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India. Tropical Ecology 49(2): 167–181.
Jahantigh M, Pessarakli M (2011) Causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural lands and the environment. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 42 (18): 2250–2255. DOI:10.1080/00103624.2011.602456
Jia X, Shao M, Wei X, et al. (2014) Response of soil CO2 efflux to water addition in temperate semiarid grassland in northern China: The importance of water availability and species composition. Biology and Fertility of Soils 50(5): 839–850. DOI: 10.1007/s00374-014-0901-3
Kazimierski LD, Irigoyen M, Re M, et al. (2013) Impact of climate change on sediment yield from the upper Plata Basin. International Journal of River Basin Management 11(4): 411–421. DOI: 10.1080/15715124.2013.828066
Kirsch JL, Fischer DG, Kazakova AN, et al. (2012). Diversitycarbon flux relationships in a northwest forest. Diversity 4(1): 33–58. DOI: 10.3390/d4010033
Konollova I, Chytry M (2004) Oak hornbeam forests of the Czech Republic: Geo-graphical and ecological approach to vegetation classification. Preslia Praha 76: 291–311.
Kumar A, Bruce GM, Ajai S (2006) Tree species diversity and distribution patterns in tropical forests of Garo Hills. Current Science 91: 1370–1381.
Kumar JIN, Patel K, Kumar RN, et al. (2011) Forest structure, diversity and soil properties in a dry tropical forest in Rajasthan, Western India. Annals of Forest Research 54(1): 89–98.
Loiseau P, Louault F, Le RX (2005) Does extensification of rich grasslands alter the C and N cycles, directly or via species composition? Basic and Applied Ecology 6(3): 275–287. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2004.07.006
Magurran AE (1988) Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Chapman and Hall, London. p 410.
Mani S, Parthasarathy N (2006) Tree diversity and stand structure in inland and coastal tropical dry evergreen forests of peninsular India. Current Science 90: 1238–1246.
McCartney MP, Sullivan C, Acreman MC (2001) Ecosystem Impacts of Large Dams. Background Paper Nr. 2 Prepared for IUCN /UNEP /WCD. IUCN and UNEP, Switzerland. p 81.
McIntosh RP (1967) An index of diversity and the relation of certain concepts to diversity. Ecology 48: 392–402. DOI: 10.2307/1932674
Moeslund JE, Arge L, Bocher PK, et al. (2013) Topographically controlled soil moisture drives plant diversity patterns within grasslands. Biodiversity Conservation 22: 2151–2166. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-013-0442-3
Namgail T, Rawat GS, Mishra C, et al. (2012) Biomass and diversity of dry alpine plant communities along altitudinal gradients in the Himalayas. Journal of Plant Research 125: 93–101. DOI: 10.1007/s10265-011-0430-1
Naqinezhad A, Hamzehee B, Attar F (2008) Vegetationenvironment relationships in the alder wood communities of Caspian lowlands, N. Iran (toward an ecological classification). Flora 203: 567–577. DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2007.09.007
Ndomba PM (2010) Modelling of sedimentation upstream of Nyumba Ya Mungu reservoir in Pangani river basin. Nile Basin Water Science and Engineering Journal 3(2): 25–38.
Okland RH, Rydgren K, Okland T (2008) Species richness in boreal swamp forests of SE Norway: The role of surface microtopography. Journal of Vegetation Science 19(1): 67–74. DOI: 10.3170/2007-8-18330
Pandey B, Agrawal M, Singh S (2014) Coal mining activities change plant community structure due to air pollution and soil degradation. Ecotoxicology 23: 1474–1483. DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1289-4
Patrick R (1997) Biodiversity: What is important? In: Reaka-Kudla ML et al. (eds.), Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Biological Resources. Joseph Henry Press, Washington, DC, USA. pp 15–24.
Pausas JG, Austin MP (2001) Patterns of plant species richness in relation to different environments: An appraisal. Journal of Vegetation Science 12: 153–166. DOI: 10.2307/3236601
Peyre A, Guidal A, Wiersum KF, et al. (2006) Dynamics of homegarden structure and function in Kerala, India. Agroforestry Systems 66: 101–115. DOI: 10.1007/s10457-005-2919-x
Poorbabaei H, Poor-Rostam A (2009) The effect of shelterwood silvicultural method on the plant species diversity in a beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) forest in the north of Iran. Journal of Forest Science 55(8): 387–394.
Ram J, Kumar A, Bhatt J (2004) Plant diversity in six forest types of Uttaranchal, Central Himalaya, India. Current Science 86: 975–978.
Rautela P, Rakshit R, Jha VK, et al. (2002) GIS and remote sensing-based study of the reservoir-induced land-use/landcover changes in the catchment of Tehri dam in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttaranchal (India). Current Science 83(3): 308–311.
Raverkar KP, Tripathi D, Kaushal R (2012) Capability of wasteland soils of north-western Himalayas to support nodulation and growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation 40(1): 78–83.
Reddy RA, Balkwill K, McLellan T (2009) Plant species richness and diversity of the serpentine areas on the Witwatersrand. Plant Ecology 201: 365–381. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-008-9455-5
Ru W, Zhang JT (2012) Ecological study of forests dominated by endangered species, Taxus chinensis var. Mairei, in Shanxi of China. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 10(4): 457–470. DOI: 10.15666/aeer/1004_457470
Sarkar M, Devi A (2014) Assessment of diversity, population structure and regeneration status of tree species in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, Northeast India. Tropical Plant Research 1(2): 26–36.
Shannon CE, Weiner W (1963) The Mathematical Theory of Communication. University of Illinois Press, Urana, USA. p 144.
Sharma CM, Suyal S, Gairola S, et al. (2009) Species richness and diversity along altitudinal gradient in moist temperate forest of Garhwal Himalaya. Journal of American Science 5(5): 119–128.
Simpson EH (1949) Measurement of diversity. Nature (London). 163: 688–688.
Singh G, Gupta GN, Kuppusamy V (2000) Seasonal variations in organic carbon and nutrient availability in arid zone agroforestry systems. Tropical Ecology 41(1): 17–23.
Singh JS (2002) The biodiversity crisis: A multifaceted review. Current Science 82: 638–647.
Singh RA (1980) Soil Physical Analysis. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi, India. p 62.
Smith B, Wilson JB (1996) A consumer’s guide to evenness indices. Oikos 76: 70–82. DOI: 10.2307/3545749
Soethe N, Lehmann J, Engels C (2008) Nutrient availability at different altitudes in a tropical montane forest in Ecuador. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24: 397–406. DOI: 10.1017/S026646740800504X
Teodoru C, Wehrli B (2005) Retention of sediments and nutrients in the Iron Gate-I reservoir on the Danube river. Biogeochemistry 76(3): 539–565. DOI: 10.1007/s10533-005-0230-6
TerBraak CJF (1987) The analysis of vegetation-environment relationship by canonical correspondence analysis. Vegetatio 69 (1-3): 69–77. DOI: 10.1007/BF00038688
TerBraak CJF, Prentice JC (1988) A theory of gradient analysis. Advances in Ecological Research 18: 93–138. DOI 10.1016/S0065-2504(03)34003-6
Tideman EM (2007) Watershed Management: Guidelines for Indian Conditions. Omega Scientific Publishers, New Delhi, India. pp 372.
Walkley AJ, Black CA (1934) Estimation of soil organic carbon by chromic acid titration method. Soil Science 37: 29–38.
Webb EL, Stanfield BJ, Jensen ML (1999) Effects of topography on rainforest tree community structure and diversity in American Samoa, and implications for frugivore and nectarivore populations. Journal of Biogeography 26: 887–897. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2699.1999.00326.x
Whittaker RH (1972) Evolution and measurement of species diversity. Taxon 21: 213–251. DOI: 10.2307/1218190
Wilson MV, Shmida A (1984) Measuring beta-diversity with presence absence data. Journal of Ecology 72: 1055–1064. DOI: 10.2307/2259551
Woldewahid G, Werf W, Sykorac K, et al. (2007) Description of plant communities on the Red Sea coastal plain of Sudan. Journal of Arid Environment 68: 113–131. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.04.003
Xu H, Ye M, Song Y, et al. (2007) The natural vegetation responses to the groundwater change resulting from ecological water conveyances to the lower Tarim River. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 131(1-3): 37–48. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-006-9455-7
Yadav RS, Yadav BL, Chhipa BR (2008) Litter dynamics and soil properties under different tree species in a semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India. Agroforestry Systems 73: 1–12. DOI: 10.1007/s10457-008-9106-9
Zhang Y, Wang R, Kaplan D, et al. (2014) Which components of plant diversity are most correlated with ecosystem properties? A case study in a restored wetland in northern China. Ecological Indicators 49: 228–236. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.10.001
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
http://dx.doi.org/0000-0002-6812-3766
http://dx.doi.org/0000-0002-6252-9810
http://dx.doi.org/0000-0001-7252-4557
Electronic supplementary material
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sarvade, S., Gupta, B. & Singh, M. Composition, diversity and distribution of tree species in response to changing soil properties with increasing distance from water source — a case study of Gobind Sagar Reservoir in India. J. Mt. Sci. 13, 522–533 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-015-3493-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-015-3493-y