Skip to main content
Log in

Phenology of trees in a sub-tropical humid forest in north-eastern India

  • Published:
Vegetatio Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Phenological observations were made on 122 tree species in a subtropical humid seasonal forest in north-eastern India. The forest had a high proportion of evergreen compared to deciduous species. Leaf-fall of most of the tree species coincided with the dry season. Flushing started towards the end of the dry season for a majority of the tree species, the degree and period of leaflessness varying with the species. Leaf production in the overstorey species extended over a longer period compared to the understorey species. For most of the species, flowering coincided with leaflessness. Proportionately more overstorey species flowered during the dry season and wet season flowering was more characteristic of understorey species. A majority of the species produced fleshy fruits during the wet season. Fruits, produced during the dry season, were mostly dry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arroyo, M. T. K., 1979. Comments on breeding systems in neotropical forests. In K., Larsen (ed.). Tropical Botany, pp. 371–380. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arroyo, M. T. K., Armesto, J. J. & Villagran, C., 1981. Plant phenological patterns in the high Andean Cordillera of Central Chile. J. Ecol. 69: 205–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashton, P. S., 1977. A contribution of rain forest research to evolutionary theory. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 64: 694–705.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bawa, K. S., 1974. Breeding systems of tree species of a lowland tropical community and their evolutionary significance. Evolution 28: 85–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boaler, S. B., 1966. Ecology of a miombo site, Lupa North Forest Reserve, Tanzania II. Plant communities and seasonal variation in the vegetation. J. Ecol. 54: 465–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croat, T. B., 1975. Phenological behaviour of habit and habitat classes on Barro Colorado Island (Panama Canal Zone). Biotropica 7: 270–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daubenmire, R., 1972. Phenology and other characteristics of tropical semideciduous forest in north-western Costa Rica. J. Ecol. 60: 147–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frankie, G. W., Baker, H. G. & Opler, P. A., 1974. Comparative phenological studies of trees in tropical wet and dry forests in the lowlands of Costa Rica. J. Ecol. 62: 881–919.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hilty, S. L., 1980. Flowering and fruiting periodicity in a premontane rain forest in Pacific Columbia. Biotropica 13: 292–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins, B., 1970. Vegetation of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria. VI. The plants on the forest site with special reference to their seasonal growth. J. Ecol. 58: 765–793.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, J. F., 1978. Seasonality of flowering and leaf fall in a Brazilian subtropical lower montane moist forest. Biotropica 10: 38–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janzen, D. H., 1967. Synchronization of sexual reproduction of trees within the dry season in Central America. Evolution 21: 620–637.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janzen, D. H., 1970. Herbivores and the number of tree species in tropical forests. Am. Nat. 104: 501–528.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawton, J. R. S. & Akpan, E. E. J., 1968. Periodicity in Plumeria. Nature 218: 384–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levin, D. A. & Anderson, W. W., 1970. Competition for pollinators between simultaneously flowering species. Am. Nat. 104: 455–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Medway, L., 1972. Phenology of a tropical rain forest in Malaya. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 4: 117–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nevling, L. I.Jr., 1971. The ecology of an elfin forest in Puerto Rico 16. The flowering cycle and an interpretation of its seasonality. J. Arnold Arb. 52: 586–613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Njoku, E., 1963. Seasonal periodicity in the growth and development of some forest trees in Nigeria. I. Observations on mature trees. J. Ecol. 51: 617–624.

    Google Scholar 

  • Njoku, E., 1964. Seasonal periodicity in the growth and development of some forest trees in Nigeria. II. Observations on seedlings. J. Ecol. 52: 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Opler, P. A., Frankie, G. W. & Baker, H. G., 1976. Rainfall as a factor in the release, timing and synchronization of anthesis by tropical trees and shrubs. J. Biogeogr. 3: 231–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putz, F. E., 1979. A seasonality in Malaysian tree phenology. Malay. For. 42: 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richards, P. W., 1952. The Tropical Rain Forest: An Ecological Study. Cambridge University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruiz, T. & Arroyo, M. T. K., 1978. Plant reproductive ecology of a secondary deciduous tropical forest in Venezuela. Biotropica 10: 221–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, J. B., 1980. Studies on structural and functional aspects of two subtropical humid forest types of Meghalaya: Ph.D. Thesis, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.

  • Smythe, N., 1970. Relationships between fruiting seasons and seed dispersal methods in a neotropical forest. Am. Nat. 104: 25–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiles, F. G., 1978. Temporal organization of flowering among the hummingbird food plants of a tropical wet forest. Biotropica 10: 194–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thimann, K. V., 1962. Research on plant physiology in the tropics. Bull. Ass. Trop. Biol. 1: 86–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walter, H., 1968. Die Vegetation der Erde in Oeko-physiologischer Betrachtung. Vol. 2. Fischer, Stuttgart.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead, D. R., 1969. Wind pollination in the angiosperms; evolutionary and environmental considerations. Evolution 23: 28–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahner, R., 1968. Water deficits and growth of trees. In: Water Deficits and Plant Growth Vol. 2. Ed. T. T., Kozlowski, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Nomenclature follows. Holdridge, L. R., 1967. Life zone Ecology. Tropical Science Center, San Jose, Costa Rica.

This work was supported by a research grant from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The authors are thankful to K. Haridasan, Taxonomy laboratory, Department of Botany, NEHU for the help in species identification.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shukla, R.P., Ramakrishnan, P.S. Phenology of trees in a sub-tropical humid forest in north-eastern India. Vegetatio 49, 103–109 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052764

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052764

Keywords

Navigation