Abstract
The phenology of 70 shrub species occurring in 5-, 25- and 60-yr old forest fallows, developed after slash and burn agriculture in north-eastern India, was studied. The early successional shrubs were largely deciduous with predominant leaf fall during the dry winter, while late successional shrubs were evergreen and with a less pronounced leaf fall pattern; the species in the 25-yr old fallow were largely of the leaf-exchanging-evergreen type. Peak leaf production, flowering and fruiting are delayed by one month in the 60-yr old fallow. The phenological separation of the growth types in the three fallows is discussed and related to possible micro-environmental differences.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Boojh R. & Ramakrishnan P.S. 1981. Phenology of trees in a sub-tropical evergreen montane forest in north-east India. Geo. Eco. Trop., 5: 189–209.
Boojh R. & Ramakrishnan P. S. 1982. Growth strategy of trees related to successional status. II. Leaf dynamics. Forest Ecol. Manage. 4: 375–386.
Frankie W. G., Baker H. G. & Opler P. A. 1974. Comparative phenological studies of trees in tropical wet and dry forests in the low-lands of Costa Rica. J. Ecol. 62: 381–913.
Herrera J. 1986. Flowering and fruiting phenology in coastal shrublands of Doñana, south Spain. Vegetatio 68: 91–98.
Jackson J. F. 1978. Seasonality of flowering and leaf fall in a Brazilian sub-tropical lower montane moist forest. Biotropica 10: 38–42.
Kempf J. S. & Pickett S. T. A. 1981. The role of branch length and angle in branching pattern of forest shrubs along a successional gradient. New Phytol. 88: 111–116.
Longman K. A. & Jenik J. 1974. Tropical forest and its environment. Longman group, London.
Medway L. 1972. Phenology of a tropical rainforest in Malaya. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 4: 117–146.
NevlingJr. L. I. 1971. The ecology of an elfin forest in Puerto Rico. 16. The flowering cycle in interpretation of seasonality. J. Arnold Arb. 52: 586–613.
Pickett S. T. A. & Kempf J. S., 1980. Branching patterns in forest shrubs and understorey trees in relation to habit. New Phytol. 86: 210–228.
Ralhan P. K., Khanna R. K., Singh S. P. & Singh J. S. 1985a. Phenological characteristics of the tree layer of Kumaun Himalayan forests. Vegetatio 60: 91–101.
Ralhan P. K., Khanna R. K., Singh S. P. & Singh J. S. 1985b. Certain phenological characteristics of the shrub layer of Kumaun Himalayan forests. Vegetatio: 63: 113–119.
Ramakrishnan P. S. & Toky O. P. 1981. Soil nutrient status of hill agro-ecosystems and recovery patterns after slash and burn agriculture (Jhum) in north-eastern India. Plant Soil 60: 41–64.
Richards P. W., 1952. The tropical rain forest: An ecological study. Cambridge University Press, London.
Shukla R. P. & Ramakrishnan P. S., 1982. Phenology of trees in a sub-tropical humid forest in north-east India. Vegetatio 49: 103–109.
Shukla R. P. & Ramakrishnan P. S. 1984. Leaf dynamics of tropical trees related to successional status. New Phytol. 97: 687–706.
Shukla R. P. & Ramakrishnan P. S. 1986. Architecture and growth strategies of tropical trees in relation to successional s status. J. Ecol. 74: 33–46.
Singh J. & Ramakrishnan P. S. 1982. Structure and function of a sub-tropical humid forest of Meghalaya. I. Vegetation, biomass and its nutrients. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Plant Sci.) 91: 269–280.
Toky O. P. & Ramakrishnan P. S. 1983. Secondary succession following slash and burn agriculture in north-eastern India. I. Biomass, litterfall and productivity. J. Ecol. 71: 735–745.
Woolhouse H. W. 1967. The nature of senescence in plants. Symp. Soc. Exptl. Biol. 21: 179–230.
Woolhouse H. W. 1974. Longevity and senescence in plants. Sci. Progr. 61: 123–147.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Baruah, U., Ramakrishnan, P.S. Phenology of the shrub strata of successional sub-tropical humid forests of north-eastern India. Vegetatio 80, 63–67 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00049141
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00049141