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Phenology of the shrub strata of successional sub-tropical humid forests of north-eastern India

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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.

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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

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