Abstract
Natural regeneration potential is an important indicator for any forest ecosystem and Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides) is the principal timber tree endemic to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. This study analyzed the natural regeneration potential of Andaman Padauk under different disturbance regimes across its distribution range with regard to population dynamics, growth pattern, population structure, population status and allometry. Contrary to the perception that it is a poor regenerator, the species showed a luxuriant growth. While ephemerals, seedlings, saplings, poles and total regenerates are significantly high at the leading edge of its habitat, trees are significantly high at the trailing edge. Their heights are mostly positively skewed and normally distributed. With a reverse-J shaped demography, the species is in its most dominant form in the stand. Though its population status is declining, the prospects of population stabilization are high. There exists a strong proportionality between DBH and height of regenerates. Hence, the species should be assisted through considered disturbance to realize its natural regeneration potential. As all the species under the pantropical Pterocarpus genus share a number of growth and reproductive traits, the path breaking findings of this study emanated from refined methodologies will help assess the natural regeneration potential of other species whose existence is threatened by either unstable or declining population in their habitat.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmadi K, Alavi SJ, Kouchaksaraei MT, Aertsen W (2013) Non-linear height-diameter models for Oriental Beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) in the Hyrcanian forests. Iran Biotechnol Agron Soc Environ 17(3):431–440
Alappatt JP (2017) Common forest plants of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Department of Environment & Forests, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Port Blair, India
Ankalaiah C, Mastan T, Reddy MS (2017) A study on the density, population structure and regeneration of Red Sanders Pterocarpus santalinus (Fabales: Fabaceae) in a protected natural habitat - Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India. J Threat Taxa 9(9):10669–10674. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2869.9.9.10669-10674
Baboo B, Sagar R, Bargali SS, Verma H (2017) Tree species composition, regeneration and diversity of an Indian dry tropical forest protected area. Trop Ecol 58(2):409–423
Barstow M (2018) Pterocarpus dalbergioides. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T33261A67802958. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T33261A67802958.en
Bawa K, Seidler R (1998) Natural forest management and conservation of biodiversity in tropical forests. Conserv Biol 12(1):46–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1998.96480.x
Bhuyan P, Khan ML, Tripathi RS (2003) Tree diversity and population structure in undisturbed and human-impacted stands of tropical wet evergreen forest in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas. India Biodivers Conserv 12(8):1753–1773. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023619017786
Chacko VJ (1965) A manual on sampling techniques for forest surveys. Manager of Publications, Delhi
Champion HG, Seth SK (1968) A revised survey of forest types of India. Government of India Publication, New Delhi
Chave J, Andalo C, Brown S et al (2005) Tree allometry and improved estimation of carbon stocks and balance in tropical forests. Oecologia 145(1):87–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-005-0100-x
Chave J, Réjou-Méchain M, Búrquez A et al (2015) Improved allometric models to estimate the aboveground biomass of tropical trees. Glob Chang Biol 20:3177–3190. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12629
Chazdon RL, Guariguata MR (2016) Natural regeneration as a tool for large-scale forest restoration in the tropics: Prospects and challenges. Biotropica 48(6):716–730. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12381
Condit R, Sukumar R, Hubbell SP, Foster RB (1998) Predicting population trends from size distributions: a direct test in a tropical tree community. Am Nat 152(4):495–509. https://doi.org/10.1086/286186
Crouzeilles R, Ferreira MS, Chazdon RL et al (2017) Ecological restoration success is higher for natural regeneration than for active restoration in tropical forests. Sci Adv 3(11):e1701345. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1701345
Cumming GS (2011) Spatial resilience: integrating landscape ecology, resilience, and sustainability. Landscape Ecol 26:899–909. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-011-9623-1
Daba DE, Soromessa T (2019) The accuracy of species-specific allometric equations for estimating aboveground biomass in tropical moist montane forests: Case study of Albizia grandibracteata and Trichilia dregeana. Carbon Balance Manag. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-019-0134-8
Dang H, Zhang Y, Zhang K, Jiang M, Zhang Q (2010) Age structure and regeneration of Subalpine Fir (Abies fargesii) forests across an altitudinal range in the Qinling mountains, China. Forest Ecol Manage 259(3):547–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.11.011
de Carvalho AL, d’Oliveira MVN, Putz FE, de Oliveira LC (2017) Natural regeneration of trees in selectively logged forest in western Amazonia. For Ecol Manag 392:36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2017.02.049
Djomo AN, Picard N, Fayolle A et al (2016) Tree allometry for estimation of carbon stocks in African tropical forests. Forestry. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpw025
Do TV, Cam NV, Sato T et al (2016) Post-logging regeneration and growth of commercially valuable tree species in evergreen broadleaf forest, Vietnam. J Trop For Sci 28(4):426–435. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43956809
DoEF (2017) Forest Statistics, Department of Environment & Forests. Andaman & Nicobar Administration, Port Blair.
Dolanc CR, Thorne JH, Safford HD (2013) Widespread shifts in the demographic structure of subalpine forests in the Sierra Nevada, California, 1934 to 2007. Global Ecol Biogeogr 22(3):264–276. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00748.x
Durst PB, Sajise P, Leslie RN (2011) Forests beneath the grass: Proceedings of the regional workshop on advancing the application of assisted natural regeneration for effective low-cost restoration. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Bangkok, Thailand
En L, Chunqian J, Xudong Z et al (2019) Structural characteristics of mixed plantation of Pinus massoniana and Oak in Danjiangkou reservoir area. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/371/2/022041
Endels P, Adriaens D, Verheyen K, Hermy M (2004) Population structure and adult plant performance of forest herbs in three contrasting habitats. Ecography 27(2):225–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0906-7590.2004.03731.x
FAO (2015) Global forest resources assessment 2015: how are the world’s forests changing? 2nd edn. Rome
FAO (2018) The State of the World’s Forests 2018 - Forest pathways to sustainable development. Rome.
Filotas E, Parrott L, Burton PJ et al (2014) Viewing forests through the lens of complex systems science. Ecosphere 5(1):1–23. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES13-00182.1
Ganapathy PM, Rangarajan M (1964) A study of phenology and nursery behaviour of Andaman timber species. Indian Forest 90(11):758–766. https://doi.org/10.36808/if%2F1964%2Fv90i11%2F25043
Gao W-Q, Ni Y-Y, Xue Z-M et al (2017) Population structure and regeneration dynamics of Quercus variabilis along latitudinal and longitudinal gradients. Ecosphere 8(4):e01737. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1737
Gonçalves FMP, Revermann R, Cachissapa MJ et al (2018) Species diversity, population structure and regeneration of woody species in fallows and mature stands of tropical woodlands of southeast Angola. J for Res 29(6):1569–1579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-018-0593-x
Good NF, Good RE (1972) Population dynamics of tree seedlings and saplings in a mature eastern hardwood forest. Bull Torrey Bot Club 99(4):172–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/2484571
Hall P, Bawa K (1993) Methods to assess the impact of extraction of non-timber tropical forest products on plant populations. Econ Bot 47(3):234–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02862289
Hallsby G, Ulvcrona KA, Karlsson A et al (2015) Effects of intensity of forest regeneration measures on stand development in a nationwide Swedish field experiment. Forestry 88:441–453. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpv010
Hobbs RJ, Huenneke LF (1992) Disturbance, diversity, and invasion: implications for conservation. Conserv Biol 6(3):324–337. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.1992.06030324.x
Istrefi E, Toromani E, Çollaku N, Thaçi B (2019) Allometric biomass equations for young trees of four broadleaved species in Albania. N Z J for Sci. https://doi.org/10.33494/nzjfs492019x51x
IUCN (2020) International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed 27 October 2020
Jaisankar I, Ravi R, Jerard BA et al (2020a) Regional volume table for Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides). The Indian Forest 146(1):1–6. https://doi.org/10.36808/if%2F2020%2Fv146i1%2F146637
Jaisankar I, Srividhya S, Jerard BA, Moses EM (2020b) Seed microstructures of the Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides). Curr Sci 119(3):562–566. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v119/i3/562-566
Jia B, Zhou G (2018) Growth characteristics of natural and planted Dahurian larch in northeast China. Earth Syst Sci Data 10:893–898. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-893-2018
Jones RH, Sharitz RR, Dixon PM et al (1994) Woody plant regeneration in four floodplain forests. Ecol Monogr 64(3):345–367. https://doi.org/10.2307/2937166
Juřička D, Kusbach A, Pařílková J et al (2019) Evaluation of natural forest regeneration as a part of land restoration in the Khentii massif, Mongolia. J for Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-019-00962-5
Karsten RJ, Meilby H, Larsen JB (2014) Regeneration and management of lesser known timber species in the Peruvian Amazon following disturbance by logging. For Ecol Manag 327:76–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.04.035
Khamyong S, Lykke AM, Seramethakun D, Barford AS (2003) Species composition and vegetation structure of an upper montane forest at summit of Mt. Doi Inthanon, Thailand. Nord J Bot 23(1):83–97. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.2003.tb00371.x
Khan ML, Rai JPN, Tripathi RS (1987) Population structure of some tree species in disturbed and protected subtropical forests of north-east India. Acta Oecol 8(3):247–255
Kumar R, Shamet GS, Mehta H et al (2016) Regeneration complexities of Pinus gerardiana in dry temperate forests of Indian Himalaya. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23(8):7732–7743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-6010-5
Lavin M, Pennington RT, Klitgaard BB et al (2001) The dalbergioid legumes (Fabaceae): delimitation of a pantropical monophyletic clade. Am J Bot 88(3):503–533. https://doi.org/10.2307/2657116
Li Y-Q, Deng X-W, Huang Z-H et al (2015) Development and evaluation of models for the relationship between tree height and diameter at breast height for Chinese-Fir plantations in subtropical China. PLoS ONE 10(4):e0125118. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125118
Löf M, Madsen P, Metslaid M et al (2019) Restoring forests: regeneration and ecosystem function for the future. New for 50:139–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-019-09713-0
Luo M, Zheng X, Du Y (2017) Natural regeneration of an artificial platycladus orientalis stand in Beijing. Nat Environ Pollut Technol 16(1):287–293
Lykke AM (1998) Assessment of species composition change in savanna vegetation by means of woody plants’ size class distributions and local information. Biodivers Conserv 7(10):1261–1275. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008877819286
Malik AR, Shamet GS, Butola JS (2012) Natural regeneration status of Chilgoza Pine (Pinus gerardiana Wall) in Himachal Pradesh, India: an endangered pine of high edible value. Appl Ecol Environ Res 10(3):365–373
Malik ZA, Bhatt AB (2016) Regeneration status of tree species and survival of their seedlings in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and its adjoining areas in Western Himalaya, India. Trop Ecol 57(4):677–690
Maua JO, MugatsiaTsingalia H, Cheboiwo J, Odee D (2020) Population structure and regeneration status of woody species in a remnant tropical forest: a case study of South Nandi forest. Kenya Glob Ecol Conserv 21:e00820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00820
MoHA (2011) Census 2011. Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. New Delhi.
Mokake SE, Chuyong GB, Egbe AE et al (2018) Natural regeneration of some commercial timber tree species following selective logging in a semi deciduous forest in the east region of Cameroon. J Bio Env Sci 12(1):22–39
Mugasha WA, Mwakalukwa EE, Luoga E et al (2016) Allometric models for estimating tree volume and aboveground biomass in lowland forests of Tanzania. Int J for Res. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/8076271
Nerlekar AN, Kamath V, Saravanan A, Ganesan R (2019) Successional dynamics of a regenerated forest in a plantation landscape in Southern India. J Trop Ecol 35(2):57–67. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467418000445
Nogueira Junior LR, Engel VL, Parrotta JA et al (2014) Allometric equations for estimating tree biomass in restored mixed-species Atlantic Forest stands. Biota Neotrop 14(2):e20130084. https://doi.org/10.1590/1676-06032013008413
Pala NA, Negi AK, Gokhale Y et al (2012) Diversity and regeneration status of Sarkot Van Panchayat in Garhwal Himalaya, India. J for Res 23(3):399–404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-012-0276-y
Paul A, Khan ML, Das AK (2019) Population structure and regeneration status of rhododendrons in temperate mixed broad-leaved forests of western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Geol Ecol Landsc 3(3):168–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2018.1525671
Peters CM (1994) Sustainable harvest of non-timber plant resources in tropical moist forest: an ecological primer. Biodiversity Support Programme, Washington DC
Poorter L, Bongers F, van Rompaey RSAR, de Klerk M (1996) Regeneration of canopy tree species at five sites in West African moist forest. For Ecol Manag 84:61–69
Prasad PRC, Reddy CS, Raza SH, Dutt CBS (2008) Population structure, age gradations, and regeneration status of pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb., an endemic species of Andaman Islands, India. Pacif J Sci Technol 9(2):667–673
Rahman MH, Khan MASA, Roy B, Fardusi MJ (2011) Assessment of natural regeneration status and diversity of tree species in the biodiversity conservation areas of Northeastern Bangladesh. J Res 22(4):551–559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-011-0198-0
Rahman MR, Rahman MM, Chowdhury MA (2020) Assessment of natural regeneration status: the case of Durgapur hill forest, Netrokona, Bangladesh. Geol Ecol Landsc 4(2):121–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/24749508.2019.1600911
Rao PSN (2000) The Andaman red-wood tree Pterocarpus dalbergioides Roxb.—an economic timber plant. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 42(1–4):149–154
Sagar R, Singh JS (2004) Local plant species depletion in a tropical dry deciduous forest of northern India. Environ Conserv 31(1):55–62. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892904001031
Saslis-Lagoudakis CH, Klitgaard BB, Forest F et al (2011) The use of phylogeny to interpret cross-cultural patterns in plant use and guide medicinal plant discovery: an example from Pterocarpus (Leguminosae). PLoS ONE 6(7):e22275
Saxena AK, Singh JS (1984) Tree population structure of certain Himalayan forest associations and implications concerning their future composition. Vegetatio 58(2):61–69. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20146141.
Saxena AK, Singh SP, Singh JS (1984) Population structure of forests of Kumaun Himalaya: implications for management. J Environ Manage 19:307–324
Shankar U (2001) A case of high tree diversity in a Sal (Shorea robusta)-dominated lowland forest of Eastern Himalaya: floristic composition, regeneration and conservation. Curr Sci 81(7):776–786
Sharma CM, Mishra AK, Tiwari OP et al (2018) Regeneration patterns of tree species along an elevational gradient in the Garhwal Himalaya. Mt Res Dev 38(3):211–219. https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-15-00076.1
Slik JWF, Keßler PJA, van Welzen PC (2003) Macaranga and Mallotus species (Euphorbiaceae) as indicators for disturbance in the mixed lowland dipterocarp forest of East Kalimantan (Indonesia). Ecol Indic 2(4):311–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-160X(02)00057-2
Tesfaye G, Teketay D, Fetene M (2002) Regeneration of fourteen tree species in Harenna forest, southeastern Ethiopia. Flora 197(6):461–474. https://doi.org/10.1078/0367-2530-1210063
Ward JS, Worthley TE, Smallidge PJ, Bennett KP (2006) Northeastern forest regeneration handbook: a guide for forest owners, harvesting practitioners, and public officials. USDA Forest Service, Newton Square, p 19073
Wei X, Wu H, Meng H et al (2015) Regeneration dynamics of Euptelea pleiospermum along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients: trade-offs between seedling and sprout. For Ecol Manag 353:232–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2015.06.004
Winfield K, Scott M, Grayson C (2016) CITES CoP17 Information Document 48 - Global status of Dalbergia and Pterocarpus rosewood producing species in trade. Technical Report.
Acknowledgements
This study is a part of the project entitled “Regeneration and Molecular Characterization of Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides)” funded by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India [Grant Number BT/PR29179/FCB/125/7/2018]. Authors are thankful to Department of Environment & Forests, Andaman & Nicobar Administration for necessary support in data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Communicated by Peter Annighoefer.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jaisankar, I., Varadan, R.J., Jerard, B.A. et al. Natural regeneration potential of Andaman Padauk (Pterocarpus dalbergioides) in sustaining the tropical forests of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India. Eur J Forest Res 141, 535–546 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-022-01458-4
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-022-01458-4