Plant diversity in sacred forest fragments of Western Ghats: a comparative study of four life forms

The effect of fragmentation on different life forms within tropical forest plant communities is poorly understood. We studied the effect of degree of fragmentation and surrounding matrix on trees, lianas, shrubs and epiphytes in tropical forest fragments of Kodagu, Western Ghats, India. These fragments exist as sacred groves amidst a highly modified agricultural landscape, and have been preserved by the religious sentiments of local communities. Plants were sampled at two sites in continuous forests and 11 forest fragments. A total of 122 species of trees, 29 species of lianas, 60 species of shrubs and 66 species of epiphytes were recorded. Trees exhibited a significant species-area relationship (R (2) = 0.74). Richness estimates after controlling for stem density (rarefaction) revealed that observed species-area relationship was not an artefact of passive sampling. Variation in species richness of the other three groups was explained by stem density and structural diversity. Linear distance from the reserve forest did not explain any variation in species richness. All life forms exhibited significant nested pattern. Trees were nested along the area gradient while nestedness in the other three groups showed evidence in support of habitat nestedness. The four life forms thus responded variably to degree of fragmentation. Our study revealed that 74% of the regional diversity for trees was contributed by diversity among plots, highlighting the importance of inter-patch habitat diversity in maintaining the total regional species pool. We conclude that trees alone cannot serve as good indicator for taking appropriate conservation measures to mitigate species loss resulting from habitat fragmentation.