Assessing vegetation changes in the dry deciduous Ainurmarigudi Reserve Forest, South India

Abstract

The dry deciduous forest of Ainurmarigudi belonging to Anogeissus latifolia - Tectona grandis - Terminalia alata type, was classified as a reserve forest under the Project Tiger in 1973. Twenty years later, although felling has not been resumed, fires still occur regularly and the density of herbivores has increased considerably. This article attempts to determine the impact of 15 years (1978-1993) of total protection on the evolution of the stand from studies on the floristic and spatial structures, mortality, recruitment and regeneration. The stand is still open and deficient in young individuals (except for the population of Grewia tiliifolia). All the species do not evolve in the same manner. Tectona grandis and Dalbergia latifolia have serious problems of regeneration. In contrast, Grewia tiliifolia, whose recruitment is impressive, does not seem to be capable of establishing itself in the adult stage. From the point of view of regeneration, the only species which appears to maintain itself in the forest is Anogeissus latifolia. Establishment of the reserve has thus led to the opening up of the stand as well as a fall in its biomass, and also a slight decline in its tree diversity. The increase in the populations of big herbivores probably plays a major role in this evolution. © 1995 Elsevier/INRA.