PJB-2021-624
PATTERNS OF PLANT RICHNESS, ABUNDANCE AND ENDEMISM OF DIFFERENT LIFE FORMS ALONG AN ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT IN ADAM’S PEAK AREA OF THE PEAK WILDERNESS NATURE RESERVE, SRI LANKA.
H.T. Gamhewa
Abstract
Peak Wilderness Nature Reserve (PWNR) harbors lowland, sub-montane and upper-montane forest formations across an altitudinal gradient. Although altitudinal gradients create high biodiverse habitats, such studies are lacking for PWNR. Thus, this study is aimed to determine the variation of species richness, abundance and endemism among different life forms along an altitude and to determine the floristic composition and diversity of the study area. Total of 88 plots across an altitudinal range of 690-2130 m were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient test at 5% significance level. Total life forms (r = - 0.47; P = 5.162e-06) and shrubs (r = - 0.55; P = 3.021e-08) showed a negative, moderate correlation between species abundance and altitude. In contrast, for trees and herbs, correlations were not significant. Shrub richness and altitude (r = -0.45; P = 9.694e-06) showed a negative, but moderate correlation, whereas correlation between richness of trees, herbs and all the life forms with altitude were insignificant. Endemic trees (r = 0.243; P = 0.0228) and endemic shrubs (r = - 0.286; P = 0.0069) showed a positive and negative weak correlation with altitude respectively. Therefore, though richness, abundance and endemism of different life forms vary in response to altitude, it is not the factor which strongly influenced the life form richness, abundance and endemism patterns.
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