Phytosociological study of a Grassland community of Baripada, Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, India: Conservation strategies for floristic diversity

Abstract

A phytosociological study of the grassland community at Maharaja Purna Chandra Autonomous College (21 º 93’ N; 86 º 76' E) was conducted from July 2022 to July 2023. The study aimed to understand the floristic diversity and propose conservation strategies. A rigorous data collection methodology was implemented using 1 m × 1 m quadrat sampling, and the findings were analyzed and presented using a novel approach. Parameters such as occurrence (+) and non-occurrence (-) of species, frequency, density, abundance, basal area, basal cover, and Important Value Index (IVI) were recorded for 36 species (18 grasses and 18 non-grasses) throughout the research period. The study revealed that certain species, including Chrysopogon acciculatus and Evolvulus nummularius, exhibited high frequency, density, abundance and IVI throughout the research period. Conversely, Eragrostis unioloides and Sida cordifolia showed the lowest IVI during the study. Basal area and basal cover data indicated an inverse relationship between grasses and non-grasses. The total Relative Frequency (RF), Relative Density (RD), and Relative Dominance (RDo.) of the community were consistently around 100 for each month, and the total IVI values were approximately 300 each month. These results underscore the need for effective conservation strategies to preserve the unique floristic diversity of this grassland community. The remarkable phytosociological attributes of this experimental grassland community may be attributed to the topography, soil composition, and climatic conditions of the locality.