The Study of the Evergreen Vegetation of Mahabaleshwar Area

Mahabaleshwar plateau lies in the Western Ghats, 76 miles from Poona on South West. The altitude of the plateau is 4300' to 4800'. The rainfall of Mahabaleshwar is from 250" to 300". The plateau is formed of Deccan Trap and on account of high rainfall conditions, lateritic soils are found in most of the places.

The vegetation of Mahabaleshwar is an evergreen forest consisting of the following species:

Memecylon umbellatum Burm., Olea dioica Roxb., Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels., Temiinalia chebula Retz., Actinodaphne angustifolia Nees., Randia brandisii Gamble.

The shrub layer has the following important species:

Lasiosiphon eriocephalus Decne., Zizyphus rugosa Lam., Pavetta indica L. Allophyllus cobbe Blutne, Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm.

The herbaceous layer consists mainly Pteris quadriaurita Retz., Pteris aquilina L. Crotalaria retusa L. and Bryophyllum pinnatum Oken.

The trees are mainly 15-20 meters high, with their trunks and branches being covered over with mosses, orchids and epiphytic ferns.

Vegetation studies were made from the Lingmala fall, Arther's Seat road, Mahad road and Panchagani and the main part of the plateau.

Where the tree vegetation has been destroyed a scrub forest consisting of the following species occurs:

Pleris quadriaurita Retz., Pleris aquilina L. Crotalaria relusa L. Solarium giganteum Jacq., Pavella indica L. Ageratum conyzoides L. Asplenium falcatum Lam.

This vegetation is a biotic controlled serai community and the evergreen forest is the climax.