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P. Rama Bhat , H. Soorya Prakash Shenoy , K. M. Kaveriappa

Abstract

The rattans of Peninsular India belong to only one genus namely Calamus and 21 species. Twenty species occurring in Western Ghats forests are reported here. The status of C. delessertianus and C. rheedei is uncertain while 15 species are endemic to Western Ghats. Among the five states falling within the Western Ghats, Karnataka has the maximum 13 Calamus species, of which 11 were endemic to the Western Ghats. Three species namely, C. lacciferus, C. lakshmanae and C. prasinus were restricted only to Karnataka region of the Western Ghats. Among the 13 species of Calamus occurring in Karnataka, 12 were found in Kodagu District. Studies were undertaken to determine the status of rattans in some canerich forests of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts of Karnataka by belt transect method. The study has revealed that Sampaje, Karike and Makut in Kodagu District, Subramanya and Charmadi in Dakshina Kannada District and Anantavadi (Honnavar) in Uttara Kannada District were rich in some species of rattans including those endemic to the Western Ghats. The population of C. lakshmanae and C. prasinus (restricted only to Karnataka) was high in Sampaje and Karike forest respectively, however, C. stoloniferus (restricted to Karnataka and Maharashtra) was very high in Makut forest of Kodagu District. In Dakshina Kannada District C. nagabettai was well distributed in about 25 km radius around Subramanya, while Charmadi area has a rich population of C. thwaitesii and fairly good representations of C. prasinus, C. pseudotenuis and C. nagabettai. The population density of C. karnatakensis (restricted to Karnataka and Goa) was very high in Anantavadi forests near Honnavar.

Keywords

Rattans (Calamus spp.), Western Ghats, Karnataka, India

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P. Rama Brat , K. M. Kaveriappa

Abstract

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) population of one year old seedlings of Gymnacranthera farquhariana was studied both under in-situ conditions in a Myristica swamp of evergreen forests of the Uttara Kannada, Karnataka and ex-situ condition in the Arboretum of the Deptt. of Applied Botany, Mangalore University. The soil and ischolar_main samples from the rhizosphere region were examined season-wise over a period of two years during 1995-1996 for AM species diversity, spore density and colonization pattern from both the locations. The moisture content, temperature, pH, organic matter content and mineral elements of the soils of both the locations were estimated. There was season-wise variations in the soil moisture, temperature, N, P, K, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg and Zn contents in both the locations. Altogether 29 species of AM fungi belonging to six genera were isolated in this study. Of these, 19 species were from Myristica swamps and 23 species from the Arboretum. Among them, 13 species were common to both the locations. The six species observed in the rhizosphere of seedlings in Myristica swamp were not found in the Arboretum. Similarly, the 10 species observed in the rhizosphere of seedlings of Arboretum were not found in the swamp. Sorensen's similarity index showed 61.9% similarity among the AM flora between the two locations. Glomus was found to be the dominant genus in both the locations. Season-wise, maximum spore density was observed in July (monsoon) samplings and minimum in March (summer) samplings and ischolar_main colonization was maximum in November (post-monsoon) and minimum in March (summer) in both the locations. The variations in the spore density and ischolar_main colonization were correlated with physico-chemical properties of the rhizosphere soils.

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P. Ramabhat , K. M. Kaveriappa

Abstract

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