Phytodiversity Study in Natural forest of Hastinapur

Species richness, biodiversity index and total number of plants of three forest sites were measured. It was found that all the three attributes decreases with increase in disturbance. The decrease in these attributes can be ascribed to the fall in the number of species. Forest degradation not only cause reduction in biodiversity, but also leads to change in community composition. Conversion of dense forest to scrub forest leads to the increase of shrub and other weeds, which occupy the blank space left by trees.