Species Composition and Dominance of Plant Communities in Western Chitwan, Nepal

Publication Abstract

Dangol, Dharma Raj, and Ganesh P. Shivakoti. 2001. “Species Composition and Dominance of Plant Communities in Western Chitwan, Nepal.” Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 3:69-78.

This paper describes the species composition and dominance of the plant communities of western Chitwan, Nepal.Specifically, attention is made on the top ten plant species of the study areas based on flora data obtained during January-April, 1996. The study recorded a total of 11 9,113,59,35 and 11 9 species of the plants fiomTikauli forest,National Park forest, forests along the Narayani river grasslands of the National Park and common lands, respectively Among the trees, Sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) in Tikauli forest and the National Park forest and Sisau (7lalbergia sissoo Roxb. ex DC.) in the natural forest (Kalaban) along the Narayani river were found to be the most dominant species. The major shrubs of the forest areas comprised of Bhanthi (Clerodendrum viscosum Vent.), Rudilo [Pogostemon benghalensis (Burm. f) Hassk.], Dhurseli (Colebrookea oppositifolia Sm.), Banmara (Eupatoriumodoratum L.), Simthi (Helecteres isora L.) and Dahichamla (Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl). Among the herbs, Siru [Imperata cylindrica (L.) P. Beauv.], Khadahi [Themeda amndinacea(Roxb.) Ridley], Kans (Saccharurn spontaneum L.), Tori gande [Blumeopsisjlava PC.) Gagnepl and Saraudi [Rungia parviflora (Retz.) Nees] were dominant ones in the forest grounds. In the common lands, Siru, Kans, Dubo [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.l Kuro. ghans [Chrysopogon aciculatus (Retz.) Trin.1 Ghode dub0 [Hemarthria compressa (L. f.), and Gandhe jhar (Ageratum houstonianum Mill.) were the major species.