Diversity and Distribution Pattern of Lichens in the Mid-Elevation Wet Evergreen Forest, Southern Western Ghats, India
Vinayaka.K.S1*,Chetan. H.C2,Archana R.Mesta1
Citation :Vinayaka.K.S,Chetan. H.C,Archana R.Mesta, Diversity and Distribution Pattern of Lichens in the Mid-Elevation Wet Evergreen Forest, Southern Western Ghats, India International Journal of Research Studies in Biosciences 2016,4(1) : 15-20
The objective of this study is to document the lichen species and its host specific plant species in mid-elevational wet evergreen forest. This study was carried out mid elevational forest at different canopy gradient forest types within the ranges from 1100 - 1300m, the canopy height varied from 15 to 40 m. The Lichens were enumerated in four different locations at different canopy heights where, temperatures, rainfall and humidity not varied significantly. The sampling was done random quadrats at each site. Total 40 species of lichen belonging to 18 genera and 15 families, of 80% of species were corticolous, 12.5% species were saxicolous, 7.5% species were terricolous. The species 25% of species were grows more than one type of substrate. The results shown that the higher canopy forest recorded maximum lichen species then lower canopy forest. The higher canopy forest Cullenia exarillata alone recorded 30 % of species, then other species substrates.