Riparian vegetation analysis along Tungabhadra River

The present study examined the variation in riparian vegetation communities along the Tungabhadra River, Karnataka, India. Direct sampling of 0.3 ha, by quadrat method for the study of plant communities and quantification of vegetation, documented 26 species and 87 individuals. Quantitative analyses on species diversity in addition to phytosociological attributes were conducted. The plant communities were determined in percentage of frequency, abundance value, relative density and importance value. The phytosociological studies revealed that in most part of area, the vegetation was characteristically dominated by Pongamia pinnata species followed by Acacia nelotica, which were also recorded as the most abundant and frequent species of the study area. The study also emphatically revealed that increase in the anthropogenic pressures within the river basin and surrounding landscapes have persistently stressed the riparian ecosystem structure adversely, besides altering its composition. The results indicated that the mean density and basal area of trees per plot were higher in the upstream of river than downstream. In addition, species composition indicated a relatively low or poor similarity between upstream and downstream. The Shannon–Weiner diversity of upstream was found to be 3.6, which was higher than downstream. The results of the present study clearly brought out the need for preparing and implementing site-specific conservation plans for riparian ecosystem.