Application of Simpson‘s Diversity Indices and Shannon’s diversity index for the study of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (AM) Association in Some Medicinal Plants of Meghalaya, India

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi during an early stage of plant growth have become an alternative strategy for improved plant survival and growth. AM associations have been reported to have function in improving the growth of medicinal plants and productivity of medicinal plants and medicinal compound. Meghalaya is home to very rich floral diversity because of its favourable climatic condition, leading the availability of a wide range of medicinal and aromatic plants. Our study thus emphasizes the use of native AM fungal strain for the conservation of rare endangered medicinal plants of Meghalaya. We have studied the mycorrhizal diversity and its association on three selected medicinal plants Alternanther abrasiliana, Azeratum conizoides, and Zingiber montanum. Simpson‘s Diversity Indices and Shannon’s diversity index have been estimated. Zingiber montanum showed highest Simpson‘s Diversity (0.7) in summer, 2022 and Azeratum conizoides showed lowest Simpson‘s Diversity (0.52) in summer, 2023. Zingiber montanum showed highest Shannon’s diversity index in all the seasons followed by Azeratum conizoides and Alternanther abrasiliana. The present study highlights the AM population diversity with different sampling period in the study site and also provided the data of comparison with various indices like Simpson‘s Diversity Indices, Shannon’s diversity index. The future work is needed to compare the AM population in other important medicinal plants to develop the protocol to use AM as an inoculum for the cultivation and conservation of rare and endangered medicinal plants of Meghalaya.