Diversity of Riparian Vegetation in Pattathipara and Poovanchira Streams of Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Riparian vegetation is found in the margins of streams, rivers and lakes, which significantly contributes to the health of the waterbodies. The current study aims to analyse the riparian vegetation of the Pattathipara and Poovanchira streams in Kerala, which are part of the Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary. The Pattathipara quadrat study included 37 plant species from 28 families, whereas the Poovanchira quadrat survey included 34 plants from 25 families. Euphorbiaceae had the most species (4 spp.) in the Pattathipara region, while Malvaceae, Fabaceae, Rutaceae, and Lamiaceae each had three spp. in the Poovanchira region. The present study examined the relative density, relative frequency, relative basal area, tree importance value indexes and Shannon Weiner Diversity Index (H') in the Pattathipara and Poovanchira regions. Relative frequency, density, and abundance indicated that both area is relatively dominated by deciduous trees. The IVI profile indicated the dominance of Terminalia elliptica in Pattathipara and Wrightia tinctoria in Poovanchira, which are dry deciduous forest trees.