PLANTATION IN COMPOSITE

CLIMATE

CONTENTS

I. Introduction to ClimateII.The Composite ClimateIII.Adaptations

CLIMATE The composite zone covers the central part of India. Some

cities that experience this type of climate are New Delhi, Kanpur and Madhya Pradesh.

A variable landscape and seasonal vegetation characterise this zone.

The intensity of solar radiation is very high in summer. In monsoons, the intensity is low with predominantly diffuse radiation.

The maximum temperature in summers is in the range of 32 – 43 ºC, and night time values are from 27 to 32 ºC. In winter, the values are between 10 to 25 ºC during the day and 4 to 10 ºC at night.

The relative humidity is about 20 – 25 % in dry periods and 55 – 95 % in wet periods.

Precipitation in this zone varies between 500 – 1300 mm per year.

This region receives strong winds during monsoons from the south-east and dry cold winds from the north-east.

Generally, composite regions experience higher humidity levels during monsoons than hot and dry zones.

MAP OF INDIA REPRESENTATING CLIMATES

ADAPTATIONS

Abundance of water can cause problems such as promoting the growth of bacteria and fungi which could be harmful to plants.  Plants grow rapidly and quickly use up any organic material left from decomposing plants and animals.  However, the plants at the top of the rainforest in the canopy, must be able to survive 12 hours of intense sunlight every day of the year. 

drip tips and waxy surfaces allow water to run off, to discourage growth of bacteria and fungi

buttresses and prop and stilt roots help hold up plants in the shallow soil

some plants climb on others to reach the sunlightsome plants grow on other plants to reach the sunlightflowers on the forest floor are designed to lure animal

pollinators since there is relatively no wind on the forest floor to aid in pollination

smooth bark and smooth or waxy flowers speed the run off of water

plants have shallow roots to help capture nutrients from the top level of soil.

many bromeliads are epiphytes (plants that live on other plants); instead of collecting water with roots they collect rainwater into a central reservoir from which they absorb the water through hairs on their leaves

epiphytic orchids have aerial roots that cling to the host plant, absorb minerals, and absorb water from the atmosphere

Drip-tips on leaves help shed excess water.

Prop roots help support plants in the shallow soil.

Some plants collect rainwater into a central reservoir.

Semi- deciduous trees upto 15m ( 50ft) tall with a spreading crown.

Native to South Eastern

Asia.

BAUHINIA VARIEGATA

( ORCHID TREE)

The branches are usually trained to grow horizontal at about 8-10 feet high

The flowering season is around February to April. Flowers grow in heavy lush bunches and are orange-yellow color.

SARACA ASOCA

( SITAASOKA)

Small erect evergreen trees

Grow upto 15m in height

Native to The Indian Subcontinent

The Sita Ashoka tree has downward drooping leaves and branches.

Possess deep green lanceolate leaves that are 15-25cm in length growing in dense bunches.

Flowering season is around February to April. Flowers grow in lush heavy bunches and are ornge-yellow in color.

BISMARCK NOBILIS

( BISMARCKPALM)

Grows from solitary trunks,Grey to tan color

Height can reach 25m in natural habitat. However, when cultivated ,it grows only upto 12m.

Native to Madagascar

These plants produce pendent,interfoliar inflorescences of small brown flowers

The leaves are enormous, over 3m wide, and are divided to a third its length into 20 or more stiff, once folded segments, themselves split on the end

The leaves are induplicate and costapalmate, producing a wedge shaped hastula where the blade and petiole meet

FICUS RELIGIOSA

( PEEPAL TREE)

A large season deciduous or semi ever green tree

It grows upto 30m in height

Native to south east Asia

Its branches are closely set and from a dense crown, hence the name Umbrella Tree in english

The leaves are broadly heart shaped,7-12cm long, alternately set on the branches. The apex of the leap tapers into a fine point

The fruits are small figs, 1-1.5 cm in the diameter, green ripening to purple. The tree bares red-colored flowers in the month of February

MILLINGTONIA HORTENSIS

( JASMINE/INDIAN CORK)

Tall and straight tree grows upto 24m in height

Native to The Indian Subcontinent

Bears one pair of three leaved pinnae, one or two pairs of leaflets and one leaflet at the end

The leaves are smooth, oval, slightly round-toothed and pointed leaflets each being 2.5 -7 cm in length.

Each flower is tiny bell shaped calyx, a long slender tube of pale green divided into 4 waxy white petals.

PUTRANJIVA ROXANBHUGII

( PUTRANJIVA)

Erect straight trunk with a large shady head and innumerable expanding branches

Grow upto 25m in height

Native to the India and Srilanka

Leaves are leathery and shiny, usually wavy on the margins. Young leaves are light green in color. Old leaves become darker and shinier.

Erect straight trunk with a large shady head and innumerable expanding branches. Flowers are yellow in color but are seldom noticed due to small size. The fruit is drupe 15-20mm, long and egg shaped.

Vachellia nilotica (widely known by the taxonomic synonym Acacia nilotica, or the common names gum arabic tree,

Babul/Kikar, Egyptian thorn, Sant tree, Alsant or prickly acacia

Vachellia nilotica

A tree 5–20 m high with a dense spheric crown stems and branches usually dark to black coloured, fissured bark, grey-pinkish slash, exuding a reddish low quality gum. The tree has thin, straight, light, grey spines in axillary pairs, usually in 3 to 12 pairs, 5 to 7.5 cm (3 in) long in young trees,  Flowers in globulous heads 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter of a bright golden-yellow color, set up either axillary or whorly onpenducles 2–3 cm long located at the end of the branches. 

Aegle marmelos, commonly known as bael, Bengal quince,golden apple,stone apple, wood apple, bili, is a species of tree native to India.In Hinduism the tree is sacred. It is used in the worship of Shiva, who is said to favour the leaves.It even has medicinal uses.

Aegle marmelos

Albizia lebbeck is a species of Albizia ,names for it include lebbeck, lebbek tree, flea tree

It is a tree growing to a height of 18–30 m tall with a trunk 50 cm to 1 m in diameter.

The flowers are white, with numerous 2.5–3.8 cm long stamens, and very fragrant. The fruit is a pod 15–30 cm long and 2.5-5.0 cm broad, containing six to twelve seeds.

Albizia lebbeck

Small Tree

Cassia fistula

Shrubs

Achyranthes aspera

Argemone mexicana

Calotropis gigantea

Capparis decidua

Cassia fistula, known as the golden shower tree .

The golden shower tree is a medium-sized tree, growing to 10–20 m (33–66 ft) tall with fast growth. The leaves are deciduous,

The flowers are produced in pendulous racemes 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) long, each flower 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) diameter with five yellow petals of equal size and shape. 

Cassia fistula

Achyranthes aspera (common name: prickly chaff flower,devil'shorsewhip, Sanskrit: अपा�मा�र्ग� apamarga) is a species of plant in the Amaranthaeace family. It is distributed throughout the tropical world.

Achyranthes aspera

Argemone mexicana (Mexican poppy,Mexican prickly poppy, flowering thistle,

It is used for medicinal purposes

Argemone mexicana

It is a large shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small, elegant "crown" rising from the centre, which holds the stamens.

Calotropis gigantea

Capparis decidua is commonly known as kair, kerda, karir, kirir, karril

It is a small much branched tree or shrub of arid regions in Africa, Middle East and southern Asia, including the Thar desert. It bears a mass of slender, leafless branches, the small caducous leaves being found only on young shoots. It rarely exceeds a height of 5 meters (15 feet).

Capparis decidua