BHATT A.J. & PATEL K.C.

P.G. Centre in Botany, Smt. S.M.Panchal Science College,

Talod, Sabarkantha, Gujarat, India

E-mail: kcpatelbotngu@yahoo.co.in

Floristic study and diversity assessments are necessary to understand the biodiversity of any

area, present study is a necessary prerequisite for much fundamental research in community

ecology, such as modeling patterns of species diversity or understanding distributions.

Floristic studies acquire increasing in recent years in response to the need of developing and

under developing countries to assess their plant wealth. Many Floristic diversity studies have

been conducted in different parts of world. Thus, it is clear that floristic studies are

undertaken by many researchers worldwide in different levels. Shembhar is place located in

Vadgam Taluka, in Banaskantha district of Gujarat state, India. It is located 25km away from

Vadgam Taluka. Cotton, groundnut, wheat, sorghum, bajara, etc. are the major crops that

are cultivated mostly in this area. Milk and milk products are supplementary business.

Present investigation is undertaken with the objective of documentation of the existing

flowering plants by means of sample collection, photography, proper identification and

distributional status etc.

SURVEY OF ANGIOSPERM DIVERSITY FROM SHEMBHAR

HILLS OF VADGAM TALUKA, BANASKANTHA, GUJARAT,

INDIA

ABSTRACT

Article

Received on

27 May 2018

Accepted

on:

16 June

2018

Natural resources survey like floristic study plays an important role in the economic

development of developing country like India. Vegetation is the most precious gift, nature

has provided to us as meeting all Kinds of essential requirements of the humans in the form

of food, fodder, fuel, medicine, timber, resins, and oil. Plant communities play a pivotal role

in sustainable managements by maintaining biodiversity and conserving the environments

of biodiversity and conserving the environments. Floristic study and diversity assessments

are necessary to understand the present study is a necessary prerequisite for much

fundamental research in tropical community ecology, such as modeling patterns of species

diversity or understanding distributions. Floristic studies acquire increasing in recent years

in response to the need of developing and under developing countries to assess their plant

wealth. Many Floristic diversity studies have been conducted in different parts of world time

to time. Thus, it is clear that floristic studies are undertaken by many researchers worldwide

in different levels. Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally

the naturally occurring or indigenous - native plant life. The corresponding term for animal

life is fauna. Flora, fauna and other forms of life such as fungi are collectively referred to as

biota. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms gut flora or

skin flora.

Present investigation undertaken with the following objective:

Documentation of the existing flowering plants by means of sample collection, photography,

proper identification and distributional status etc.

The concept of ecological communities plays an important role in conservation planning and

natural resource management. However, inherent uncertainties in the definition and

identification of individual communities make it difficult to assess whether particular

communities are present on particular sites and how they may be affected by proposed

developments or management actions. If communities are poorly defined or misidentified,

they may not perform their intended role as effective representations of biodiversity.

Numerical analyses of an extensive set of floristic data suggested a re-configuration of a

prior classification based largely on subjective interpretation. As only one of the two

assemblages potentially warranted threatened status, the new classification allows scarce

conservation resources to be targeted where they are most needed. The quantitative survey

data also enabled a more detailed floristic description of the assemblages and provided a

basis for maps of point locations and modelled habitat. These maps identified previously

undocumented occurrences of the communities and helped to assess their extent of decline

since European settlement. Improving the coverage of quadrat-based floristic sampling is

therefore a valuable and cost-effective investment to inform better management of native

vegetation and biodiversity. Research articles on Floristic surveys of various parts of India

and Gujarat were studied as reference work like; Champion & Seth (1916), Chavda and

Mahta (2015), Cooke (1901), Ganorkar and Kshirsagar (2013), Jain (1964), Vankar (2015),

Karthikeyan and Sharma (1983), Mehta (2010), Maitreya (2015), Patel and Bihola (2014),

Patel (2008), Patel et. al. (2014), Patel (2002), Patel (2002), Raghvan et. al. (1981), Santapau

INTRODUCTION

(1962), Saxton & Sedgwick (1918), Shah (1978), Sharma and Kulkarni (1980), Singh &

Parabia (2003), Tadvi (2013), Vankar (2015), Vediya and Kharadi (2011), etc.

Gujarat is situated in the central western part of India, with eastern hilly region is formed by

southern, western and Northern extension of Aravalli, Satpura and Sahyadri (Western Ghat)

Mountain ranges respectively. Gujarat state can be divided into four major biogoegraphic

zones viz, Semiarid, Deserts, western Ghats Mountains and Mangrove Rich Coastal Belts.

The angoispermic flora of Gujarat is mostly varied in extent and composition is being well

protected in National Parks and Sanctuaries. Gujarat state geographically is divided in to

five regions i.e North Gujarat, Central Gujarat, South Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutchh. North

Gujarat has 4 Districts i.e. Patan, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Mehsana. Banaskantha is a

district in Northeast of Gujarat state. The region is presumably named after the West Banas

River which runs through the valley between Mount Abu and Aravalli Range, entering into

the plains of Gujarat in this region and flowing towards the Rann of kutch.

Vadgam is a Taluka in Banaskantha district having 110 villages under this Taluka. It is also

known as Dhandhar zone. Shembhar having low sandy hills located in Vadgam Taluka. It is

located 25km away from Vadgam. ‘GOGA Maharaj’ temple is famous holy and historical

place visited by local community on special occasions.

Satellite image showing Sembhar hills and Temple at middle.

STUDY AREA

The present study was conducted with frequent field trips at said place. The observations

and material form in this work are based on collection from December 2017 to April 2018

thorough planned explorations in the research areas. Field explorations were well organized

during the five months. During collection trips plants were collected and photographs were

taken. The plants were identified in the field or in the college laboratory with the help of

Flora of Gujarat state (Shah,1978) and taxonomical literature. Different characters such as,

habit, habitat, abundance etc.

Check list of plant species growing at Sembhar hills:

Sr. Botanical Name Family Image

1. Cocculus hirsutus (L.) Diels. Menispermaceae Plate- 01 (A)

2. Argemone mexicana L. Papaveraceae Plate- 01 (B)

3. Capparis decidua (Forsk.) Edgew. Capparaceae Plate- 01 (C)

4. Capparis sepiaria L. Capparaceae Plate- 01 (D)

5. Abutilon indicum (L.) Sw. Malvaceae Plate- 01 (E)

6. Tribulus terrestris L. Zygophylaceae Plate- 01 (F)

7. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. Rutaceae Plate- 02 (A)

8. Ailanthus excelsa Roxb. Simaroubaceae Plate- 02 (B)

9. Azadirachta indica A. Juss. Meliaceae Plate- 02 (C)

10. Maytenus emarginata (Willd.) D.Hou. Celastraceae Plate- 02 (D)

11. Zizyphus nummularia (Burm. f.) W.&A. Rhamnaceae Plate- 02 (E)

12. Sapindus laurifolius Vahl. Sapindaceae Plate- 02 (F)

13. Mangifera indica L. Anacardiaceae Plate- 03 (A)

14. Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. Papilionaceae Plate- 03 (B)

15. Derris indica (Lam.) Bennet. Papilionaceae Plate- 03 (C)

16. Indigofera linnaei Ali. Papilionaceae Plate- 03 (D)

17. Indigofera tinctoria L. Papilionaceae Plate- 03 (E)

18. Tephrosia hamiltonii Drum. Papilionaceae Plate- 03 (F)

19. Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers. Papilionaceae Plate- 04 (A)

20. Bauhinia racemosa Lam. Casealapiniaceae Plate- 04 (B)

21. Cassia auriculata L. Casealapiniaceae Plate- 04 (C)

22. Cassia fistula L. Casealapiniaceae Plate- 04 (D)

23. Tamarindus indica L. Casealapiniaceae Plate- 04 (E)

24. Acacia nilotica (L.) Del. Sub sp indica Mimosaceae Plate- 04 (F)

25. Acacia radiana Savi. Mimosaceae Plate- 05 (A)

26. Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. Mimosaceae Plate- 05 (B)

27. Anogeissus pendula Edgew. Combretaceae Plate- 05 (C)

28. Lawsonia inermis L. Lthyraceae Plate- 05 (D)

29. Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. Asteraceae Plate- 05 (E)

MATERIAL & METHOD

OBSERVATIONS

30. Diospyros cordifolia Roxb. Ebenaceae Plate- 05 (F)

31. Salvadora persica L. Salvadoraceae Plate- 06 (A)

32. Salvadora oleoides Decne. Salvadoraceae Plate- 06 (B)

33. Calotropis procera (Ait.) R.Br. Asclepiadaceae Plate- 06 (C)

34. Ipomoea fistulosa Mart ex Convovulaceae Plate- 06 (D)

35. Physalis minima L. Solanaceae Plate- 06 (E)

36. Solanum indicum L. Solanaceae Plate- 06 (F)

37. Solanum surattense Burm. f. Solanaceae Plate- 07 (A)

38. Lindernia oppositifolia (Retz.) Mukherjee Scrophulariaceae Plate- 07 (B)

39. Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell Scrophulariaceae Plate- 07 (C)

40. Tecomella undulata (Sw.) Seem. Bignoniaceae Plate- 07 (D)

41. Barleria prionitis L. Acanthaceae Plate- 07 (E)

42. Justicia procumbens L. Acanthaceae Plate- 07 (F)

43. Lepidagathis trinervis Wall. Acanthaceae Plate- 08 (A)

44. Lantana camara L. var. aculeata Verbenaceae Plate- 08 (B)

45. Tectona grandis L. Verbenaceae Plate- 08 (C)

46. Ocimum gratissimum L. Lamiaceae Plate- 08 (D)

47. Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae Plate- 08 (E)

48. Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Juss. Amaranthaceae Plate- 08 (F)

49. Amaranthus spinosus L. Amaranthaceae Plate- 09 (A)

50. Euphorbia hirta L. Euphorbiaceae Plate- 09 (B)

51. Euphorbia neriifolia L. Euphorbiaceae Plate- 09 (C)

52. Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch. Ulmaceae Plate- 09 (D)

53. Ficus benghalensis L. Moraceae Plate- 09 (E)

54. Ficus religiosa L. Moraceae Plate- 09 (F)

55. Morus alba L. Moraceae Plate- 10 (A)

56. Aloe barbadensis Mill. Liliaceae Plate- 10 (B)

57. Commelina benghalensis L. Commelinaceae Plate- 10 (C)

58. Unknown Plant sp. Plate- 10 Lower corner right side

Shembhar hills occupies a floral diversity of 57 species & 47 genera belonging to 34

angiospermic families. Dicots are represented with 32 families whereas monocots are

represented with 2 families. From the present study we can conclude that Shembhar is a

place with a plant diversity which flourishes with the unique biodiversity. Due to

environmental changes, pressure on environment due to public place and for survival, local

people destroy the forest wealth. It is certainty to protect and save the forest wealth by

silviculture and social forestry programme.

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION

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