Plants Community Structure and Diversity of Flora in Forest Monastery, Ubon Ratchathani Province

Abstract

Deforestation is still occurring and continuity, some caused by land use transformation such as changed into agricultural land or urban and built-up land together with population increase. This may also lead to decreasing in plants diversity. However, forest monastery may have the green area in the kind of relict forest. Therefore, this study aims to investigated plant community structure, diversity of flora, and status of plants in forest monastery, Ubon Ratchathani Province. The study is conducted purposive sampling using 14 temporary sample plots (20x50 meters) in 13 monasteries. The remnant forest patches in forest monastery can be divided in two types. It is Dry evergreen and Dry diptercarp communities. Sixty families, 106 genus and 144 species from 7 monasteries can be identified in Dry evergreen communities. Fifty-two families, 86 genus and 116 species are tree and Dipterocarpaceae was dominant in family importance value (FIV) and the stratification can be divided in three layers. Dominant species of sapling can be Moraceae, Fabaceae, Myristicaceae. Dipterocarpaceae, Moraceae, Sapindaceae in dry evergreen forest respectively. While dry dipterocarp community found 33 families, 52 genus and 65 species from 6 monasteries, by which 23 families, 35 genus and 43 species are tree. Moreover, Dipterocarpaceae is dominant family importance value. Two layers of stratifications can be recognized. Sapling and seedling of Dipterocarpaceae are also dominant in dipterocarp deciduous forest. The conservation status is listed in critically endangered namely; Aquilaria crassna and Dipterocarpus turbinatus; endangered species is Dalbergia oliveri and vulnerable species is Dalbergia cochinchinensis.

Keywords: Forest Monastery, Plants Community, Plants Diversity, Plants Status, Relict Forest

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