Tree Species Diversity and Environmental Factors Affecting Distribution in Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest, Lampang Province

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of environmental factors on tree species and biodiversity in the Ban Mae Chiang Rai Lum Community Forest in Lampang Province. Twenty-five, 40 x 40 m (0.16 ha) sample plots were established and analyzed to project the biodiversity of the total 3,925 ha area. The ecological gradient of vegetation was evaluated through a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and then used to examine the environmental factors that impacted tree species composition and distribution. The results show that the Shannon-Wiener Index of the community forest was 2.491 ? 0.281, encompassing 197 species, 144 genera and 62 plant families. The cluster analysis classified the forest communities into three stands; Shorea obstusa-Sindora siamensis stand, Shorea siamensis-Shorea obtusa stand, and mixed deciduous stand. The CCA ordination identified that elevation, distance to streams, soil moisture, organic matter, and distance to communities were the most impactful factors on species composition and distribution. Therefore, increasing soil moisture, protecting from forest fires and selecting relevant species to restore the forest ecosystem are important strategies for community forest management. Furthermore, the utilization of forest resources by the community should be regulated and monitored for sustainability.

Keywords: tree species diversity, deciduous forest, environmental factors, community forest management