Assessment of Plant Diversity and Soil Quality Management in Forest Land of West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

The field experiment was set in home-garden areas under forest land of eight small towns viz.  Borampalem, Venkatapuram, Gundugolanukunta, Ramannapalem, Abdullapuram, Tirumaladevpeta, Venkatakrishnapuram, Appalarajugudem in West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh during November to March in 2021–22 assess the Plant and Tree Diversity and Soil quality parameters. The plant/tree species Phoenix sylvestris, reported the highest frequency (245.00), dominance (3.27), and basal area (7542.96 cm2).  Plumbago zeylanica had the highest relative density (6.96) and relative abundance (6.81) among all the shrub species. Plumbago zeylanica reported the highest Important value index (IVI) 17.10 while Herb species with highest density was found in Centella asiatica (0.95), frequency (35), and highest Important value index (IVI) 14.60. Soil quality parameters reflects that at the depth 0-15cm the average value of pH is found to be7.52, organic carbon is 0.56%, the amount of available nitrogen is 213.78 kg/ha, amount of available of phosphorus is 41.25 kg/ha and available potassium is 38.22 kg/ha. At the depth of 15-30 cm the Average value of pH is found to be 6.61, organic carbon is 0.39%, the amount of available nitrogen is 189.51 kg/ha, amount of available of phosphorus is 34.75 kg/ha and available potassium is 31.37 kg/h.