Floristic composition and distribution of evergreen forests in the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

After an analysis of the three main climatic gradients governing the Western Ghats region, relationships are established between the climate and the distribution of the evergreen forest types. Some cases of distribution linked to soil are also discussed. The second part deals with the distribution of species in the different evergreen forest types with particular reference to their relative importance and the relative importance of the families. Figures of species richness are compared with results obtained in other tropical rain forests, and areas with high percentage of endemism are considered. The distribution of the species within the forest ecosystem is then studied: distribution in the structural ensembles, relative density and species diversity.