ASSESSMENT OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOIL CHARACTERISTICS AND TREE DIVERSITY BY MULTI-VARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS IN DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS OF PALAKONDA HILL RANGES, SOUTHERN EASTERN GHATS, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA
P. SREEDHAR RAO
Department of Environmental Science, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa 516 005, Andhra Pradesh, India.
C. VENKATA RAMANA
Department of Environmental Science, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa 516 005, Andhra Pradesh, India.
M. SRIDHAR REDDY
Department of Environmental Science, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa 516 005, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Soil properties play an important role in ecosystem functioning that drive the variation in the tree diversity among the dry forests. The aim of the study is to know the relationship between soil properties and tree diversity from the soil samples collected from six 1ha study plots in Palakonda hill ranges, by using multivariate statistical analysis techniques like (Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The results indicate that (SOC) write out the full meaning before abbreviation had negative relationship and Nitrogen had positive relationship with Shannon diversity and tree species richness. Bulk density and soil texture better explained the variation in basal area and tree density among the study plots. Overall, soil properties showed moderate relationship with tree diversity but not the direct relationship.
Keywords: Principal component analysis, soil characteristics, tree species diversity