Life-Form and Primary Productivity of An Indian Grassland Community

ABSTRACT

The life-form and primary productivity of a grassland community located at Rangamatia of Mayurbhanj district, Odisha (21⁰ 56' N; 86⁰ 41' E). The floristic composition of the grassland community comprised of 36 species (15 were grasses and 21 were non - grasses). Cynodon dactylon, Digitaria abludens, Eleusine indica, Vetiveria zizanioides among the grasses and Phyllanthus fraternus and Sida cordifolia among the non-grasses were found dominant during the study period. The life-form of the community consisted of the class Chamaephytes 27.78%, Hemicryptophytes 25%, Cryptophytes (Geophytes) 16.67% and the Therophyte 30.55%. Phanerophytes were found to be absent. The annual grass production was found to be 3289.53   g m^-2 yr^-1. The non-grass production showed maximum in the month of June (868.55 g m^-2) and minimum in the month of September (141.11 g m^-2). The annual non-grass production was found to be 2246.10 g m^-2 yr^-1. The study of life-form and primary productivity helps to recovery of the natural ecosystems to the earlier balanced state and preservation the biodiversity of grassland community in world.

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