2008-'09 - Kerala Forest Research Institute
2008-'09 - Kerala Forest Research Institute
2008-'09 - Kerala Forest Research Institute
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Annual Report <strong>2008</strong>-09<br />
may serve only as a barrier to the entry of borer beetles into the culms during the<br />
post-harvest period. Steeping the culms with amylase solution during harvesting<br />
did not result in appreciable increase in subsequent starch depletion as probably<br />
the solution taken up by the transpiration stream was not distributed laterally.<br />
The stomatal conductance and transpiration rates were high during summer months<br />
in both the species. The Fv/Fm values obtained from chlorophyll fluorescence<br />
measurements which are indicative of photosynthetic efficiency showed a reduction<br />
as the dry period progressed.<br />
Water and light use characteristics of the vegetation in the different strata of a<br />
moist deciduous forest. KFRI <strong>Research</strong> Report No. 310 (Jose Kallarackal and<br />
Chandrashekara, U.M., <strong>2008</strong>.)<br />
The study was conducted in a moist deciduous forest located at Pattakarimbu, Nilambur<br />
North <strong>Forest</strong> Division, <strong>Kerala</strong>, India. The tree community structure, composition,<br />
distribution pattern and diversity were studied in the forest site by laying 100<br />
quadrats, each of 10m x 10m size. In the study plots, of the 33 tree species<br />
encountered, Xylia xylocarpa, Terminalia paniculata and Grewia tiliifolia were the<br />
most dominant ones. The total tree density in the plot was 415 individuals ha-1<br />
with a total tree basal area of 23.2 m 2 ha- 1 . The crown to land ratio (CLR) was 112.1<br />
± 6.5 and leaf area index (LAI) was 3.60 ± 0.22. Estimated species diversity index<br />
Water and light use measurements in the field<br />
value was 3.49, which suggests that over-dominance of any single or a set of species<br />
was absent in this forest.<br />
The duration of the mature leaf phase in the species studied varied from 187 days<br />
to 256 days, while yellowing before the abscission took 12 to 32 days. It was also<br />
recorded that the duration between complete leaf-yellowing and leaf abscission<br />
ranged from 6 to 16 days. Several deciduous species studied produced new foliage<br />
during early part of the summer season (January-February). The leaf colour<br />
14<br />
<strong>Kerala</strong> <strong>Forest</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Institute</strong>
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