Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26
February 2018 | 10(2): 11356–11358
Response: Non-Inverse J - shaped population
distribution: Peculiarity of
Red Sanders forests
S. Suresh Ramanan 1 & T.K. Kunhamu 2
1 WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau)
Volunteer, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural
Sciences and Technology of Jammu,
Jammu and Kashmir 180009, India
2 Department of Silviculture
and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala 680651, India
1 sureshramanan01@gmail.com(corresponding
author),
2 kunhamutk@gmail.com
doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3826.10.2.11356-11357
Date of publication: 26 Febraury 2018 (online & print)
Manuscript
details: Ms #
3826 | Received 04 October 2017
Citation: Ramanan, S.S. & T.K. Kunhamu (2018).
Non-Inverse J - shaped
population distribution: Peculiarity of Red Sanders forests. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(2):
11356–11357; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3826.10.2.11356-11357
Copyright: ©
Ramanan & Kunhamu 2018. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted
use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing
adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
The article in JoTT (Ankalaiah et al. 2017) was a
well-framed study, with regards to the current status of Red Sanders. The
authors had the geographical advantage of studying the population in its native
range, i.e., Andhra Pradesh.
The study has once again
pointed out the significance of protected areas (PA). Even though, the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary was not mainly intended
to the conservation of the Red Sanders, the sanctuary has helped in the good
regeneration of the species. The credit has to be given to the authors for
proving that PAs are a significant concept in conservation efforts; the book
written by Joppa et al. (2016) provides a similar conclusion. The book portrays a large number of case
studies to support the conclusion. This study has indirectly provided the
evidence as stated in the book but in an Indian context. Including this aspect
in the conclusion will add a jewel to the article.
Red Sanders belong to Family Leguminosae and sub-family Faboideae
(CAMP Workshops on Medicinal Plants, India (January,
1998). It has unique wood properties, which made the mature trees a target for
poachers. The data in the article
reports the same phenomenon, where trees with relatively bigger dimensions are
few. There are, however, few
statements in the paper that need better explanation. For instance, the
statement Òlinear regression between gbh midpoint ln(mi)
and density of individuals in each gbh class ln(Ni+1) was done to determine the recruitment
status by analyzing the slope and regression coefficientÓ. How did the regression aid in the
assessment of recruitment status? A small explanation, as well as graphical
representation, would make it easier to comprehend. Similarly,
the statement ÒHorizontal spread of canopy (D1) and vertical spread from the
first joint of the target tree (D2) were added (D1+D2) and a relation with
respect to tree height was analysedÓ. Here, the authors have to explain the
necessity of measuring the vertical spread and the usage of the term Ôvertical
spread from the first joint of the target treeÕ - a very uncommon usage in the
forest mensuration. Based on the measurement of canopy parameters, a
well-established fact has again been highlighted .i.e.
multiple stem trees produce a more horizontal spread. Is that so significant
which has to be restated.
Furthermore, in the result
section, the authors have stated that Figure 1 indicates that 30–50 cm is
the most representative gbh class in NPK1 and NPK2,
while in LKM1 and LKM2 the 51–70 cm gbh class
has a high number of treesÓ. But as
given in figure 1: LMK2 and NPK1 do have a high number of trees in 51–70
cm gbh. This necessitates relooking the result
section.
In the discussion section,
the findings of the study was linked to the inverse ÔjÕ shaped concept. It is a
very relevant and significant way to interpret the result. The paper published by Gonzalez-Rivas et
al. (2006), however, does conclude that there was inverse j shaped curve in the
species abundance pattern. On the
contrary, in the present study, the size population did not go in agreement
with the trend (inverse j-shaped).
Hence, there is a need for detailed explanation. It is stressed here because there is a
study in the disturbed tropical forests of Assam where the population follows
inverse j-shaped (Dutta & Devi 2013). This cited study was also subjected to
heavy exploitation as similar to that of the present study. This brings greater contradictions to
the article.
References
Ankalaiah, C., T. Mastan
& M.S. Reddy (2017). A study on the density, population structure and
regeneration of Red Sanders Pterocarpus santalinus (Fabales: Fabaceae) in a protected natural habitat - Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(9): 10669–10674; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2869.9.9.10669-10674
CAMP Workshops
on Medicinal Plants, India (January 1997) (1998). Pterocarpus santalinus. The IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species 1998: e.T32104A9679328. Downloaded
on 2 October 2017; htp://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.1998.RLTS.T32104A9679328.en
Dutta, G. & Devi, A. (2013). Plant diversity, population structure, and
regeneration status in disturbed tropical forests in Assam, northeast India. Journal of Forestry Research 24(4): 715–720.
Gonz‡lez-Rivas, B., M. Tigabu, K.
Gerhardt, G. Castro-Mar’n & P.C. OdŽn (2006). Species composition,
diversity and local uses of tropical dry deciduous and gallery forests in
Nicaragua, pp. 449–467. In: Forest Diversity and Management.
Springer Netherlands.
Joppa, L.N., Bailie, J.E.M. & J.
Robinson (2016). Protected Areas: Are They Safeguarding Biodiversity? John Wiley & Sons, 269pp.
Reply to
Response: Non-Inverse J - shaped population distribution
Chenchu Ankalaiah
1, Thondaladinne Mastan
2 & Mullangi
Sridhar Reddy 3
1,2,3 Department of Environmental Science, Yogi
Vemana University, Kadapa,
Andhra Pradesh 516216, India
1 chenchuankalaiah@gmail.com, 2 thndaladinne@gmail.com,
3
sridharmullangi@yahoo.com
(corresponding author)
doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4098.10.2.11357-11358
Date of publication: 26 Febraury
2018 (online & print)
Manuscript
details: Ms #
4098 | Received 19 February 2018
Citation: Ankalaiah, C., T. Mastan & M.S. Reddy
(2018). Reply to Response: Non-Inverse J - shaped population distribution. Journal
of Threatened Taxa 10(2): 11357–11358; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4098.10.2.11357-11358
Copyright: ©
Ankalaiah et al. 2018. Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT
allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and
distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of
publication.
We sincerely thank the
reviewers for providing the suggestions in the study and these will be helpful
for not only enhancing the understanding of the present paper but also for the progress
of research in future. In this regard we attempt to submit the answers for the
suggestions of the reviewers (Ramanan & Kunhamu 2018).
The correlation between gbh midpoints and the total number of individuals in the
respective gbh classes was done to generate the
baseline information to compare with other populations of Red Sanders growing
in different areas and to know changes in the Red Sanders population overtime
in Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary. Similar
study was carried out on the Elaeodendron transvaalense, a medicinally important tree being
harvested for bark (Tshishikawe & van Rooyen 2013).
Red Sanders profusely produce
multiple stems both naturally as well as mainly after the main stem is cut. In
order to know the difference in canopy spread between trees with single stem
and trees with multiple stems, this exercise of measuring D1 (Horizontal spread
of the crown) and D2 (Height of the crown vertically) is undertaken (Fig. 1).
The assumption is that the variations in the canopy spread may lead to the
deviations in the number of flowering branches, number of mature fruits and the
number of seedlings that can survive when they fall under the mother tree
canopy.
III & IV. Majority of the Red Sanders trees are in
the 30-50 cm (40%; range of 33% - 49.8%) and 51-70 cm gbh
classes (41.3%; range of 41% - 43%) and only 18% of trees are in the larger
girth class (>70 cm). As rightly pointed out by the reviewers there is only
a slight difference in the number of individuals in the 30-50 and 51-70 cm gbh classes and this condition did not revealed the inverse
J shaped population curve which indicates the continuous recruitment of young
stems (Condit et al. 1998). Although the population structure depicted reverse
J shaped curve when the density of all trees in the tropical dry deciduous
forests of Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary was
considered as also observed in tropical moist deciduous forests of Assam (Dutta & Devi 2013) for the whole forest. The prevailing non-reverse J shape
population curve of Red Sanders would be due to the selective logging of the
large girth sized trees and slow growth from 10–30 cm gbh
to 30–50 cm gbh class. Further, the multiple
stems that arose from the past selectively logged large size trees over time
have progressed into 30–50 and 51–70 cm gbh
classes only.
References
Condit, R.,
R. Sukumar, S. Hubbel &
R. Foster (1998). Predicting population trends from size distributions: a direct
test in a tropical tree community. American Naturalist 152:
495–509; https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d149/cd94e53123addea10dc3bf5734307a75872b.pdf
Dutta, G. & A. Devi (2013). Plant diversity, population
structure and regeneration status in disturbed tropical forests in Assam, north east India. Journal of Forestry Research 24 (4)
715–720.
Ramanan, S.S. & T.K. Kunhamu (2018). Non-Inverse J - shaped
population distribution: Peculiarity of Red Sanders forests. Journal of
Threatened Taxa 10(2): 11356–11357;
http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3826.10.2.11356-11357
Tshisikhawe, M.P. & M.W. van Rooyen (2013). Population biology of Elaeodendron
transvaalense Jacq. In the presence of harvesting. ΦYTON
82: 303–311.