Regeneration Ecology of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers in the Eastern Himalayan Region of India
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The future of some tree species may be at risk due to genetic erosion owing to the fast decline in the world’s forest cover and overexploitation of goods. Therefore, understanding seed production, dispersal and the fate of seed populations, and seedling growth is crucial to revitalization of these species and channelizing the change towards ecosystem restoration. The study aims to estimate the seed production, dispersal, fate of seed populations, and seedling growth of Lagerstroemia speciosa in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The results indicate that seed production significantly varied between the years (p＜0.05) and among individual trees (p＜0.01). The findings also showed strong positive correlations between seed production and tree characteristics such as DBH, number of branches, inflorescences, crown height, crown diameter. Additionally, there was a strong negative correlation between the number of seeds dispersed per unit area and dispersal distance from the mother tree (r=-0.88 in 2022 and r=-0.76 in 2023), with a significant difference observed in 2023 (p＜0.05). We found that 85% of the total seed produced fell directly under the mother tree, with fewer seeds dispersed farther away. However, seed disappearance decreased with increasing distance from the mother tree. Moreover, a correlation was observed between seedlings’ growth parameters and microclimatic variables. The restricted spatial extent of seed dispersal has important implications for the dynamics, management, and conservation of L. speciosa.
Abstract
The future of some tree species may be at risk due to genetic erosion owing to the fast decline in the world’s forest cover and overexploitation of goods. Therefore, understanding seed production, dispersal and the fate of seed populations, and seedling growth is crucial to revitalization of these species and channelizing the change towards ecosystem restoration. The study aims to estimate the seed production, dispersal, fate of seed populations, and seedling growth of Lagerstroemia speciosa in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The results indicate that seed production significantly varied between the years (p＜0.05) and among individual trees (p＜0.01). The findings also showed strong positive correlations between seed production and tree characteristics such as DBH, number of branches, inflorescences, crown height, crown diameter. Additionally, there was a strong negative correlation between the number of seeds dispersed per unit area and dispersal distance from the mother tree (r=-0.88 in 2022 and r=-0.76 in 2023), with a significant difference observed in 2023 (p＜0.05). We found that 85% of the total seed produced fell directly under the mother tree, with fewer seeds dispersed farther away. However, seed disappearance decreased with increasing distance from the mother tree. Moreover, a correlation was observed between seedlings’ growth parameters and microclimatic variables. The restricted spatial extent of seed dispersal has important implications for the dynamics, management, and conservation of L. speciosa.