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The present study was carried out with the intent to assess the types of disturbances present in the riparian forests and also to assess the effect of different disturbances on the status and distribution of Mallotus nudiflorus (L.) Kulju & Welzen in the riparian forests of Pagladia river, a major north bank tributary of river Brahmaputra. Representative forest stands were selected for assessing the disturbance scores, disturbance indicator value and quantitative parameters of tree species across different zones. Fourteen key disturbance types were recorded in the area which differed in their characteristics across the four zones and among them, bank erosion, sand mining, channel diversion, vegetation clearing, weed infestation and waste deposition were the most severe ones. Fourty six tree species were recorded in the riparian zones that belonged to 39 genera and 23 families. In-depth analysis of vegetation data, disturbance scores and indicator value revealed that M. nudiflorus was the most dominant species that occurred mostly in close proximity to the water edges. A positive correlation was also observed between the disturbance types, scores and indicator value with the density of M. nudiflorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]