Floristic composition and phytosociology of a temperate bamboo stand in Eastern Himalayas, India.

Arundinaria maling forest in Jang area of Arunachal Pradesh of Eastern Himalayas, India is a temperate secondary successional forest which harbored 29 species of herbaceous and 28 shrubby species. Fourteen species each of the total herbs and shrubs had broad ecological amplitude and were distributed throughout the A. maling forest (2400-3600 m). Most of the herb and shrub species were distributed in clumps inside the bamboo forest. Distribution of Rhododendron arboreum, R. thomsonii, R. fulgens and R. tawangensis were restricted between 2800-3600 m. Eleocharis atropurpurea dominated between 2400-2800 m and Eragrostis ciliaris has dominated between the elevation of 2800-3200 m, whereas Gnaphalium apiculatum was the dominant species between 3200-3600 m in the forest. Species composition between 3200-3600 m and 2800- 3200 m resembled greatest similarity. Density of herbaceous species decreased with the decrease in elevation, whereas density of shrubs was highest between 2800-3200 m. Species richness and Shannon Wiener Index was also highest between 2800-3200 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]