Impact of mining on tree diversity of the silica mining forest area at Shankargarh, Allahabad, India

Abstract

The Shankargarh forest area is rich in silica, a major mineral used in glass industry. Extensive open cast silica mining has severely damaged the forest as well as productivity of the region. An understanding of the impact of mining on the environment particularly on vegetation characteristics is a prerequisite for further management of these mining sites, especially in the selection of species for reclamation works. The present paper deals with the study of the tree composition of silica mining area of Shgankargarh forest, at both disturbed and undisturbed sites. Tree vegetation study was conducted at undisturbed and disturbed sites of Shankargarh forests using standard quadrate method. Density, abundance and frequency values of tree species were calculated. Species were categorized into different classes according to their frequency. The importance value index (IVI) for each species was determined. Species diversity, Concentration of dominance, Species richness and Evenness index were calculated for the undisturbed and disturbed sites. The distribution pattern of the species was studied by using Whitford’s index. Similarity index between tree composition of disturbed and undisturbed sites was determined by using Jaccard’s and Sorenson’s index of similarity. Tree species showed a drastic reduction in their numbers in disturbed sites compared to that of the undisturbed sites. The phytosociological indices also illustrated the impact of mining on the tree composition of the area. The present study led to the conclusion that resultant tree vegetation analysis can be used as important tool for predicting the suitability of particular species for revegetating the mined areas.

Keywords

silica mine / reclamation / tree composition / vegetation study / species diversity