Phytosociological Study Of Herb Species At Two Reclaimed Sites Of Sukinda Chromite Mining Region Of Odisha, India

Abstract

Present study was carried out in the Chromite mining region of Sukinda, District Jajpur, Odisha. Two overburden dump sites were selected for vegetation analysis out of which one site was two year old and other 15 year old. Vegetation analysis was carried out on these sites to observe the differences in density of herb species after reclamation.  The density was calculated for herb species at different aspects of these two dumps to find out the impact of aspect and age on density values of herbaceous vegetation on reclaimed over burden sites.  Of the 58 and 56 herb species recorded at these reclaimed sites D2 and D7 respectively, 36 species were present at both sides.  Higher number of species was recorded on east aspect at both the sites.  Both the fifteen year and two year old sites was represented by 22 families. Herb species of family Poaceae, Amaranthaceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae were the dominant families at D2 site where as families like Mimosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Poaceae were more in number than other families at older site i.e. D7. Amaranthus viridis and Cynodon dactylon were theb dominant species on yonger site and Cynodon dactylon and Evolvulous nummularius exhibited dominance at older site.