Habitat fragmentation and its effects on the distribution of plants

Forests are one of the major natural resource base, providing several forest ecosystem services and are subjected to repeated maltreatment by human. However, with increased population pressure overexploitation and extraction of natural resource base is increased. While considering its importance and services, it is required to understand the status of forested land considering both structure and function of forests. Therefore, study is undertaken in tropical dry deciduous forests of Purulia district, West Bengal, India which is also not an exception of destruction causing loss of forest cover, converting large forest patch into smaller ones. The aim of the study is to understand the effects of habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity. The study reveals high biotic pressure in the area causing fragmentation and subsequent loss of plant and animal species with unstable vegetal structure. Species diversity is lowered compared to other forests. Research work also depicts improper nutrient cycling in the smaller fragmented patches.