Analysis of Tree Diversity Patterns in the Tropical Evergreen and Moist Deciduous Forests of the Middle Andaman Islands, India

Analysis of Tree Diversity Patterns in the Tropical Evergreen and Moist Deciduous Forests of the Middle Andaman Islands, India

Tropical rainforests constitute one of the world’s richest biomes with high species diversity. They play a crucial role in controlling global climate besides providing several direct benefits known to all. Several studies have been carried out to estimate the biodiversity of these forests at various sites across the world and have helped in identifying potential sites of species richness and diversity as well as hotspots that harbour high endemism. However, Andaman and Nicobar Islands situated in between the Bay of Bengal in the west and the Andaman Sea in the east have not been explored much owing to their remoteness and inaccessibility, along with hostile cannibalistic natives and other tribal communities. In the current study, phytosociological data were collected in two predominant forest types of the Middle Andaman Islands to analyze their tree diversity patterns.